Lately, an idea has been circling around universal creative, talking about a wicked theme park. This idea popped up first at a podcast of some kind between the actors for the movie, stating they would love to be involved in a theme park. They stated their ideas as beginning in munchkin land before moving to oz where there would be a show, or the main dar ride, or perhaps both in Epic Universe. It was dropped until recently universal creative said they were planning to make a theme park for themselves based upon the wildly popular franchise of wicked. Here are my theories for the park
Where Will It Be Built?
1. Epic Universe
The biggest Universal Studios in the US, set to be one of the best theme parks in the world, it would seem like the obvious choice for a land like this, as it probably will be. but there are other options.
2. Universal Britain
What is far past a rumour at this point, Universal Britain is there possibility to attract people from all across the world. As a plus, it wouldn't be a copy and paste land from somewhere else, it would be its own thing.
3.Universal Texas Kids
Although it feels like i'm grasping at straws, Universal Texas might be the perfect candidate. Wicked was a huge hit for the kids, and perhaps as a part 2 (if its gonna be
po-op-ular enough)
Pros To A Wicked Park
1. The people who love wicked will come rushing to the parks, perhaps giving a boost to universal like they saw with Harry Potter
2.It will give a new cutting edge land to locals and theme park heads, considering how big of a franchise, it has to be filled with crazy tech.
Cons To A Wicked Park
1. Not everyone is a fan of wicked, and those people will not visit the wicked land, or Britain or Texas, if that's all that new that they have to offer. People still went to the new Harry potter Land even if they didn't like potter, but some people just aren't up to a sing along of defying gravity.
This could be another turning point like potter was for universal, or it could be left in the dust. Only time will tell. leave your thoughts, theories, pros, and cons in the comments below.
To address a few of your points, epicuniversefan:
1. With the success of the Wicked tribute store, more wicked is almost inevitably coming to the parks. My money's on USF.
2. I don't believe wicked would come to universal kids world. It's mostly popular with mid-to-late-teens in the child demographic, which has it fit much better in Florida or Hollywood.
3.wicked is a great ip for everyone because it resonates with older audiences and newer audiences alike, but it doesn't have the same diehard cult following as Harry Potter. This will be a success, but not a massive success if it does happen.
4. A land like this would benefit from a train-to-oz roller coaster, a slow moving boat ride, and a broomstick flat ride, all set in the emerald city. If I designed it, at least.
While Universal only has the rights to Wicked, L. Frank Baum's "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" is in the public domain. That allows Universal to take the Jurassic Park/World route and expand the story past the book.
The only hurdle is that most people associate Wizard of Oz with the MGM version, which Warner Bros now owns. While Dorothy & Company are fair-game, the ruby slippers are not.
I sincerely hope that Universal do not proceed with the plans for a Wicked theme park.
Always had a soft spot for the 1939 Wizard of Oz movie but went to see the Wicked stage show in 2003 and was disappointed.
A pale and , frankly boring , incarnation of Victor Fleming's wonderful movie. It was uninspiring drivel and I fell asleep in the theatre . Since then I've been surprised at it's popularity but it does have an audience.
Ok it's true that I don't have to visit a Wicked Park if I don't like it but it's just that I would prefer that any spare funds that Universal might have in the bank are used for something with a broader appeal.
Now.......get the rights for a full on Wizard of Oz land based on the original movie and I'd be more interested.
I have to disagree with this sentiment. While I do believe that s wicked theme park is a little bit much, a land is a much more manageable task. The wizard of Oz is a classic no matter what each generation associates with it, and therefore wicked is the land with broader appeal. I'd be surprised if you could name an IP more widely known that hasn't already been turned into a theme park land yet.
