The paint isn’t dry on Universal's new Epic Universe yet, and two more themed entertainment locations are currently under construction. And yet, Universal Destinations and Experiences is not slowing down. It was first reported at the end of 2023 that Universal had purchased a plot of land in the UK to build a potential new theme park, and this week, it was announced that Universal UK is officially on the way.
Construction hasn’t begun, and the park won’t open until 2031, but that hasn’t slowed down the rumor mill in the slightest. While it hasn’t been officially revealed what lands or attractions will be part of the new park, the BBC reports that it knows what’s coming, and more surprisingly, what isn’t.
James Bond, Lord of The Rings, And More May Be Coming To Universal Great Britain
With the park still years away, it was unclear if the lands for the new Universal UK had even been decided. However, the BBC says that, according to an unnamed source, “contracts have been signed” for areas dedicated to James Bond, Paddington, The Lord of the Rings, Back to the Future, Jurassic Park, and Minions.
The concept art that’s been released, while it doesn’t show a lot of detail, does seem to back up some of these ideas. One area, with a roller coaster attached to it, looks to be the town square from Back to the Future, complete with the clock tower building. A stunt show is clearly visible and appears to be the home of the James Bond area.
Some areas, like exactly where Middle-Earth is located, are less obvious, but it’s also quite possible, even likely, that the concept art is incomplete. Still, this is all very exciting. If everything pans out as reported, we’ll get a great combination of U.K. specific franchises combined with other global IP.
Of course, if this is how the park turns out, it will be missing something quite shocking.
The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter Is Conspicuously Absent From The List
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is the franchise that transformed Universal’s theme parks, making it a significantly bigger player in the themed entertainment space. Universal Orlando Resort is about to open its third theme park, with its third Wizarding World land. That’s just how big Harry Potter is to these parks.
Yet, at a park that will be located in the U.K., where Harry Potter was born, there will apparently be no Wizarding World. It’s not simply that the rumors have left this part out. The BBC specifically states there are no plans for Harry Potter attractions in the new park.
The reason, unsurprisingly, has to do with licensing. Warner Bros., which produced the Harry Potter movies, has the theme park rights to the franchise. Meanwhile, WB has no competing theme parks in the U.S., so selling the rights was no great loss. However, the Warner Bros. Studio Tour in England, which features the Harry Potter franchise, is only a 40-minute drive away from where the new theme park will be located.
The source claims Universal attempted to reach a deal with WB, but no agreement could be made. The door is always open for that to change, however. So, a new Wizarding World land could always be added in a future expansion.
Still, with Lord of the Rings, the new park will have a different fantasy land based on an incredibly popular book series, so the new park will likely be just fine.
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