For at least the last few decades, multimedia companies like Disney, NBCUniversal, ViacomCBS, and WarnerMedia have been engaged in an all-out war. The goal? Purchasing, licensing, conglomerating, trading, and protecting the most precious resource of the 21st century: intellectual property. One battlefront in the ongoing IP War has been Disney and Universal’s respective theme parks, where a new era of “living lands” has plucked places right from the highest-earning franchises in history like Harry Potter, Star Wars, Mario, and Disney Princesses to go head-to-head in billion-dollar theme park projects.
That’s not to say that money alone tells the story… After all, Hello Kitty is the second highest-grossing media franchise in history (with $84 billion in revenue) but few would suggest it would resonate with American audiences or fit into U.S. Disney & Universal Parks. Likewise, while the Peanuts $16 billion revenue makes the franchise an intergenerational American icon, it’s not quite a “living land” contender (separate from its licensing by Cedar Fair).
I mean, in retrospect, isn’t Nintendo so obvious? Such a genius, brilliant, timeless coup for Universal? Why didn’t we see it coming?! And more to the point, what’s next? So as battle lines are drawn and companies consolidate content armies, finding IPs that are “left” isn’t an easy task… We can probably agree that in order for an IP to inspire a complete “living land” in California or Florida, there are a few best practice requirements to keep in mind:
- It has to be an “A-List” story, franchise, or property people widely care about, today, in the United States (often, for better or worse, judged by box office);
- It has to have at least a very good degree of ‘timelessness’ and ideally will have been around for at least a few decades or generations (something box office does not capture);
- It has to translate into the “living land” formula of building a “real,” physical place (whether seen on-screen or “original”), ideally with in-universe dining and shopping;
- It has to be either unclaimed by another park or (since this is just good ole fashioned daydreaming) underutilized
At the end of the day, our look at what Disney or Universal’s next big licensing deal could bring is, of course, just for fun, and conveniently ignores the billions of legalities, licensings, and loopholes that would be required to bring some of these properties to life. Consider it a “Blue Sky” exercise in armchair Imagineering! Consider how you could imagine these properties or others like them fitting into Disney and Universal Parks…
1. Pokemon
Revenue: $100 billion (since 1996)
Though a ton of excitement has surrounded Universal’s licensing of Nintendo for its theme parks, one IP that’s highly associated with the Japanese gaming company has only remained a rumor: Pokemon. By the numbers, Pokemon is the biggest media franchise in the world with over $100 billion in revenue since just 1996! (By comparison, Star Wars has earned about $70 billion since 1977.) However, Nintendo itself owns only the brand’s trademark, with the copyright held by The Pokemon Company (co-owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures Inc.). Insiders at Parkscope say that Universal has drafted plans to add Pokemon to its parks separate from the overall Nintendo license, so we’ll see!
Our ideas: Longstanding rumors hold that Universal would like to replace Universal Studios Florida’s tepid Kidzone with an immersive land bringing Pokemon to life, and we can perfectly picture that space becoming an urban city of Pokecenters, shops, and cafes with a Pokemon gym reigning over it all. Guests might use a purchaseable RFID Pokeball to “store” Pokemon they capture in an E-Ticket ride and earn badges by battling across the land.
Though we’re usually pretty protective of Islands of Adventure’s “timeless, literary” lands, we can easily see Pokemon overtaking Toon Lagoon, too, where it might become a tropical city (modeled after Sun & Moon’s Alola region). We imagine guests there riding an Omnimover-based “Pokemon Snap” ride, capturing photos of really-for-real Animatronics hidden throughout the outdoor course and popping up from the park’s Great Sea.
2. Lord of the Rings
Revenue: $20 billion (since 1937)
The Middle-Earth franchise (made of the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit properties) actually has a whole lot in common with Harry Potter. Both are $20 billion+-earning franchises based on books and anchored by early-2000s film series that have been elevated into a sort of pop culture timelessness. It’s hard to imagine either film series ever being “rebooted” or “remade.” They’re simply the definitive big screen retellings, establishing a cast, score, and setting that will forever be the imagery associated with their respective stories. Both even hinge on “villages” and settings that fit beautifully into in-universe foods and shopping.