There's definitely no chance Universal ever builds a park dedicated to Wicked, but there's a fair chance we'll see the IP materialize as a themed area in one of their parks. My guess is they'll probably save it for the UK project, but I could also see it being the fifth portal at Epic Universe in ~5 years. While I don't think it's a property that will be nearly as impactful as something like Potter or Nintendo, it does lend itself well to a theme park environment and the world of Oz is well known enough that even those who aren't into Wicked itself will easily be able to recognize the place.
That said, the risk presented by a Wicked area is that it might need to be scaled down to the point that fans of Wicked specifically might not view it as representative of the world they're expecting to see. The focus would almost certainly need to be the Emerald City, so those hoping for a more niche location like Shizz University would likely feel something is missing. Additionally, while the attractions could reference the events of the musical, they would need to be designed so that those without knowledge of its events can still follow the action. It's going to be a difficult balancing act to create something that does the IP justice without alienating a sizable chunk of theme park visitors, so for that reason I could see Universal passing on the property despite the level of popularity it is currently experiencing.
No ... Just, no! This is a dead end idea. And a cliché ... Just because some sort of IP is moderately successful and has some legs does not mean it's a fit. A temporary meet and greet photo op? Go get 'em. But a full on land/attraction makes zero sense. The sum total box office for the flick would not cover the cost of construction.
Just ... stop it! It's a stupid idea.
The box office isn't the point. The point is is that the wizard of Oz is moved back into pop culture, and is also still guaranteed to be popular in however many years it takes for the second one to come out. When Disney built Star wars attractions based on the final movies, it wasn't because the box office was high (even though it was) or it was well liked, it was because star wars was something people talked about, and therefore justifiable for an ambitious land. By simply making a wizard of Oz land about wicked, you're missing the point of building a wicked land- the recognizability of the franchise.
VelocicoasterFan: "The box office isn't the point. "
Me: What are you talking about? The only reference I made to "box office" was in relation to the cost to construct an entire land (which would run about a billion bucks.
VelocicoasterFan: "The point is is that the wizard of Oz is moved back into pop culture, and is also still guaranteed to be popular in however many years it takes for the second one to come out."
Me: First of all points for dropping the word "popular". Clever. But no, there's nothing "guaranteed"? As Russell pointed out, Universal only has rights to 'Wicked' and how far those rights extend is open to question. As for "however many years it takes to come out" if you're talking about 'Wicked Part 2' that's going to drop in November. Additionally, as Russell notes 'The Great and Powerful Oz' was weak sauce at the box office for Disney. In 1985, Disney took a swing with 'Return to Oz' which made $11 million.
And attempts to drop a ruby red footprint into themed entertainment have failed. As Russell notes 'The Land of Oz' park (opened in 1975, closed in 1980, restored and re-opened in 1991. Now opens for seasonal and special events to moderate crowds [at best]). Additionally plans for an Oz theme park in Kansas went through the same motions as this discussion: Popular IP, excitement for a park application, reality sets in, ideas disappears.
Veloci-guy: "When Disney built Star wars attractions based on the final movies, it wasn't because the box office was high (even though it was) or it was well liked, it was because star wars was something people talked about, and therefore justifiable for an ambitious land".
Me: We are comparing the Star Wars franchise (multiple films, televsion, etc.) to 'Wicked' (two films)? Um ... okay.
I've got to agree with TH Creative on this issue. Wicked is a horrible idea for a theme park, a theme park land, or even a ride.
I've got the soundtrack from the musical, and I listen to it on regular basis, and I really wanted to see the musical in NYC or on tour, but after watching the first movie of the series, my wife informed me that she absolutely hated it, and that if I wanted to see the second movie or the musical, it would be on my own.
When you look at it objectively, what is Wicked's appeal? The music! Beyond that, the IP is shallow! There's no family appeal. This is a niche IP.
Wicked is a flash in the pan, and Universal should run away from the idea as fast as possible.
@Th creative
I understand that I'm part of the minority here. To be fair, I wasn't trying to say that wicked would be a good idea for a park. I was simply saying that the IP might look appealing because of its broad appeal and its return to pop culture. To address your points in order:
1. I know you didn't really focus on the box office too much, and nor did I, but the box office is something I have seen others bring up outside of TPI and thought I needed to address.
