Rumors are gathering steam for a potential expansion to Universal Studios’ Epic Universe once the park opens. Could hobbits and dwarves be on the way?
We all knew that something could be up with Middle Earth and J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy world when Universal Studios put out a survey that detailed a potential land with great specificity. But now we’re getting even more hints that there may be something truly real coming to their next big theme park. They have the land to do it and the energy would certainly be there. The only issue seems to be just how much money it would cost to do a LotR land in a theme park the right way. However, if they want to go after Disney World in Orlando, doing a LotR area the right way would be a HUGE step in the right direction. Avoiding the Rings of Power controversies and sticking with the Peter Jackson aesthetics, can you even imagine how many people would want to pay money to visit the Shire or see Mount Doom far off on the horizon? It would be massive. And because the property seems to be timeless, they might not have the same issues as with Harry Potter in which the enthusiasm can cool down.
From the Universal Studios survey:
Imagine if you will a world unlike any you’ve ever visited before: it’s Middle Earth, the ancient and beautiful land forged by J.R.R. Tolkien as the backdrop for his two most well known creations, Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Walk as a human among dwarves, elves, orcs and hobbits-all faithfully recreated and portrayed in the spirit of the original characters as they appeared in both the books and the movies. In this land you’ll experience one-of-a-kind rides and attractions that bring to life some of the most memorable experiences of Tolkien’s world including Bilbo’s hobbit hole, the fortress at Isengard (before it was destroyed) and even the dark world of Mordor, including the terrifying volcanic Mount Doom.
So here’s the latest smoke adding to this fire. It comes via a report on ScreamScape:
Epic Universe will be to bring the world of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth to the park. That is really all I’ve heard at this point, and we don’t have a clue if this will be inspired more from the Peter Jackson series of films (“The Hobbit” / “Lord of the Rings”) made for W.B./New Line Cinema or if they will take inspiration from the upcoming Amazon Prime series: “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Looking at a layout of the park by Tommy Hawkins, it seems that the 20 acre pad would be the most likely spot for a Middle Earth expansion. By our estimation, to do this right, you’re going to need some of the same optical illusions implemented on Kiliminjaro Safaris at Disney. That takes land… lots of land.
If Epic Universe opens with the high praise we suspect it will garner, especially given how popular Super Nintendo World is likely to be, it’s hard not to imagine Disney struggling to respond. You could potentially be talking about a one-two punch with an Epic Universe opening and then a nearly immediate announcement of a Lord of the Rings expansion. That would make this the hottest part in Florida… or the world… for a decade. It’s going to take far more than Tron or Tiana’s Bayou Adventure for Disney to hold off that level of competition.
So maybe that will shake them from their slumber. If so, that’s good for all theme park lovers. So here’s to hopin’ all of this comes true.
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