In other words, like Potter, Lord of the Rings is that rare beast for theme parks: it’s intergenerational, widely known, timeless, and hugely adaptable into a “living land.” When filmmaker James Cameron allegedly got a little too bossy in the development of Pandora: The World of AVATAR, Disney reportedly flew out the rights-holders for Tolkein’s estate to tour Animal Kingdom. As the story goes, the move was about proving to Cameron that Disney could and would go elsewhere if he didn’t cooperate more than actually pursuing the rights to the story. Still, there’s no denying the fantasy series could’ve worked beautifully as a modern IP to revive the never-built Beastly Kingdom if it had gone forward.
Our ideas: It’s tough to daydream about Lord of the Rings without being restricted by reality. Though it’s a perfect conceptual fit for Islands of Adventure, relegating it to the remains of the Lost Legend: The Lost Continent would be like trying to fit an elephant into a suitcase. The point of Lord of the Rings is that it’s a quest, and making that journey from the Shire to Bree to Rivendell to Lothlorien to the Misty Mountain to Mordor to Mount Doom real could be an entire 100-acre park unto itself… one best left to a real land you have to walk through and not a simulator. So where would a Lord of the Rings land be set? That’s the issue…
3. STAR TREK
Revenue: $10 billion (since 1966)
Star Trek is easily one of the most recognizable franchises in modern media, but it’s also one of the least utilized in theme parks. Partly, that’s because the brand is owned by ViacomCBS, whose few current theme park licensing ventures lack the price tags of Disney and Universal’s best. Star Trek lands have been beautifully concepted, but always in relation to those “that’s-never-getting-built” parks announced and then quietly cancelled for the Middle East or the UK. Right now, Movie Park Germany has a Star Trek ride, but in the same vein as Six Flags, it’s merely a steel coaster with a Star Trek station and name.
Like Star Wars, it would be difficult to anchor Star Trek to a single location or even a particular starship given the many series, reboots, and films that make up its 60 year history. Just choosing between an Original Series and The Next Generation land would divide the fandom (see also, Star Wars). There’s also the lingering problem of Star Trek’s relative pacificity, with a focus on discovery rather than rebellion; peace over war. It’s hard to imagine a reality where communicators fly off shelves like Lightsabers, or where E-Ticket rides have nothing “go horribly wrong”. The better model is probably Las Vegas’ closed, niche STAR TREK: The Experience.
Our ideas: Some insiders alleged that a Star Trek land would be one of Universal’s big anchor IPs of its in-development third park in Florida, but when Epic Universe was announced, there was no sci-fi centered land at all. Now that the pop culture boon of J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars-like Star Trek reboot film series has passed and the franchise is back to spin-off series on Paramount+ (Discovery, Picard, Lower Decks, Prodigy…), it’s easy to wonder if the time just isn’t right anymore to bring Star Trek to life.
4. Zelda
Revenue: $4 billion (since 1986)
When fans dreamed aloud of what Universal might do with its licensing of Nintendo, four big brands came to mind: Mario (confirmed), Donkey Kong (confirmed), Pokemon (see above), and Zelda. The high fantasy 64-bit land of Link is practically perfect for a theme park, where castles, villages, temples, and the backdrop of a mountain range would at last give Universal a land on the scale of Disney’s “Natural” Wonders.
Our ideas: It seems obvious that the Realm of Hyrule would be a theme park coup where guests would queue for village pubs and armories, play purchasable Ocarinas to activate interactive effects, wander through dark forests alive with sprites, and descend into water temples for dark ride quests to the Triforce. You can picture a land of high ropes courses, river rafts, sword fights, hiking paths along mountain ranges, and more. In fact, Zelda is one of the few properties we can imagine truly taking the place of Islands of Adventure’s Lost Continent, fulfilling its “mythological” piece in the park’s puzzle. Though, there is another…
5. TOMB RAIDER
Revenue: $3 billion (since 1996)
Believe it or not, TOMB RAIDER also lands on the list of highest-grossing franchises of all time, and $3 billion is nothing to sneeze at. A plurality of the money comes from the long-running video game franchise that’s turned Lara Croft into a prototypical pop culture adventurer known by generations. Another billion comes from three films – two early-2000s classics starring Angelina Jolie and a more recent 2018 reboot with Alicia Vikander. Here’s the thing: TOMB RAIDER is theme park gold. This franchise is practically begging to be Universal’s answer to Disney’s Indiana Jones, and by way of a strong, intelligent, athletic, and empowered female protagonist!
