Does anyone else think too much Harry Potter Would be bad?
Universal Orlando: Does anyone else share this opinion? Or is it just me ?
From Dan S
Posted June 12, 2012 at 1:41 PM
I'm hearing about people's ideas and rumors about the Harry Potter expansion left right and center, but would that be the best thing for universal ? I mean, i hear people talking about putting something where the old Jaws was, and other opinions on an expansion where the Lost Continant is. Don't get me wrong, the Harry Potter area is my favourite themed land in any theme park ever, but I think expanding it any more than it already is would be a mistake. The result would be half of an entire theme park being devoted to one movie series, with less variety anywhere else. I think that the Harry Potter area should not be expanded at all, and we should use that other space for a new origional concept. Does anyone else share this opinion ? Or is it just me ?
I agree with you. I love HP, but let's not get carried away. I think expanding it in the rest of the Lost Continent would be a great idea. I don't see how it will fit into USF without there being a soundstage.
Yea, Harry potter movies and the lord of the rings were amazing while they lasted but they really weren't on the caliber of classics like jaws. In the next generations or two kids won't really know who he even is. ( Even though the books were classics ) so when this ride gets old they are gonna have some very major renovations. Nobody never knew the super Heros, popye, JP, and the Simpsons excited. Those are classics with staying power. If they move all this Harry Potter to these places than they will have to tear down half the park. I think that if they don't stop HP buildings that this could actually negatively impact the park. Dont get me wrong I love Harry potter but to much of anything is bad. How about the hunger games. I know some people are rolling their eyes about this but the movie was ok and a trilogy wich will be going on for at least the next 3 years will be realesed. Build one ride based on that and see how it does because they are probably gonna be a huge overdose of HP.
From Chad H
Posted June 12, 2012 at 2:41 PM
I think the big problem that Universal have with HP is how long is it going to hold for... The books and movies are pretty much over, unless JK decides to break her rules and not set a new novel series in the universe, interest can only wane with time.
I think even a big fantasy series that has held the test of time, like Narnia or Lord of the Rings would struggle.
Also, what happens when they lose the license? A lot of the experiences are very well designed around the books, and would be tricky to "genercise" - Dueling Dragons can go back to what it was, but what do you do with Olivanders?
From Amy Smith
Posted June 12, 2012 at 4:20 PM
Well Pottermore and the new PS3 game Book of Spells along with all the lego harry potter games and merch has ensured that kids too young to even read the books are still being introduced to and experiencing the Potter magic so I think it has more staying power than you would imagine. The books are being re-released with new covers in the next few years and they are on lots of recommended reading lists, plus my generation (the one that grew up with Harry) is starting to have kids and many of us will be introducing the books and movies to a new generation of children in the next decade.
Obviously as a huge Potter nerd I love the idea of the Diagon expansion and the Hogwarts Express connector but I think even a person who has never experienced Potter will enjoy another amazing themed ride like the Gringott's coaster is supposed to be. If the rumors are true, this adds another (indoor) coaster to Studios along with a quick-service or potentially sit down restaurant.
But like potter was to our generation ( the one that grew up with him ) will expose our kids to the movies but like Potter was a huge trend to us something else will be an even bigger trend to them. So it's got a few years at tops 30 but I think that the Reno and referbeshment costs would be way to much. Think about it, the ride will eventually need a video update like spiderman and the kuka arms will get tired and of corse
Breakdowns
They are already a huge problem and they will only get worse as time goes on.
Take Star Wars for example: 35 years ago it was the big thing. Today? It's even bigger with 5 sequels, 2 ( soon to be 3 ) TV Shows, great video games, an E-Ticket ride, a big expanded universe, and more. Will Harry Potter be this big in 24 years? Probably not, but we'll see what happens.
I agree!
I think Star Wars will inevitably be more popular, but that's only due to the major difference between George Lucas and JK Rowling. Lucas has shown over the years that he is more than willing to expand the movies while Rowling wrote her books and has done little with the characters since 2007.
So yes, Star Wars will be more popular, but that's because George Lucas has been willing to continue the series, not because of popularity.
I find it interesting that none of these responses take into consideration the ride system of a new Potter attraction. Think: 'Back to the Future,' 'The Amazing Adventures of Spider Man,' 'Men In Black: Alien Attack,' 'Revenge of the Mummy,' 'Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.' These attractions are among the very best on the planet because of the attraction itself and not because of the franchise attached to them.
Universal Creative are the very best at pioneering new ride systems. That's what will make their future attractions so great.
Oh and for those of you who think the Potter franchise will be forgotten ... consider this from Daniel Radcliffe: "The one thing that terrifies me is that the idea that in 20 years or so they’ll probably remake the films. Just with the world’s generally shrinking attention span, it will probably only be 10 years before people are ready to remake them again."
