- Apr 30, 2017
- 903
- 2,530
I absolutely trust our insiders and I have no inside information myself, so I’m sure anything I say will be a product of ignorance...
But...
None of the suggested or rumored lineups have the “WOW” factor Uni needs when announcing not just a new park but what is, in many ways, a new resort. That “WOW” factor is what gets social media buzzing, what gets multiple news stories written about Unis plans, what gets guests to plan a trip. Potter had it in spades, and that basically saved the whole resort. Nintendo had it, but that’s already announced, and the version in Japan will be open significantly before Orlando’s, massively diluting the “WOW.”
As far as I can see, there are four “WOW” IPs left that are both theme-park-appropriate and unused. The big two we all know - LOTR and ST. The others are DC, which runs into problems with Marvel, and Bond, which would be trickier to adapt to a theme park. I’m sure negotiations for any of those would be difficult, verging on impossible. The idea that WB would demand branding and Uni would balk makes complete sense. Nevertheless, I think if you’re Uni, you NEED one of those - or a comparable IP that hasn’t occurred to me and isn’t being mentioned in the many suggestions on this board.
But...
None of the suggested or rumored lineups have the “WOW” factor Uni needs when announcing not just a new park but what is, in many ways, a new resort. That “WOW” factor is what gets social media buzzing, what gets multiple news stories written about Unis plans, what gets guests to plan a trip. Potter had it in spades, and that basically saved the whole resort. Nintendo had it, but that’s already announced, and the version in Japan will be open significantly before Orlando’s, massively diluting the “WOW.”
As far as I can see, there are four “WOW” IPs left that are both theme-park-appropriate and unused. The big two we all know - LOTR and ST. The others are DC, which runs into problems with Marvel, and Bond, which would be trickier to adapt to a theme park. I’m sure negotiations for any of those would be difficult, verging on impossible. The idea that WB would demand branding and Uni would balk makes complete sense. Nevertheless, I think if you’re Uni, you NEED one of those - or a comparable IP that hasn’t occurred to me and isn’t being mentioned in the many suggestions on this board.