Our idea: Frankly, this one is easy. Again, we would rank TOMB RAIDER as one of the few IPs that could nimbly take over Islands of Adventure’s Lost Continent while still maintaining its basic “role” in the park’s narrative. It’s easy to imagine a Lara Croft takeover of the Declassified Disaster: Poseidon’s Fury, casting guests as explorers one step behind the adventurer as she seeks out the place where Poseidon’s Trident was forged eons ago. Similarly, one can easily imagine a TOMB RAIDER stunt show using the empty foundations of the land’s Sinbad spectacular. But moreover, we’ve got the perfect idea: how about a modern, Universal-budgeted installation of the mysterious, epic, and thrilling Lost Legend: TOMB RAIDER: The Ride?
6. DreamWorks
Despite its long association with Universal Parks (mostly via Shrek 4D), DreamWorks Animation began as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Steven Spielberg-helmed DreamWorks Pictures, who handled distribution for everything from 1998’s Antz to 2005’s Madagascar). Even once the Animation division was spun-off in 2004, it signed distribution deals with Paramount (2006 – 2012), then Fox (2013 – 2017) but not Universal! So any DreamWorks properties within Universal Parks (including Shrek and Madagascar themed lands in Universal Studios Singapore) were mere licensing deals, not unlike Universal’s licensing of Marvel or Dr. Seuss.
It wasn’t until 2016 that Universal actually purchased DreamWorks Animation for $4 billion, acquiring a catalogue of intellectual properties to rival Pixar’s. Given that Universal now technically controls Shrek, Madagascar, Kung-Fu Panda, The Croods, How To Train Your Dragon, and Trolls), there’s been surprisingly little development announced in the U.S. surrounding those properties (aside from a Dragon land rumored for Epic Universe).
Our ideas: Here, the options seem obvious. We’re all for the all-but-confirmed Dragon land planned for Epic Universe… but how about a fully-immersive fairytale swampland dedicated to Shrek to replace Universal Studios Florida’s very tired Kidzone? A lantern-lit Kung-Fu Panda village serving Noodles and a C-Ticket family dark ride wedged in the plot between Marvel Superhero Island and Toon Lagoon, where a vacant amphitheater is wasting space? After a $4 billion acquisition, it seems like a waste to relegate DreamWorks characters to anachronistic meet-and-greets and a single Dragons land. DreamWorks should be taking over Universal Parks just as feverishly as Pixar did Disney Parks!
7. Chronicles of Narnia
Like Lord of the Rings, C. S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia has that “spark” that would be perfect (if a little too vastly scaled for) a theme park incarnation. This high fantasy children’s book series is downright timeless, having entered the cultural canon since the initial publication of “The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe” in 1950. In an attempt to secure “the next Harry Potter,” Disney even famously began adapting the much-loved seven-book series into an epic big screen family fantasy franchise beginning in 2005. Despite a wonderful lead cast and compelling art direction, rising expenses and declining returns on 2008’s second film made it clear that Narnia would not turn into a Potter-sized pop culture coup, leading Disney to abandon the pursuit. (Fox picked it up for a third entry but then also gave up; ironically, that film returned to Disney’s catalogue after their acquisition of 20th Century Fox, giving them complete control of the unfinished series.)
Reportedly, Narnia has been optioned for a trendy limited series adaptation on Netflix, which – if done properly! – definitely has the potential to inspire another generation to dig into this family-appropriate high fantasy parable.
Our ideas: We floated Narnia among our Blue Sky ideas for Animal Kingdom alternatives to AVATAR, suggesting that this world of unicorns, minotaurs, centaurs, fauns, and the universal struggle between light and dark might make for a great celebration of “mythical” animals at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Of course, given that Disney practically requires a billion dollar box office to even begin drafting theme park concepts, it’s unlikely that a franchise that’s already burned them once would ever be given a second chance.
8. DC Heroes
Revenue: $50 billion (Superman, Batman, & DCEU)
In the early 1990s, a brief courtship between Universal and Time Warner saw plans for what would become Islands of Adventure take shape around the Looney Tunes and DC Heroes. Ultimately, a falling out between the two saw Universal go with Marvel Comics instead, while Time Warner bought controlling interest in Six Flags beginning in 1991. The result to this day is that in the United States, DC Heroes are heavily associated with Six Flags… and typically, with big, giant steel coasters that have been “label-slapped” with a hero’s name, and maybe a giant cutout of a comic book character. It makes you doubt that this is the best way to handle one of the most recognizable character portfolios in history.
