Comic geeks across the globe felt a tremor in the force this morning when it was announced that Disney is acquiring Marvel Entertainment for 4 (Doctor Evil voice) BILLION dollars. Disney hopes to capitalize on Marvel’s 5000 characters (a long list, with 90% of them characters you have probably never heard of, like Hydro-Man and Ka-Zar).
The first reaction of many many fanboys on the ‘net was a dramatic NOOOO! Many are afraid Marvels’ more cutting-edge adult comics will be quickly killed under the new Mickey-masters. I don’t know, and quite frankly, don’t care – I stopped reading comics regularly a long time ago (and, quite frankly, Disney bought Marvel for the merchandising potential of the characters Marvel has and the movie studio, not the comics).
My reaction was different, and a product of a particular interest of mine: What the heck is gonna happen in Orlando?
Orlando, of course, is where Disney and Orlando goes head-to-head in the theme park business, and the ride that many say is the best one in Orlando is The Amazing Spider-man ride… and Universal’s Islands of Adventure. It’s the centerpiece of the “Marvel Super Hero Island” which features a whole lot of Marvel characters and themed rides – the Hulk Rollercoaster, Doctor Doom’s Fearfall, etc… And very soon, Disney will own Marvel.
Hmm.
Today, a spokesperson for Universal said that they had the rights to the characters and that the attractions will not chage because of the acquisition. My response: of course you’re going to say that. Licensing deals are not perpetual contracts – they come up for renewal, and they will come up for review in a few years. And then…
Disney will either A) ask for a boat-load of licensing money or B) pull the rights to the characters from Universal. Personally, I’m guessing B – no way is Disney gonna let Universal make money off the characters they now own. So, if that day happens… what happens?
Retheming, that’s what. It happens a lot, and has been done quite a bit already in Orlando (remember the Earthquake ride at Universal? it’s now “Catastrophe!”) So what do they DO with the space that these rides and shops now fill?
I have an idea.
(Please be aware that the following is total fanboy blue-sky fantasy and I have no inside information. If these were actual rumors, you would be advised where to tun in the event of an emergency. Please stand by)
What is missing at both of the Universal parks? Sci-Fi. With the exception of Men in Black Alien Attack at Universal, they have no rides or areas with a SF theme… as opposed to the Magic Kingdom which has Tomorrowland, SF with all the fixins. So, what SF properties does Universal already own? Two properties they can use without having to pay a rival studio? One they had ALREADY used for many year prior? Two big ones:
Back to the Future and Battlestar Galactica.
With some work Spider-man can be rethemed to a new Back to the Future ride, and the Hulk coaster can be painted Cylon silver and renamed the “Galactica Space Launch” or something like that. Doctor Doom Free-fall can be painted gray and themed to be “space mission training” (and tied to Apollo 13, too). The rest? Paint everything silver and sell SF DVDs and toys in the shops. Make some of the empty space a mini-version of the SF Experience Museum based out of Seattle, and you’re good.
Heck, if you want to do something REALY cool, license Star Trek from Paramount again, as you did in the 1990s, and fill an available space with a Klingon photo-op.
Done.
Now, as I mentioned, total fan-boy stuff but if it DOES come to pass? Universal, give me a call – I got tons of other ideas, and my consulting fee is very reasonable.
UPDATE: The great Nikke Kinke is on the story and has this great report/analysis.
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