Next Theme Park Movie Franchise

Angry Birds. Do people still care?

Alice Through the Looking Glass. Sequel to Johnny Depp hit movie.

Doctor Strange. Not familiar at all.

Monster High. Certainly counter programming from Universal.

Ghostbusters. Will it work again?

My money is on Kung Fu Panda and Warcraft as the most viable candidates for theme park inclusion. I'm actually kind of shocked that Warcraft hasn't been even considered as a potential theme park franchise (well, there was that whole warcraft-themed rip-off park in China). My guess is they're waiting to see how the movie performs. Make no mistake, if the Warcraft film is a success, it'll be almost inevitable that we'll see it in a theme park someday (probably Universal considering Legendary is a subsidiary of Universal).

Some franchises which have an outside shot are Ratchet and Clank, Assassin's Creed, Monster High, Alice, and Angry Birds.

Those are my two pesos.

Batman and Superman could restart the DC hype, maybe causing a company to buy DC from Six Flags and use it properly.

Otherwise, definitely Alice In Wonderland.

I'd go with an Alice area and maybe some Moana in adventureland depending on the success. Do you guys think if the Good Dinosaur is popular enough, it will replace Dino Land in AK? I sure hope so

It's up in the air how Moana will turn out. Still, I don't think inclusion in Adventureland is a given (at least at Disneyland, there's no more room in adventureland at DLR for another attraction).

I would sure hope The Good Dinosaur puts some type of pressure on Disney to do something with DinoLand USA because it really needs some work.

I'm going to cheat and simply go with the vast majority of Universal's upcoming horror movies (Untitled Blumhouse Horror 2, The Purge 3, Spectral, Monster High, Ouija 2 less so), and within the year! Of course I mean for Halloween Horror Nights, not anything permanent. Maybe Universal will even license The Conjuring 2.

"Warcraft" is about Orcs and Humans. It takes elements that are familiar in Lord of the Rings. I imagine Warcraft could be an adequate although lesser substitute.

"Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them" continues the story in the world of Harry Potter as a prequel.

Both of these properties could be new franchise opportunities for Universal.

"Star Trek Beyond" It's about time that Star Trek shows up at any theme park or resort. Still missing the Star Trek Experience at Las Vegas.

If there was a way to make Hunger Games work in a theme park, that would probably be the next franchise to see an attraction. Unfortunately, that franchise just isn't suited well to the theme park environment.

Honestly, I think one of the unused DreamWorks franchises (most likely either How to Train Your Dragon or Kung Fu Panda) is the most probable to become the next new theme park IP. If the Bourne series can get back on track, I could also see a high-adrenaline attraction based on that franchise (though I'd say that is much less likely). For Disney, I think it's too early to tell. They don't really have many unused franchises that are still popular enough to get a theme park attraction (or they won't be popular enough by the time said attraction opens) and they aren't likely to build something based on an untried property.

A lot of good choices to pick from, some are just one off's or your standard dramas. Still franchises with big potential are there here. Star Trek is obvious here, with the 50th coming next year. Hopefully, announcements like a new Trek TV show and theme park ride is in the cards as they return to its former glory. Another franchise is James Bond. It's been a long time since the License to thrill ride and seeing that return to the theme parks is ripe for blockbuster money. There been rumors, but let's see how well Spectre does and which park it could go *cough Univ..*.

The real ones to look out for is DC movies. For a while, the DC comics brand has been regulated to flat rides and cookie cutter painted roller coasters. Just recently with Justice League dark ride has Six Flags try to branch out of the thrill park fare. So, if all these DC movies become the next billion dollar money-maker franchise like Marvel. I wonder if not having AAA E-ticket dark rides in markets like Orlando and California is leaving money on the table. Maybe Warner Brothers has to reconsider its deal with Six Flags or if dare I say "replacement for that other Super-Hero Land" is in the cards. Or could we see a *gasp* a la Six Flags park in Orlando that is not the standard coaster park. Time and money will tell.

Shocking on the list is Bourne while the franchise has stumbled a bit lately, it's still Universals top money making franchise next to Fast and Furious and Minions.
I wonder if this is a rights thing with the Ludlum estate is causing some kind of theme park attraction to stall, much like Lord of the Rings.

