As one of just two remaining opening day attractions at Universal Orlando, E.T. Adventure’s consistent survival against an ever-changing landscape of innovation is often called into question. Although this colorful dark-ride still generates a considerable amount of nostalgia for many theme park fans, E.T. Adventure is undeniably ancient. Despite various refurbishments throughout its 32 years, the ride remains true to its 90s roots and unfortunately, now more than ever, sadly falls behind when compared to the ground-breaking attractions that Universal have continued to bring to their parks in recent years.
Despite being labeled by some as one of Universal’s more forgettable attractions, E.T. Adventure regularly finds itself at the center of various rumors and speculative discussions, many of which surround Steven Spielberg’s Creative Consultant contract with Universal.
These rumors vary in degrees of creativity but all center around the same idea, that Spielberg has blocked E.T. Adventure from ever closing its doors to guests, with some even going as far as to state that, “per contract”, the director could retaliate by calling for the removal of his other remaining property, Jurassic Park, over in Islands of Adventure. Presenting rumor as fact, some have even predicted that E.T’s closure could lead to the total collapse of Islands of Adventure as we know it, given Spielberg’s involvement with the second gate’s creation.
Where did the rumor stem from, and what do we know to be true?
For years now, Steven Spielberg’s professional relationship with Universal has been a major talking point for theme park fans everywhere. After working his way up from an intern position at Universal, Spielberg went on to sign a four-picture deal with the studio in 1975, a deal by which the true Spielberg/Universal collaboration began. In an agreement that greatly benefitted both parties, Spielberg was later brought on as a Creative Consultant for Universal Studios in 1987. LA Times has reported that this deal sees Spielberg take 2% of gross revenue from Universal’s two Florida parks, while Variety reports that this number is actually higher at 5.25%, though both report that the director also receives a portion of gross revenue from Universal Studios Japan as well.
Aside from the fact this contract is estimated to have earned Spielberg anywhere between $30-50 million annually across the past three and a half decades, perhaps the most lucrative portion of the deal states that these royalties belong to Spielberg in perpetuity, which quite literally means ‘forever’. Such an incredible sum of money, however, means that Universal not only receives the expertise of one of Hollywood’s biggest filmmakers but, as a theme park centered around movies, gets the official stamp of approval from Spielberg himself, which is truly a badge of honor that no other park can boast.
This partnership has seen Spielberg notably consult on not only the attractions themed around his own movies, but those outside of his filmmaking repertoire as well. Executive creative director at Universal creative, Jason Surrel, previously spoke to Gizmodo about Universal’s ongoing partnership with Spielberg, confirming that the creative consultant position means that Spielberg “reviews almost everything [they] create for Universal parks around the globe”.
From June 2010, Spielberg would have had the right to exit this deal and take a lump sum from Universal (valued at the cost of his deal with them going forward). However, in 2009 LA Times reported that, that year, a revision of the contract had seen Spielberg agree to delay his option to demand a lump-sum payment to 2017, ultimately signaling a symbiotic relationship between Universal and Spielberg and with nothing concrete having been officially reported since.
In terms of what is public knowledge with regards to this deal, this is pretty much the extent of it. Whether Universal and Spielberg have an agreement that sets a minimal expectation of Spielberg’s properties within the parks, has never been confirmed, and the ins-and-outs of what Spielberg has control over, if anything, have never been reported publicly. News that Spielberg had a hand in the creation of a number of attractions at Universal meant that rumors of his complete control over E.T. Adventure did not take long to spread like wildfire, given the director’s deep affection for the film. The reality is, however, that the majority of Universal and Spielberg’s agreement remains a complete secret to the general public.
Why this rumor holds little-to-no weight…
Why this rumor holds little-to-no weight…
First and foremost it’s important to remember that any and all rumors surrounding Spielberg’s apparent refusal to accept the removal of E.T. Adventure stem from speculation and speculation alone. Nothing has ever been officially reported that suggests Spielberg has told Universal that they must keep E.T. open, nor that the director would have any grounds to pull his other remaining property in the event that they did so. Should any stipulations such as this even exist, they would likely only be the knowledge of Spielberg and the top heads of the studio, with the nature of the contract also likely to be tightly secured under NDAs.
Perhaps most notable when dismissing this rumor is that Orlando’s E.T. Adventure now stands as the only remaining iteration of this attraction in the world after both Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Japan’s versions officially closed their doors to guests in 2003 and 2009, respectively. Both Hollywood and Japan’s attractions have since been replaced with non-Spielberg adjacent properties, with no fallout from the director as a result. Similarly, Jaws: The Ride, another attraction based on a Spielberg property, was closed in Universal Orlando in 2012 to make way for the park’s incredibly popular Diagon Alley expansion, another change that was not blocked (or retaliated to) by Spielberg.
