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Park News - (7/9/10) Universal Studios Hollywood and Rob Zombie has joined forces to launch the Halloween Horror Nights – Rob Zombie Film Competition, offering filmmakers a chance to have their scary short films judged by a panel, aired on Chiller TV, posted on SyFy.com, a $1000 cash prize and a trip for two to the opening night of Halloween Horror Nights in Hollywood. Read up on all the details here!
    (7/1/10) The latest update at Westcoaster takes you for a behind the scenes look at the Revenge of the Mummy ride.
    (6/22/10) According to Universal Hollywood, King Kong 360 3-D will open to the public on July 1st, while their new Special Effects Stage show will open on June 26th… this Saturday.
    (6/14/10) Westcoaster has dropped into Universal Hollywood again this week to catch up with the latest changes and updated. In addition to the latest look at Transformers and King Kong the Jaws lagoon has been drained and a huge movie set under construction that is rumored to be for Pirates 4. 
    (6/3/10) I’ve got a couple of new construction pictures (see sidebar) to show, send in by a reader, showing off the current state of things behind the Transformers construction wall. Meanwhile Westcoaster has posted another update showing off the media event held to celebrate the opening of the all new Backlot.
    (6/2/10) A new construction update from Universal Studios Hollywood can be found this week at Westcoaster. Looks like they’re starting to make some serious progress taking the buildings apart for Transformers. If that wasn’t enough… check out this very special USH update over at Theme Park Review where they were lucky enough to take photos and video of Revenge of the Mummy… with the LIGHTS ON.
    (5/25/10) Remember that video contest to show off your own version of Kong’s rampage? One of our Screamscape readers took on the challenge and you can see his video entry (and vote for it) here.
    (5/14/10) Universal Hollywood held a casting call yesterday looking for odd and unique street performers for what they are calling CityWalk’s StreetFest event. StreetFest will take place on five Sunday’s (May 16, 23, 30, June 6 and 13th) and will include over 100 performances, showcasing various street performers, special events and more.
    (5/11/10) A new construction update from Universal Hollywood can be found at Westcoaster this week. This includes a look at Kong 360º and Transformers.
    (5/6/10) A construction update from Universal Hollywood can be found over at Coaster Realm this week, including a peek at the King Kong 360º building.
    (4/23/10) Westcoaster has posted a new update from Universal Studios Hollywood this week that includes a look at the Backlot, Kong and demolition work to make way for Transformers. They’ve also sent us a picture to use showing off the new Transformers themed construction wall now in place, which I’ve added down below in our Transformers news section.
    (4/22/10) A new short film competition has been launched themed around the return of King Kong 360º 3-D. They want you to show off what it would look like if Kong wandered through your town on his way to Hollywood. “Bring King Kong into your world and show us the aftermath!” View the short film competition on Zooppa here.
    (4/21/10) The new Special Effects Stages attraction is now listed at the official Universal Studios Hollywood website where it says, “This attraction is currently closed until June. This summer, don't miss our all-new Special Effects Stage where you'll learn the secrets behind the making of your favorite blockbuster movies. Become an expert in Hollywood movie making as you learn about CGI, stop motion, motion capture, and 3-D technology. At Universal Studios Hollywood, anything is possible.”
    (4/14/10) Today Westcoaster posts a look back at the now closed Backdraft and Special Effects Stages attractions. Want even more excitement? Make sure you check out the last couple of pages where you can see workers on the roof of the soundstages already starting to remove the HVAC systems one day after closing it down.
    (4/5/10) Need more proof that a new version of the Special Effects Soundstage show going into the Castle Theater? Universal Hollywood is holding auditions this Friday to cast two host rolls for a new Summer 2010 show “all about filmmaking” that “pits old school special effects against today’s digital techniques”. The show host rolls being cast are described as an old school “tech guru” and a younger 20-something tech-savvy hipster type.