Considering the awkward dialouge and "toy-shop" family-friendly qualities of the first two films, I would not be surprised if re-makes of Potter #1 and Potter #2 are already in the planning stages.
From Rob P
Posted June 13, 2012 at 11:20 AM
C'mon TH : Next you'll be telling me they're going to re-make
" Total Recall " !!
The over-Potterisation of Universal is something I'm on record, here on TPI, for warning against. It's a good franchise but generations can be picky. Who, from my generation, would ever have thought that "Jaws" would take a dive or" Back to the Future" be sent packing ? But they have.
So this is a gamble. Not a massive one perhaps but a gamble nonetheless. This is why the ticket prices will go up and why they'll go up a lot in the future. Because, one things for sure,it'll be the punters who'll pay for it all in the final analysis.
But take nothing away from Harry Potter. He's doing well and it's got the place buzzing.
No.
From Rob P
Posted June 14, 2012 at 3:26 AM
To expand on TH's comments about re-making Harry Potter :
I can see Nicolas Cage as an ageing Harry Potter in a sequel where the little Wiz stays on at Hogwarts ( like a lot of academics do to avoid getting a proper job ) and teaches.
The ginger one could be played by Ben Affleck and the girl by Sandra Bullock.
In 3D and D-Box seats it's a winner surely. No ?
Oh well.
From N B
Posted June 14, 2012 at 9:26 AM
Comparing Star Wars to HP is insane..... how many girls are into Star Wars? HP is an all ages franchise that appeals to both genders.
That is whay a movie like Twilight wouldn't work in a theme park. That is a mainly female driven franchise.
I think the HP section leaves people wanting more simply because it is not that big, only has one new ride and two rebadged ones. I would love to see a new area go into Universal for a couple reasons.
It would thin out the crowds at IOA and give them something new to obsess over. They could probably introduce Express for Forbidden Journey at that point.
Universal needs something besides a rebadged Jimmy Neutron, a re-imagined night show and a couple of parades to bring in the crowds like IOA does.
They should learn from the mistakes at IOA, however. Those tiny shops you can't move around in are brutal. The wait for Ollivanders should at least be covered from the sun in some way.
This is why we hit HP at pre-opening and steer clear for the rest of the day.
NB, there's plenty of girl Star Wars fans out there. Ashley Eckstien has a whole girl themed Star Wars clothing line for women and girls. Plus when I went to Star Wars Weekends last month, almost half of the atendees were girls (who were fans).
From N B
Posted June 14, 2012 at 10:38 AM
We will have to agree to disagree.
Despite all of the current success and mania around the Harry Potter attractions, there is a shelf life. It's hard for people to see that now because of all the success and the myopia that tends to come with the current big thing. It might be a wildly popular trend, but it's a trend nonetheless. It's only a matter of time before the name Harry Potter falls in line with the rest of our past lovable pop culture icons, which is why Universal should take care not to overdo it.
I still think that the real credit for the success of Wizarding World goes to Universal. It's their creativity, systems, planning, and execution that brought it to life. Sure Harry Potter's popularity was a big part too, but the puppet is nothing without the person who builds it and pulls the strings. I think it's to the point where the good reports and word of mouth are starting to drive attendance and not just the popularity of the character.
That said, Universal has the ability to make this kind of magic with just about any decent franchise. Strange as it may sound to some, overdosing on Harry Potter isn't a good long term solution. They should look for some more diversity.
I love how NB and Dom NEVER agree. EVER.
From James Rao
Posted June 14, 2012 at 11:29 AM
Gotta agree with TH Creative and Derek Potter, the "theme" is the delicious icing on an already great cake. The rides themselves are brilliant enough to stand the test of time or theme (as indicated by the fact that two of the three rides pre-dated Potter). So, once the Potter craze dies out completely (which will happen unless Rowling needs to dip back into her cash cow and create new adventures for the boy wizard), IOA can retrofit a new theme over the current attractions and expand those tiny, crowd-unfriendly shops (hear, hear, N B!). Which means that the more Universal grows the current franchise the more they will have to retrofit later.
However, I think the current "rumored" Potter expansion to the Studios park is a GREAT idea. For the short term it will spread the Universal crowds out a bit more evenly, bring folks back who were just one (visit) and done Potter fans, and put money in the Universal coffers for more great non-Potter attractions. For the long term (when Potter mania dies), the train connecting the two Orlando parks can be closed and the USO land retrofitted to whatever new movie fad is #1.
