Universal Studios: What can we expect from a potential UK theme park? | Ents & Arts News

Universal has theme parks in Florida, California, Japan, China, and Singapore, and is contemplating including a European vacation spot to its portfolio: Bedford, England.

The prospect of a Universal theme park opening within the UK has acquired followers very excited certainly.

After monetary information and public paperwork suggesting one thing was afoot have been discovered by business information website Orlando Park Stop, the corporate confirmed the plans in a assertion to Sky News.

Universal Destinations & Experiences – which, like Sky, is owned by US firm Comcast – stated it had acquired land in Bedford and was “at the early stages of exploring its feasibility for a potential park and resort at this site”.

Let’s have a have a look at what may very well be within the works.

Why would Universal come to the UK?

The UK can actually placed on a good summer season, however its theme parks largely keep shut throughout the autumn and winter as nights develop lengthy and the climate takes a flip.

But the likes of Legoland, Thorpe Park, Chessington, and Alton Towers are nonetheless widespread, drawing tens of millions of holiday makers yearly and giving Brits the right alternative to get pleasure from certainly one of our favorite previous occasions: standing in queues.

Add within the success of comparable sights just like the Harry Potter studio tour in Hertfordshire, and it is simple to see why Universal could be eyeing up the UK.

More than half of the nation’s inhabitants reside inside two hours of the Bedford website, which is 45 minutes from London and simply accessible from Luton airport.

Universal has been increasing aggressively because the pandemic, with contemporary sights at its long-popular US and Japanese locations, a complete new park in Beijing in 2021, and one other in Florida in 2025.

What ought to we expect primarily based on its different parks?

Given this might be its first park within the UK, it will probably be a full-scale Universal.

They sometimes host a mixture of high-speed out of doors rollercoasters and extra immersive darkish rides.

Beijing could also be a good level of reference, as extra of the sights are indoors attributable to climate issues.

That park and Japan’s additionally present how Universal appears to be like to cater to particular markets with its trip decisions. The former closely options the Kung-Fu Panda movies, whereas the latter has a giant Nintendo space.

It begs the query as to what franchises and characters could be picked for a British viewers.

Well, what would possibly we get?

Harry Potter appears an apparent alternative given its British roots and recognition at Universal’s Hollywood, Florida, and Japan parks, although the Hertfordshire tour might make issues extra difficult.

The outlet that broke information of the UK park, Orlando Park Stop, suggests Paddington and James Bond might get their very own sights (Universal did distribute the final 007 movie, No Time To Die).

There have additionally been long-standing rumours within the business that Universal needs – and should have already got – the theme park rights for Lord Of The Rings.

It may make the UK a becoming house, given season two of Amazon’s TV present is being filmed right here.

It may additionally be value the ill-fated London Resort theme park venture in north Kent, which was first introduced over a decade in the past and has by no means come to fruition.

That was being billed because the UK’s reply to Universal and Disneyland, boasting rides primarily based on UK popular culture like Doctor Who and Wallace And Gromit. Maybe Universal may choose up the items?

When will it arrive?

Universal has stated “it will be many months before we are ready to make a decision to proceed”, not to mention get permission and begin work.

The studio additionally has a number of irons within the fireplace already.

The 2025 Florida venture, dubbed Epic Universe, is about to be its largest theme park but. It’s additionally engaged on smaller places for Texas and Las Vegas for past that date.

Should the UK park occur, its probably scale means we in all probability will not see something constructed till the late 2020s or 2030.