Halloween Horror Nights 2010 - (7/28/10) Universal Hollywood has released some new images of the ultra violent gang known as Killer Klownz who will be taking over one of this year’s Scare Zones at HHN 2010. “These psycho circus rejects are armed to the teeth and hell bent on YOUR destruction.” You might want to keep an eye out on the official HHN Facebook account as well.
    (7/21/10) Dread Central has posted an exclusive first look at the Killer Klown Gang who will be terrorizing guests at Halloween Horror Nights in Hollywood this October.
    (6/22/10) The LA Times has posted a new update all about HHN 2010 at Universal Studios Hollywood this fall. The article mentions that this year’s event will run over 17 nights and feature 5 mazes and 6 scare zones. This year’s Terror Tram experience will also include a stop inside the brand new King Kong 360 3-D attraction.

2010 - King Kong 360 3-D - Confirmed - (7/2/10) Westcoaster shares their coverage of the opening of King Kong 360 3-D today.
    (6/30/10) We’ve got a few kind works for the new amazing King Kong 360 3-D attraction at Universal from another reader. From the sound of things, they’ve got a solid hit on their hands with this new addition to the Backlot Tour. Our source (Thanks Allen W.) tells us that the best cars for Kong viewing are to sit in the back end of the 2nd car or front half of the 3rd car. You can see an expanded video of Kong below which shows off a rare peek at the inside of the attraction when the lights come on, as it didn’t work the first run through as well as a spoiler filled run through the entire attraction in all it’s glory. Check it out if you dare.

    (6/28/10) King Kong 360 3D opened up over the weekend in Soft-Preview mode, where you never really knew if you were going to see it until your tram arrived at the attraction and either went in or didn’t. There is apparently even an “escape” door for the trams who get in line in the c ave entrance, where they can drive out before entering the main show area. Fortunately one of our readers got lucky and sent in a few pictures as well as their brief review of the new attraction which sounds like a hit. (Warning: There be may a few spoilers… so stop here if you want to be surprised.)
    “As you enter Peter Jackson comes on and says a few words and then tells you to put on your glasses to be transported to skull island.  Its really fast, literally in a flash that the screen comes on, your being chased by dinosaurs and it feels like the tram is going really fast, i mean it felt as realistic as even star tours, maybe better.  So, i will spare you the details, but Kong fights the dinosaurs, at one point they show a tram being eaten, then there are water effects as spit/blood is knocked out of the dinosaurs by kong, then there is a really awesome falling effect as the dinosaurs knock you off a cliff through some vines(like when Kong fights the dinosaurs in the movie), in the end Kong saves the tram from falling and puts it back on its way.”
    (6/11/10) While it may have been too late for the King Kong video contest, a great video showing off the aftermath of King Kong passing through Las Vegas can be found here.  But why did he trash Speed: The Ride and not Manhattan Express?! OH WHY?! Why you Damned Dirty Ape!!
    (6/10/10) A themed entrance tunnel for King Kong 360 3-D is being installed and you can see pictures of it here. (Just scroll down a bit…)
    (6/8/10) Many have wondered just how everyone on the Tram Tour is going to get those 3D glasses before going into see King Kong 360 3-D. The answer, from what I’m told, is that guests will be given their glasses from bins in the station just before they board the tram on the upper lot. So that means they will have to hold onto them for the entire 45-60 minute backlot tour… and hope they don’t drop or break them before the get to Kong.  Of course this also means it’s very likely that we’ll begin to see glasses thrown/dropped out of the trams all along the route as time goes on, possibly giving Universal a bit more clean up work than perhaps they had expected. No way to know just how much of an issue or non-issue it becomes until they open it and try it out this July.
    (6/4/10) It seems King Kong is slowly making his way back to Universal Studios Hollywood. Last week it looked as if Kong stormed through an empty Dodger Stadium, leaving destruction and giant footprints in his wake. This week the local news reports a sighting at the Santa Monica pier… again with large footprints in the sand and a crushed lifeguard truck. Ouch!


