King Kong 360 3D Teaser Trailer!

From Universal: He's never been this real. The Eighth Wonder of the World rises from ashes to astound studio tour guests this summer as the KING KONG 360 3-D Attraction is coming to Universal Studios Hollywood this summer!

In the new attraction, guests will don special glasses as they enter a darkened soundstage aboard the Studio Tour trams and will be transported— via the magic of Surround Digital 3D projection —deep into the dark heart of the world of Skull Island. They'll survive a close encounter with a swarm of monstrous bats, only to be confronted by the terrifying presence of Kong himself. Suddenly, an enormous, ravenous 35' tall dinosaur will challenge Kong and guests will feel their trams jolt, roll and shudder as they find themselves caught in the middle of a ferocious showdown between the great ape and the giant lizard. The action will immerse guests in the battle between the two colossal predators!

LA Times provides more details about the upcoming King Kong tram attraction!

From the LA Times:

After nearly 19 months away from the spotlight, a new King Kong -- more grizzled and, definitely, ferocious -- is preparing to return to Universal Studios Hollywood.

Since the old animatronic Kong was destroyed in a fire on the theme park's back lot, Hollywood's top visual effects wizards have been tinkering away in a giant hangar in Playa Vista to create a new, more realistic ape to terrify visitors who take the park's signature back lot studio tour.

Inside the humongous drab-green building, Academy Award-winning director Peter Jackson has led a team of film and theme park ride experts in creating a 3-D version of the hairy ape to replace the Kong that died in the June 2008 fire.

The new Kong attraction, described by Universal Studios as the largest 3-D exhibit in the world, will debut this summer at the height of tourist season.

You can read the rest of the article HERE.

'Madagascar' rides to Universal Studios Singapore

Universal Studios Singapore, which opens early next year, will be the home to the first theme park attraction based on DreamWorks Animation movie property "Madagascar."

The Southeast Asia park, located on the island of Sentosa as part of a $4.2 billion Resorts World property, also will boast a Far Far Away Castle, a landmark in DWA's "Shrek" pic series. The 130-foot-tall castle, where King Harold lives, will house attractions such as Shrek 4-D, Donkey Live and Magic Potion Spin, Universal Studios announced Wednesday.

Madagascar: A Crate Adventure will be an indoor boat ride featuring animated figures, digital projection, special effects and a bubbling volcanic cauldron.

"These iconic animated characters promise to be another crown jewel in our collection of world-class rides and shows based on blockbuster movies that are loved by the entire family," said Tom Williams, chairman and CEO of Universal Parks & Resorts.

The two animated "Madagascar" films, featuring the voices of Ben Stiller and Chris Rock, have raked in more than $1.1 billion at the global boxoffice. A third film is planned for 2012, and the property has spread to TV and video games.

In addition to the Universal theme park, the 5 million square-foot Resorts World Singapore also will have a Marine Life Park, six hotels, shopping, an ESPA spa, conference and meeting facilities and an animatronic "Crane Dance" performance on the waterfront.

Via THR.

Creature from the Black Lagoon Musical Debuts

I will refrain from making my own commentary here and leave you with the following images and video for you to make your own opinions with...

Via fear.net & chud

Universal Studios' town square reopens to tours

From around the web...
Universal Studios staged a homecoming for Courthouse Square.

The outdoor set, best known as the town square from the “Back to the Future” films, welcomed the first backstage tour tram Thursday since it was destroyed a year ago when a fire ripped through the back lot. Roofers using a blowtorch accidentally started the blaze, which also destroyed the King Kong attraction, a video vault and other outdoor sets.

Stilt walkers dressed as hippies, members of the University of Southern California marching band and actors portraying such characters as Eddie Murphy’s Nutty Professor and Doc Brown from the “Back to the Future” films emerged from the courthouse during a ceremony to welcome the first tram, which was christened with a bottle of champagne.