Plea to Universal: in your quest to grab as much money as possible right now with Harry Potter expansion, please don't get rid of Mythos!!! I still love that place! =)
I love how Andy has to comment on our argument. ALWAYS.
LOok at the que. That will cost almost as much as it cost to build the attraction to be taken down. The ride system and building are fine for a while but so much work will have to be down to change the rides in the future you might have to question universals authorities. Because in the long run. No ride will ever have as many years as universal needs out of HP.
Here's the thing, all rides existing now in both parks will be replaced at some point in time. Phases come and go and Parks have to adjust to the time phase that they're in. Is Universal Naieve enough to believe that they won't have to replace Harry Potter? With all of the revenue that its brought in, Universal creative should be applauded rather than doubted on their premise for their idea. Obviously IOA and USF were in massive decline and something had to be done to bring them back to life, and so they did. And in about 10 years there will be something else and they will have to replace it. With the space UO has they have to be in constant replace mode. I don't necessarily like Disney but props to them for making sure they had the room to expand.
Everything is replaceable and has to be replaced sooner or later. Enjoy it while it's here
R.I.P. Jaws :(
From N B
Posted June 16, 2012 at 5:39 PM
My point is there are only a few movies that can appeal to both genders and a wide range of ages. HP just happens to be one of them.
I'm coming late to this thread, but I had to chime in 'cause of the absolutely unbelievable incident of me agreeing with Dom instead of N B for the very first time. I grew up addicted to Star Wars, had all the toys, memorized the dialogue and saw the movies in theatres more times than I can count. N B, there is DEFINITELY a female fan base for Star Wars.
That being said, I'll get back into more normal territory by saying that I'm excited about any HP expansion (though I still mourn JAWS...), and that I totally agree with James R. -- Universal, whatever you do, for God's sake please find a way to preserve Mythos!!
I think Harry Potter movies will stay "cult movies", just like the LOTR ones... So is it worth making it bigger? Maybe. They could make it a third park?
To be honest, I'm happy with the way it is now. I just hope we'll be able to use the Express Pass for Forbidden Journey in the future.
If they make Harry potter a third park someone's gunna get it
I think the long staying power of HP is less due to the movies and more due to the books. Films age and look dated- I wasnt born when Back to the Future was released and the movie always looked hilariously dated to me. But books dont have to become dated because they rely on the readers imagination. Yes one day HP will be turned into something else, as will all the rides in the park. But I think it has alot of staying power. It doesn't have to be pulling in new fans of the books- if the expansion is done right then it will pull in people over and over. Or it will encourage non-theme park fans (blasphemy!) to go. My friend went to the US over London this holidays because HP was the tipping point.
*Note I was 10 when the first Harry Potter came out. I was and I think forever will be bewitched. Well played, JK Rowling
From Tasia P.
Posted August 2, 2012 at 2:49 PM
Are you guys seriously having a discussion about what Universal would do when Harry Potter gets old when they still have Fieval who was barely relevant when I was in the 2nd grade now this year I will be a senior?
I give Harry 7-10 more years until the a decline then in about 15-20 years they will reboot it and it would be popular again.Universal should milk it as much as they can. Didn't they make back the 250 million in a year who knows how much they have made since then.
From Tasia P.
Posted August 2, 2012 at 2:50 PM
Are you guys seriously having a discussion about what Universal would do when Harry Potter gets old when they still have Fieval who was barely relevant when I was in the 2nd grade now this year I will be a senior?
I give Harry 7-10 more years until the a decline then in about 15-20 years they will reboot it and it would be popular again.Universal should milk it as much as they can. Didn't they make back the 250 million in a year who knows how much they have made since then.
As long as it doesn't expand more then the universal expanison i'm find with it if there's anymore then they should just call it Potter Studios
From Chad H
Posted August 2, 2012 at 4:34 PM
I dont think it will be their deicision... The movies were made by WB, and JK seems to be content not to wite another full HP Book.
Tasia, what you're saying is that in 15-20 years HP gets rebooted. Has Jaws been rebooted? How about Popye, or Jurassic Park. And so what if Fivel wasnt a big thing it was critically acclaimed. So the reboots are almost never as good as originals and that still requires USO to update their tech and film new scences with the new actors that is more money spent. Face it people Harry WILL run down and become a cult classic but like all cult classics they eventually begin to dull. Face the facts HP WILL be out sated in theme parks eventually.
There has been rumor about a Jurassic Park Reboot, I think Harry Potter will do just fine for years to come & it's not as questionable as some of their other theming choices!
Hannah, Jurassic Park 4 will be out in a few years.
^That's what they said ten years ago...
Besides, I don't see the point of rebooting Harry Potter. They were based off a limited run book series, unlike comics.
JP4 is confirmed for 2014.