The flip side, though, would surely be the highly realistic “DC Extended Universe” of films. Warner Bros.’ attempts to lean into the big screen hero franchise started strong with The Dark Knight series, but largely fell apart when they decided to pursue an unending franchise model to match the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Early entries were criticized for being too dark and gritty; later entries, for being “too Marvel.” In the span of a decade, reboots, restarts, tangential entries, and re-editing have created three Batmans, three Jokers, an unclear map of interconnectedness, and a series of films that just don’t seem to mesh into a cohesive whole and that (unlike the MCU) aren’t a whole lot of fun to watch or rewatch. In other words, it’s hard to imagine how the “DCEU” would turn into a fun, immersive theme park land, either.
The best treatment of DC Heroes, then, must exist somewhere in the middle. That’s probably best embodied by Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, which maintained the saturated, comic book style of the characters, but in fully immersive Metropolis and Gotham City lands that capture the world of the DC Heroes missing from Six Flags, but also the fun of DC Heroes that’s missing from the DCEU.
9. Game of Thrones
Revenue: $4 billion (since 1996)
Game of Thrones will probably always be remembered as one of the most interesting IPs in modern history. Based on George R. R. Martin’s fantasy novel series, the HBO television adaptation was one of the most talked-about franchises of the 2000s. Across its eight seasons and 73 episodes, it earned 59 Emmys, brought a high fantasy drama to the mainstream, and became recognized as one of the greatest television series of all time. The vast worlds of Essos and Westeros and the Tolkein-like lineages and histories within became water cooler talk for a decade.
But what makes Game of Thrones so unique among IPs is that it’s done something previously achieved only by James Cameron’s AVATAR: it disappeared. After a final season that earned mixed reviews (but pretty complete condemnation from fans), the absolute pop culture peak of the series finale led to an instant drop-off in cultural capital. At least, unlike AVATAR, Game of Thrones left its fair share of memorable characters, settings, and quotes… but as for its longevity? Well, it’s not quite clear if the show will become an intergenerational one like Star Wars, Sonic, or Marvel heroes.
Our idea: Its longevity aside, the immense physical and sexual violence that serves as a hallmark of the series makes it highly unlikely we’ll see Game of Thrones come to a Disney or Universal park… But could we see HBO fashioning its own theme park somewhere in Florida or Los Angeles one day? Why not! With a catalogue of classics including His Dark Materials, Westworld, Lovecraft Country, Watchmen, Sesame Street, and The Flight Attendant, HBO basically has an A-List collection of “living lands” just waiting to be built…
10. Pixar
I know, I know.. It sounds absolutely crazy to suggest Pixar is an “unrepresented” brand in theme parks! The difference is that though Pixar may permeate Disney Parks, very few Pixar projects ascend into the “living land” formula they’re more than worthy of. Given the incredible worlds brought to life in Pixar films, it’s surprising that only Cars Land pulls off a screen-to-park place (whereas mini-lands themed to Ratatouille, A Bug’s Life, and Toy Story aren’t really trying).
Our idea: There are limitless ways that Pixar films could become “living lands” like Cars Land. Imagine a true Toy Story Land (indoors, and in Andy’s room or maybe under his bed) at Disney’s Hollywood Studios; a full-scale Monstropolis (complete with multiple in-universe rides, restaurants, and shops) at Disney California Adventure; an entire Land of the Dead from Coco along Magic Kingdom’s Rivers of America; even the fantasy realm of Onward or a Paradise Falls Wilderness Explorer land from Up at Animal Kingdom. Given Disney’s $7 billion purchase of Pixar and how its stories serve as a backbone for the company and its merchandising, it’s surprising that the quantity of Pixar in the parks tends to exceed the quality.
IP-ossibilities
Though many of the most exciting intellectual properties are already spoken for in theme parks (or controlled by those who don’t want to license them to major players like Disney and Universal), the fact is that there are thousands of exciting stories still “left” to choose from…
Imagine, if you will, how high-earning, time-tested, and underutilized IPs like Bioshock, James Bond, SpongeBob Squarepants, Power Rangers, Dragonball, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Looney Tunes, World of Warcraft, Sailor Moon, Final Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons, Halo, Ice Age, Fortnite, Mission: Impossible, Godzilla, Scooby-Doo, or Jumanji could be used by designers to create brand new rides… or even bring to life entirely new worlds…