Timing is also key here when speculating what may be at ‘risk’, particularly when considering the rumor that forecasts the loss of Jurassic Park River Adventure as a result of E.T’s closure. Spielberg’s contract with Universal began in 1987, pre-dating the 1999 opening of the Jurassic Park section (and also Islands of Adventure as a whole), therefore, the original contract could not bind Jurassic Park, or anything over in Islands of Adventure for that matter, as collateral for E.T, since neither even existed yet.
Rumors have also stated that Spielberg is particularly protective of E.T Adventure as it stands as the last of his properties to remain on the Universal Studios side, but this is unlikely to be the case. Given his on-going involvement with the creation of Universal Parks, including the most recent addition to their global lineup, Universal Studios Beijing, which had its grand opening last year, one can assume that Spielberg has had somewhat of a hand in much of Universal Orlando’s fourth gate, Epic Universe and its conception. When considering this, it’s important to note Spielberg’s involvement with DreamWorks, which he co-founded back in 1994, before 2016 saw Comcast (the parent company of Universal) buy DreamWorks, with Spielberg still holding 4.6 million shares of the company.
This fourth gate is heavily expected to include a How To Train Your Dragon themed land, one of DreamWorks’ most beloved properties, while Universal also continues to expand DreamWorks’ presence in Universal Studios Florida and Universal Island’s Of Adventure. Not only this, but with Spielberg having served as executive producer on Men in Black, as well as seven of the Transformers films, E.T. is far from the last property in Universal Studios that has Spielberg’s fingerprints all over it. Although not directly Spielberg properties, ties such as these within the parks ensure that echoes of the director’s legacy will continue to be felt throughout the Universal parks, even once E.T. has closed.
Ultimately, as a Universal property, E.T. Adventure’s fate is not dependent on Spielberg’s final say. While Spielberg may be the face of the attraction and have, naturally, become synonymous with the E.T. film, Universal have the last word when it comes to the fate of the ride and will close E.T. Adventure whenever they see fit.
So what does this mean for E.T. Adventure’s future?…
So what does this mean for E.T. Adventure’s future?
E.T. Adventure’s future is certainly a mystery at this point in time. While signs point to it likely being the next Universal Studios attraction on the chopping block, Universal’s recent push of the property with their summer tribute store certainly casts some doubt on any sort of imminent (or at least near future) closure. Paired with the fact that the film celebrates its 40th anniversary this year which recently saw a theatrical re-release in IMAX, one could assume that while E.T. Adventure is certainly likely to have been eyed up for a potential replacement by Universal’s creative heads, there may be some time to go until it finally closes its doors to guests.
An entire retheming of the KidZone area, where E.T Adventure currently sits, has been heavily speculated for years now, with rumors previously swirling that Universal were planning to flatten the area (including E.T.) to make way for the much-anticipated Super Nintendo World expansion. However, this area is now confirmed to be headed to Epic Universe and with Universal set to bring a host of other new properties into this exciting fourth park, it remains to be seen what property Creative will see as the best fit for the KidZone area.
One thing is for certain though, there will sadly come a time in the future when E.T. will no longer offer guests a croaky goodbye, and will join Universal’s ‘retired classics’ lineup. With Universal consistently pushing for innovation in their park, and with the focus having been on Islands of Adventure in recent years with the openings of Hagrid’s Magical Creature Motorbike Adventure and VelociCoaster, it won’t be long before all eyes are on Universal Studios whereby E.T. stands, much to the dismay of many, as the park’s weakest link.
Final thoughts…
When looking at the facts, we as mere park-guests know very little about what goes on behind-the-scenes, not only between Spielberg and Universal but also in the wider scheme of its everyday operations. Therefore, it’s unsurprising that rumors surrounding these more secretive discussions breed so much speculation. While there are likely to be any multitude of reasons behind E.T’s ongoing reign as a remaining opening day attraction, the presence of an ever-binding contract clause that states that E.T. Adventure must outlive its director is certainly not one of them.
From a speculation stand-point, the most likely explanation for E.T’s immortality could simply be that Universal have yet to establish a long-term plan for KidZone, and therefore tearing down an attraction with no viable future in sight is, of course, pointless. Its location certainly bodes well for its survival, as the entire KidZone area has remained largely the same over the years, making it even more likely that a huge refresh could be on the horizon as Universal continues to innovate and amaze.
With E.T. Adventure having long-since established its icon status in Universal Studios Florida, it’s no surprise that Spielberg shares the same heartfelt affection for the ride as many guests do. That being said, while Spielberg’s love of E.T. Adventure was never in dispute, it’s highly unlikely that the director is in the business of throwing his toys out of the pram to keep its legacy intact.