One I hope for sure to happen is Ghostbusters. Take away the fanboy hate going on with the reboot. Lately, Ghostbusters is having a resurgence. There's the Six Flags Mexico walk-thru interactive maze, and the Ghostbusters dark ride being built at Motiongate Dubai. Hopefully, the movie is a hit and we can get that shooter a la Toy Story Mania dark ride at Universal.

One thing to check out is that some of those properties on that list are being made into rides right now. Rides like Underworld, Hungry Games, Dreamworks, even DC comics like Batman are being made at Dubai and China markets. Goddard Group has a Sorain like ride for Batman, while Dubai has Sony theme park land.

Also, I forgot. Disney. I wish Disney had the fire up there behind the way Universal and even Six/Cedar has. But they such a big fat dragon, seems getting things done there takes an act of congress. There so many franchises they can make into rides. Even there remakes were rides at one point like 20K and Mr. Toad are being developed. But Star Wars and PIXAR seem to take up the boat loads of cash and resources for the mouse at this time.
Mabey we can see other Disney properties come into the parks maybe for the mythical 3rd and 5th theme park beyond the 2020s.

For the next several years, I don't think we're going to see another movie franchise get the theme park treatment.

Disney has their plate full with the development of the Shanghai Disney resort, Star Wars Universes in two separate parks, and Toy Story Playland in DHS. They really haven't done much with their Marvel franchise for obvious reasons, and they're waiting to see what the long term effects of the Frozen conversion of the Norway pavilion in Epcot is going to do on attendance. And don't forget the completion of Avatar/Pandora in DAK. Plus they may be doing some major Frozen/Arendelle development work for the Tokyo Disney Resort. So Disney has plenty of movie IP to flesh out their parks and it will probably be at least a decade before we see them break in a new movie IP at any of their parks.

Universal has plenty of room to flesh out their Orlando and Hollywood parks with more Harry Potter attractions. Nintendo (not a movie IP) is waiting in the wings, and with the reboot of the Jurassic Park franchise, I see them adding some more JP attractions in all their parks. Plus with the resurrection of King Kong in Orlando, Universal may be going back to the future and re-introducing some of their classic characters in new rides. Barring the opportunity to develop a third gate in Orlando or a second gate in Hollywood (not hardly) or at Universal Studios Japan, I just don't see them trying to develop a new movie franchise. The space, the money, and the demand just aren't there.

Six Flags has ventured into adding a few more dark rides under their DC IP, but they don't have the investment capital to go out and acquire a new movie IP to add to their parks. They've barely scratched the surface of the DC Universe, and it's highly unlikely that they'd spend the money to get a new IP when their existing IP provides a tremendous opportunity for new theme park rides.

Sea World and Busch Gardens could benefit the most from adding movie IP to their parks, but that hasn't been their MO in the past, and it is highly unlikely they would change that approach in the future.

Cedar Fair isn't going to add any movie IP to their parks either.

So, until the big two get done with their current round of improvements over the next decade, we're not going to see any new movie IP get the theme park treatment. The only movie franchise that could change that scenario would be the Lord of the Rings/Hobbit franchise and that would require a 3rd gate in Orlando or a 2nd gate in Hollywood and Japan for Universal which might get Disney to go for that long hoped for 5th gate in Orlando or 3rd in Anaheim.

Kinda cheating cause its not really a movie franchise, but maybe Universal and BBC can agree on bringing Doctor Who to Universal Parks? The show is getting more and more popular everyday here in the US, and after the success that Harry Potter has been to them, maybe its time to bring The Doctor over here as well? I't would lend itself very well and the series isn't showing signs of stopping in the near future

@mtirado9 Doctor Who will most likely be a great simulator ride, but Universal already has too many of those

@disneyversal yea they do, but, they keep bringing in more and more guests, so its not a bad idea, plus, they can get really creative with it, imagine the queque, you enter through the Tardis, then inside you how big it is, and then you get to the ride itself and it could be something amazing

I don't see the appeal of Doctor Who. I made it through the reboot 9th Doctor's season, and then maybe 3 or 4 into the 10th, and then gave up. It's super corny, has terrible special effects, and it's jarring to get used to new actors.

I agree that both Disney and Universal are set for a decade or so, but I'd really like to see Sea World improve their guest experience with more dark rides and shows based on IPs. I can't keep track of which Fox/Dreamworks/Blue Sky rights belong to which park in which country, but I'd love to see Kung Fu Panda at Busch Gardens, or get a big Ice Age presence in Sea World.