Construction crews are still busy working on Courthouse Square, which in addition to a courthouse also features small-town facades portraying such locales as a firehouse, police station and antique store. The outdoor set has been featured in such films as “To Kill a Mockingbird,” ”Gremlins,” ”Bruce Almighty,” ”Amistad” and the TV show “Ghost Whisperer.”

“This is the first time since the fires that guests will be able to experience the backlot street sets of Universal Studios,” Universal Studios Hollywood President Larry Kurzweil said at the ceremony. “They’re really just seeing the beginning with the Courthouse Square reopening. It’s like chapters unfolding in a book. Each chapter unveils a new story.”

New adjacent exterior sets — including New York, London and modern streetscapes — are also under construction and scheduled to open in spring 2010. A new 3-D King Kong attraction based on Peter Jackson’s 2005 film is slated to swing onto the tour in summer 2010.

New King Kong themed attraction coming in 2010!

It has been almost a year since I posted about the fire that destroyed large portions of Universal Studios Hollywood including the classic King Kong tram attraction. I expressed my hope that they would rebuild bigger and better based on the new King Kong film and now hey have officially announced their plans to do so! With this coming next year and the new Transformers ride the following year it is shaping up to be a good few years for the Theme Park/Movie Studio. You can read some of the specifics from the press release below.

King Kong, among the screen’s most powerful and enduring icons, will re-emerge on the famed and newly upgraded Universal Studios Hollywood Studio Tour in summer, 2010 as a thrilling and ground-breaking 4-D multi-sensory marvel, a new signature attraction for Universal Studios Hollywood.

The new King Kong attraction, based on the Oscar-winning 2005 Universal Pictures film, will combine thrilling visceral effects with the world’s largest Surround Digital projection system to create a next-generation theme park experience.

Larry Kurzweil, President and Chief Operating Officer, Universal Studios Hollywood, said: “King Kong has been an integral part of Universal Studios Hollywood for decades and, after last year’s fire, we knew he had to be resurrected for our Studio Tour guests. We’re very excited to announce that not only are we re-introducing King Kong, but we’ve completely re-imagined the experience and will incorporate this legendary icon into a truly innovative Studio Tour attraction.”

In the new attraction, guests will don special glasses as they enter a darkened soundstage aboard the Studio Tour trams and will be transported— via the magic of Surround Digital 3D projection —deep into the dark heart of the world of Skull Island. They’ll survive a close encounter with a swarm of monstrous bats, only to be confronted by the terrifying presence of Kong himself. Suddenly, an enormous, ravenous 35' tall dinosaur will challenge Kong and guests will feel their trams jolt, roll and shudder as they find themselves caught in the middle of a ferocious showdown between the great ape and the giant lizard. The action will immerse guests in the battle between the two colossal predators.

A previous King Kong attraction was introduced at Universal Studios Hollywood in 1986 and remained a much-admired part of the Studio Tour until it was destroyed last year.

Now they just need to make a deal with DWA and start creating family attractions based on their body of colorful characters!

Transformers themed ride coming 2011!

As I have mentioned before Universal Studios hold a special place in my heart. Today they announced plans to add a new attraction based on the live action Transformers film dreamed up by Steven Spielberg. This excites me for a few reasons... The film was very exciting and action packed. Both a visual feast and fun story. It was exactly the type of film I would have been excited about all summer long when I was little. It's the type of film that piqued my interest in broader filmmaking in general. I think it will translate in to a great ride. I still remember that feeling of awe I had when we went to Universal Studios for the first time. Every time I go back I get a little sense of it again and it reminds me what I loved so much about movies in the first place. The only potential downside to this announcement is that I heard it may replace the Special Effects Stages. (I remember when it was called the "World of Cinemagic" and it featured Back to the Future, Hitchcock, and Harry and the Hendersons!) If they end up closing it I hope they find room to create a similar attraction that would give guests a look behind the magic of movies.

On a side note, and from the "what were they thinking" department, they are also planning on opening up a new attraction next year called Creature from the Black Lagoon: The Musical. I don't know what else to say about it besides... really?