    (5/21/10) According to this report the new King Kong 360º 3-D attraction will open on July 1st. Speaking of Kong… lets let Peter Jackson talk to everyone about the new Kong attraction himself in the video below. Enjoy!

    (4/9/10) Remember that sneak peek at the test run of King Kong 360º we read about a couple of weeks ago? Now we get to see some great pictures of the setup for this testing location for the new attraction at Dread Central. They also tell us that it was the park fans who can be thanked for the fact that King Kong is coming back to Universal Studios. This attraction was not even planned until the backlot fire burned down the original Kong attraction building and the guest surveys that followed sent a clear message that the fans wanted Kong back!
    (3/6/10) A new teaser trailer for King Kong 360 has been put out on the internet and I’ve got to say that I’m more than a little interested at this point. Can’t wait to see more.

    (7/27/09) Peter Jackson revealed a bit more about the new King Kong attraction coming to the Universal Studios Hollywood backlot during an interview at the Comic-Con in San Diego this past week. The experience will be in 3D, though I’m not quite sure how they will give out 3D glasses in the middle of the backstage tour, and show off a dynamic fight between Kong and a couple of T-Rexes.
    According to the information posted at AintItCoolNews the tram will slide into a dark room which will suddenly thrust the riders in the middle of the action by surrounding the tram on all sides with 8 projectors and an army of 4D effects that will blast you with sound, wind, fire, foul smells and dino slobber.
    (5/20/09) According to a news report filed at Variety and Deadline Hollywood, Universal will open a new King Kong themed attraction in 2010. Even better, the article reports that the new version of Kong will be some kind of “ground-breaking 4-D multi-sensory marvel”. In kind of a confusing concept, the story claims that guests will put on 3D glasses as the tram enters a large soundstage and through projection effects, you are taken to Skull Island, as seen in the Peter Jackson film. Kong isn’t the only threat as guests will encounter giant bats and other dangers before they find themselves trapped in the middle of a colossal battle between Kong and a huge T-Rex.

