The first new attraction of the post-Covid-closure era has opened. Well, it's in "technical rehearsals," at least.
The Bourne Stuntacular welcomed its first guests as the new mixed-media stunt show began its soft opening at Universal Studios Florida.
The New Jason Bourne Stuntacular Show at Universal Studios Florida is OPEN for softs! #BourneWatch pic.twitter.com/7t8jUtQi4P
— Theme Park Shark ???? (@ThemeParkShark) June 14, 2020
You can see more photos over at Theme Park Shark. The show is being produced in conjunction with Action Horizon Stunts, which does shows for several of the Universal parks, including Water World.
Universal described the show in a press release:
Upon entering the attraction, guests are surrounded by images, clips and actual props from the films, including the car from the iconic chase scene in “The Bourne Identity,” and Jason’s go-to form of transportation in “The Bourne Ultimatum” – his motorcycle. After heading into mission headquarters, guests will be briefed by Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles), Bourne’s main confidant in the films, who needs help ensuring he is not being fooled by rogue double agents. Then, as guests enter the theater, they’ll join the character of Jason Bourne as he travels across three continents and the cities of Tangier, Washington, D.C. and Dubai, to uncover classified information all while trying to evade danger and capture at every turn.
The show theater includes a 130-feet wide by 28-feet tall LED screen, an advanced projection mapping system, and a variety of high-tech props.
"It was so rewarding to work closely with the Universal Orlando team to create an experience that is authentic to the Bourne films," Frank Marshall, Producer of the Bourne franchise said. "After watching the show several times and providing the team with creative input, I can truly say The Bourne Stuntacular not only stays true to the essence of the films, but also delivers next-level action that will make guests feel like they are by Jason Bourne’s side."
If you were at the show today, we'd love to hear from you in the comments. And stayed tuned for more news about The Bourne Stuntacular, as we await news of an official opening date from Universal.
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I thought initially that there was no chance to see this show until maybe next year, but then I heard that Universal really wanted to keep this cast together rather than having to start from scratch, as it might if the production was delayed for a year or more. So it pushed to find a way to keep this production viable, even under the new rules.
I'm working on getting the story on how Universal was able to put together any semblance of a live production right now. As I said, stay tuned.
It still seems off as Bourne just lacks the same broad appeal a Terminator attraction did. Just seems weird to me.
Hey, both beat the heck out of Waterworld as a franchise, but that's an amazing, fan-favorite show.
FYI there is already a video of the show on YouTube and it looks better than I expected it to be. Of course as it is still in "technical rehearsal" there are a few kinks that need to be worked out but overall, quite impressed with what they did.
I'm with Robert. Waterworld was an absolutely and objectively awful movie...and yet Universal made an amazingly impressive and entertaining stunt show out of it. It had to be good to beat the Miami Vice stunt show that it replaced (which was really good too, but it also didn't have big shoes to fill with the A-Team stunt show that IT replaced).
I just watched the video on YouTube and I have to say it is pretty freaking amazing.
I'd also suggest that anyone who will be at UO in the next several months DO NOT watch the video. I'm in California and don't expect to be in Orlando anytime soon, so I made the decision to check it out online. I think it would be best experienced live in the theater for the fist time.
As to anyone who thinks the fact that it's tied to a less than current IP in the Bourne movies, I do not see that as a problem at all. They could change the name to "Mr. Spy Guy beats up bad guys" and the spectacular of what happens on stage would still fill the seats.
I didn't have audio so I have to imagine that it's even better with the inclusion of a score. The things that happen on (in front of, below and above) stage elevate what has been expected from a theme park stunt show to an entirely new level.
More than wanting to see this show in person however, REALLY want to go backstage and see how this beast runs. I have to imagine the Entertainment department and Technical Services have been using the downtime from Covid to exercise the mechanics of this production. There are so many moving parts I'd be really surprised the show doesn't suffer from a good bit of technical downtime. I'm also curious to know how easily they can change the show since it's video based. I have to assume that the images of characters that are also represented by live actors can be swapped out easily. What I'm curious to know is if entire segments can be deleted if one of the practical sets/props is not functioning.
I watched this show with a big silly grin on my face almost the entire way through. I think Universal has a big hit on their hands with this. I bet the Hollywood park is disappointed that they have converted their old T2 3-D theater into the Minions attraction now. I'm curious to see if the other Universal parks open this show also, or if they at least use this technology for other productions.
I can not agree with the above poster more. Do not check out videos of stuff online until you have checked it out in person! It has been brutal to not check out the new Disney World attraction videos... Avatar, rise of the resistance, Frozen ever after online. Im so curious but nothing beats that first time when you experience an attraction. Heck the same goes for Hagrid and yes even Jimmy Fallon. All of that, including this Bourne attraction, I hope to check out in person in a month or so. I'm glad people are saying good things about it.
After seeing this show, the strength is not the IP. This attraction could even drop the IP and it would still be the best special effect stunt show in the US. The blending of screen, live action and stage sets is like nothing I have seen at any theme park to date.
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Holy crap this is totally out of left field and a pleasant surprise. The fact that it has different aspects along with the live show component has me excited. We'll see whats up as more people experience it.