From Tasia P.
Posted August 4, 2012 at 12:48 PM
Andrew I honestly don't think Harry Potter would be completely over until 50-60 years even w/o a reboot. Cat in the Hat came out in 1957 and is still very popular today. The books probably won't die for another 50 years but the movies might in 10-15 years. Now would the huge following still be around in 50 years probably not but it would still be popular.
Either way, I'm not holding my breathe until filming starts. They don't call it development hell for nothing.
Keep in mind, when WDW/DL opened, Mickey, Goofy, etc were all cartoon characters. Now they are theme park characters, with their cartoons all but forgotten.
I'm not saying that this will happen with HP, I'm just saying that it's an interesting thought.
From Tim Odom
Posted August 6, 2012 at 8:17 AM
No movie is 'confirmed' until shooting starts. None. They want it out in 2014, but they have a lot of steps to take to get it that far (like casting the movie or getting a director or having a finalized script.)
As for HP, it will be popular for many years. Remember, there has not been a Jaws movie since 1987 (and that one was awful) yet they had a ride in USF up until last year. As long as people remember the property and can connect with it, then it will stay in the park. If Jaws, a franchise with maybe 2 good movies, can stay relevant for 37 years, how long can a series like Harry Potter, with 7 books and 8 movies? Sorry, but if you hate the Harry Potter franchise then you are going to see it for a very long time to come.
Jaws is also a classic being preserved in the American film institute thingy like other classics like godfather 1 and 2 Halloween and them. Harry Potter is only a cult classic. And I think they might already have the film cause hermione's actress looks totally different now and they need the original actors for the ride or it will be a little awkward.
Sorry, Andrew. Calling a movie a "cult classic" is a nicer way of saying "it didn't make any money." I wouldn't exactly say the Potter films fall into that category. "Cult Classic"..The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Warriors, Eraserhead, for example...have a small, limited...but loyal and fervent..audience.
Ok I see where your coming from there. I've never thought of a cult classic like that. But remember Bill and Ted are also cult classics but as of now Potter dosnt exactly have classic status. As far as I can remember they only were nominated for 1 award never winning any.( Might have been 2 or 3 but am to young to remember) They currently are just exteremelly popular but as of now have years and years to prove they can become classics and years to make sure universal dosnt throw the franchise in a ditch with some more crappy remakes.
I think it will be ok, but I feel that its a bit much a bit fast. I mean it took Disney nearly 20 years to do anything much with Star Wars,
From Joey Till
Posted August 7, 2012 at 9:27 PM
YES! I heard its pretty impressive, but they got rid of Jaws, one of the coolest rides out there. They also got rid of the nice amitiville theming. They already have Harry Potter in one part. Keep it original.
Nice Amity theming? Were we in the same park? The Potter additions will blow Jaws and Amity out of the water quicker than a grenade launcher.
Potter has been around for 15 years, and has been an absolute phenomenon for all of them. Think about that. It's almost 2 decades old, and is still insanely popular. Very few franchises have kept that kind of attention on themselves. There's no such thing as too much.
Shaun jaws has been around since 1975 and is still really popular I don't think that potter will be as popular as jaws once it hits jaws age
From N B
Posted August 8, 2012 at 4:28 PM
I think the new HP area will be spectacular as well. I liked Amity, but we rarely stayed in that area for more than a quick hop on Disaster and Jaws.
The carnival games never appealed to me and the restaurants are mediocre at best. The new HP is positioned perfectly to get a great view from across the lagoon near the Simpsons Ride.
You should see a huge jump in attendance within the first year. If Transformers makes it's way into Universal, it could easily eclipse IOA's numbers.
Potter phase 2 will be the last of HP expansion at USF and it should be a great way to carry some of the load from the always crowded IOA section.
I am looking forward to another overhead shot of the die-hards on opening day, except the line will stretch to IOA instead of the other way around. I hope even the Disneyphiles will give Universal props when this project is completed.
NB: I agree. The new area will be awesome and the crowds huge. This, Transformers,updated Spider Man, the Lagoon Show , the new Parade, the fantastic Citi Walk & Dispicable Me are big time winners for Universal. Universal is on a roll. I love WDW, but they need to wake up from their lethargic trance or they will find that no longer will tourists spend all the days of their vacations on WDW grounds.
From J. Snow
Posted September 1, 2012 at 10:36 PM
I'm pretty excited to see whats coming. Sure, in 25 or 30 years these areas might need to be reimagined. But who cares?
Enjoy what it is for what it's worth! The original WWoHP has already paid for itself several times over-and it's just over two years old! I think what is great is that nothing stands still-and we can expect to see awesome amazing new attractions!
^I agree.
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