2012 - Transformers - Confirmed - (7/13/10) Westcoaster drops into Universal Hollywood this week to check out what’s going on at the Transformers construction site.
    (3/29/10) Another inside source has reconfirmed to us that it looks like the Transformers ride may indeed have been pushed back to 2012 for Hollywood, thus pitting the battling bots up against the Cars themed Radiator Springs Racers opening at Disney’s California Adventures park that same year.
    (3/27/10) We have received word from an insider than Special Effects Soundstage and Backdraft are both set to close down on April 1tth to begin construction for the new Transformers ride. While Transformers is still supposed to open for 2011, lots of rumors have been floating around lately claiming it may have bene pushed back until 2012 at USH, allowing for the first version to open in Singapore in 2011 and work out all the bugs first.
    (11/27/09) While I've been told that an actual date has yet to be 100% locked down, we can expect to see Backdraft and the Special Effects Stages closed down around Spring Break 2010.
    (11/18/09) For those wondering just when the Special Effects Stages and Backdraft will close, you may have noticed that Labor Day has come and gone and they are still open.  Yes, we’ve heard that the closing dates for those attractions has been pushed back a bit to sometime in 2010, which makes me wonder if the opening date of Transformers has also been bumped back as well to 2012.  Anyone know more?
    (1/1/09) While we haven’t heard a peep about the Transformers ride since it was announced, one source did mention a few new details. From the sound of things, my earlier suspicion that this could be an off-shoot of the Spiderman ride system along with 3D projection technology could have been right on the money.  Now I’ve got to wonder if they will fully demolish the existing soundstage buildings for the new ride or if they would try reuse any of the existing structure. One extra comment made was that the new ride may have an extensive use of fire effects at one point, which the old Backdraft building was designed to handle with all that extra air-circulation equipment on the roof.
    (10/21/08) The big news today from Universal Studios and Resorts World at Sentosa was the unveiling of the plans to build a major theme park mega-attraction based on the Transformers film series that will open first at the new Universal Studios Singapore theme park, to be followed by a copy at Universal Studios Hollywood by 2011. While there are no solid details about the exact ride system itself, I’ve got to wonder if this may be the next evolution use of the ride system used on the award-winning Spiderman dark rides in Orlando and Japan. Certainly the omission of those two popular markets for the attraction does raise an eyebrow, though Orlando currently has it’s hands full with Harry Potter. Still... if there was any other movie theme that would really warrant the use of the Spiderman ride system, Tranformers would be it, allowing for a mix of real in your face special effects mixed with giant 3D projection technology to bring the giant battle-bots to life.
    According to the article in Variety, the Hollywood version of the ride will replace Backdraft and the Special Effects Soundstages attraction with construction set to begin ‘after Labor Day”, which I assume is Labor Day in 2009.
    Now for some quotes from the press release as well as an impressive piece of concept artwork.
    “The attraction will fuse 3D-HD media, mega special effects and stunning robotics with a ride system that will transform perceptions of theme park experiences. The rides are scheduled to make their debuts first at Universal Studios Singapore and then at Universal Studios Hollywood, both prior to summer, 2011.”
    In "Transformers," Earth’s humans are caught in the middle of an intergalactic war between the friendly Autobots and the evil Decepticons, which are able to change into a variety of objects, including cars, trucks, planes and other technological creations.
    Tom Williams, Chairman and CEO, Universal Parks & Resorts, said: "Transformers will be a jewel in our collection of world-class rides based on great movies. We’re thrilled to be collaborating with Hasbro, DreamWorks, director Michael Bay and the film’s executive producer, Steven Spielberg, who has been responsible for so many of our signature rides and attractions."
    Tan Hee Teck, Chief Executive Officer of Resorts World at Sentosa, the mega resort that is home to Universal Studios Singapore, said: "It is great that Asia will be the launch pad for the first Transformers attraction. Transformers was introduced to the United States in 1983 but traces its roots to Asia. Optimus Prime, Bumblebee and Megatron are familiar names to Asian audiences, who grew up with the robot toys and love the movie. When Transformers opens in Universal Studios Singapore in 2011, it will be the first of its kind in the world. We may see a surge of Transformers mania.’’
    Larry Kurzweil, President and Chief Operating Officer, Universal Studios Hollywood, said: “Transformers represents a perfect match for our theme park: an exhilarating blockbuster with a great story, clever humor, non-stop action and flawless special effects. It has all the elements necessary to become one of the world’s most exciting theme park rides and a centerpiece attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood, The Entertainment Capital of L.A." 

The NBC Universal Evolution Plan (Formerly the Vision Plan) -
All Details about the proposed Vision Plan that will trim nearly 125 acres from the famous Universal Studios backlot have been moved to it’s own page.

Update - (10/9/09) NBC Universal has updated the old Vision Plan and given it a new name this week… now calling it the NBC Universal Evolution Plan. The $3 billion long-term plan around the Hollywood studio property focuses on upgrading and creating new production facilities, providing office space, bringing a new hotel to the property and continuing to provide vitality to Universal Studios Hollywood theme park and CityWalk.
    Studio plans include adding 308,000 square-feet or new production facilities, representing both new and relocated outdoor sets, sound stages, producer bungalows, a screening theater, a rehearsal hall and a film vault. Another 437,000 square-feet of production and post-production space is also planned along with 495,000 sq-ft of new modern office space, including a new Child Care Center and improved parking.
    The plans for the theme park and CityWalk include 146,000 sq-ft of attractions space at Universal Studios Hollywood and 39,000 sq-ft feet of retail/dining space at CityWalk. There is also a possible plan to replace the current amphitheater with a smaller venue to make room for a new 500-room on-site hotel at CityWalk. Be sure to check out the new official Evolution Plan website too. Compare the map on the wrong of the Evolution page to the old map we still have posted from the Vision Plan and there are lots of small differences here and there in the size and shape of some of the buildings in the backlot.