2. First of all, no, I did not mean to drop the word popular but I'll take all of the credit I can. As for the second movie, while I thought it would take longer to come out, my point still stands. Wicked will remain popular for at least two years after the second movie if it's not a flop, and universal doesn't have to build a massive land or anything. Also, you brought up Russell, and he said that the rights extend to both wicked movies and the original book(s). Without verifying, this is enough.
3. While all Americans integrations of wizard of Oz have failed, I must point you to warner brothers movie world in Australia, where a well-themed and successful wizard of Oz land exists. A theme park giant like universal could handle it.
4. First of all, "veloci-guy"? Really? Okay. And second of all, I know the comparison between star wars and wicked is a stretch. Not my best work. But I think my point still stands, however weak the argument was.
And, to address Tim Hillman, I think that wicked was a divisive film, but I liked it. However, how can you say it's not a family film? Little girls across the nation are wearing Glinda tiaras and playing with little Elfaba dolls and wearing wicked clothes and eating wicked food and consuming!
All in all, a wicked mini land would look really appealing to universal right now. With the success of the photo op and the tribute store, two relatively small locations, they might want to step it up. While I am indifferent and frankly agree that wicked is flash in the pan, universal might be thinking about it. I know that they haven't cared about IP longevity since Jimmy Fallon race through New York.
Veloci-Buddy writes: "universal doesn't have to build a massive land or anything", and then suggests "a wicked mini land".
Me: So maybe "a temporary meet and greet photo op"?
@TH Creative @Veloci-fan, This may be none of my business, but cant you agree on something and stop yelling at each other?
Not trying to make you mad,
epicuniversefan
If this comes across as yelling, my apologies - I've never been a strong debater.
@TH- are you trying to tell me a photo op and a mini land are the same thing?
The Wizard of Oz IP has demonstrated to be about as "evergreen" as IPs come, but I believe Universal only has the license for Wicked, which is a subset of the greater Oz universe (Disney actually produced and distributed The Great and Powerful Oz, which underperformed at the box office, and forced Disney to scrap plans for future movies and series within the Oz universe). While Wicked has been a pretty big hit ($728/$473 million worldwide/domestic gross), and will certainly make another sizable chunk at the end of this year when Part 2 is released (with minimal costs since both parts were filmed simultaneously). However, it's unclear how far Universal can go beyond to generate more content within the Wicked IP or whether Universal would make a play to secure rights to the greater Oz IP. It's also not clear whether Universal has the theme park rights to anything beyond what appears in the Wicked movies and whether those rights extend beyond the US market.
As of right now, there is a Wizard of Oz theme park in Beach Mountain, NC, though it's a very small park with limited, seasonal operations. Wizard of Oz also exists at Warner Brothers World in Australia, complete with rides and shows, so perhaps the success of that is the proof of concept Universal needs to green light a potential Wicked land at an existing or future Universal park (debuted at the end of 2024).
I have little doubt the folks at UC are working on concepts and ideas of a potential Wicked land and attractions, but I do think it's a bit too soon to expect them to jump in with an IP that is pretty limited in content. I think it's far too soon for Universal to expand Epic even though the park was designed with a built-in expansion pad for another portal. Epic needs time to grow and develop organically without overloading it with another IP, and with the legacy parks (IOA and USF) needing a little TLC to keep them fresh and interesting alongside the shiny new Epic.
However, I could see Universal leveraging Wicked in the new UK park. Wicked grossed almost $77 million in the UK, so there's a solid audience there, and a similar interest in musicals in the London area with the popular West End theater district. The UK market would be a good place to test the popularity of the Wicked IP for future use at other Universal parks down the line, most notably at Epic in the 2030's if the IP still has legs or if Universal is able to acquire the theme park rights to the greater Oz IP.