Jump to content

Hulk trains in trash


Recommended Posts

While I have no insider info, the fact that we haven't seen any track at the B&M fab shop gives some credibility to the Screamscape rumor. It's a safe bet that they want this ride back up by the time the Summer crowds start hitting in May. Valravn and Mako track is all we are seeing right now. Valravn should open with the park in Spring and Mako is just listed as a Summer opening. If Hulk were to be opening in May, shouldn't there be track on the ground already? While that's not hard evidence by any means, it sure seems odd and reinforces the feeling I have been having about how they are going about this project. 

 

 

Edit  - Now this surfaces:

http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201510/4775/

 

That's a fairly reliable source. And it also says a nearly year long rebuild, which, if true, squashes the lack of track issue. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The article states Universal holds the rights to Marvel characters in Orlando "in perpetuity" thanks to its original deal.  When Disney no longer sees fit to allow their use, be certain it will alter the deal. Nothing lasts forever.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The article states Universal holds the rights to Marvel characters in Orlando "in perpetuity" thanks to its original deal.  When Disney no longer sees fit to allow their use, be certain it will alter the deal. Nothing lasts forever.

 

That's not how it works. A contract is a contract. Disney being the parent company of Marvel doesn't change the pre-existing deal, which grants Universal the right to the characters in perpetuity - that is, for an indefinite amount of time, or forever.

 

What CAN happen, to my understanding, is that when Universal's option to extend that contract arrives, Disney can decide to charge more. When the agreement is due for renewal though... not when Disney no longer sees fit to allow their use.

 

By the way, Disney makes bank on Marvel through merchandising, entertainment, and - yes - through Universal's licensing payment. That Marvel is absent from one of the company's resorts is probably not a fatal blow to Disney's bottom line. After all, think of what they've done with Marvel in the parks where they CAN use it: a meet-and-greet, and a still-upcoming motion simulator.

 

Think about it this way: Disney can earn $X each year from Universal's licensing of Marvel OR Disney can spend $Y hoping that it'll lead to $Z in revenue for the parks. 

It may very well be that X > Z - Y. In which case, Disney has no incentive to bring Marvel to the Florida property in attraction form. 

 

Disney's free to use most Marvel characters, anyway. But it doesn't.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The contract between Marvel and Universal is on the internet for all to see. The use of Marvel characters, what they have to pay, which character families it covers, and the terms are all in black and white. Universal has exclusive rights as long as the want them and don't damage the brand. Marvel cannot rescind those rights. The rights are so ironclad that when Disney wrapped a monorail train as an Avengers advertisement a few years ago, they couldn't run that train on the Epcot loop as it goes through a park. They can't even advertise the Marvel movies in the Disney parks. If there was any chance that Disney could pull those rights, we would not be seeing a complete rebuilding of the Hulk. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

^^ Disney can advertise the Marvel movies in the parks. And in fact, it's in their best interest to do so. But when Guardians of the Galaxy was given a sneak peek at Epcot, it and its poster were presented without the Marvel logo. The same attraction at Disneyland did not omit the logo. 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thats one of the grey areas, but Uni put a stop to it. The Guardians are getting incorporated into the Avengers movies, and Universal owns the theme park rights to the Avengers family. I'm pretty sure hearing that the screening was short lived as Universal called foul. Thats why you didn't see any Ant-man or Avengers 2 stuff in Disney World. 

 

Marvel really went out of their way to bail themselves out before selling to Disney, but part of that was just bad deals. The Uni deal for theme park rights. The Spiderman movie rights with Sony, The X-men/fantastic 4 rights with Fox. The fox deal is very contentious. But all of those deals have performance clauses. As long as the contracted party lives up to the standards of the contract, they keep the rights. Or, as Terp pointed out, Disney can try to buy their way out, but I'm not sure if there is an amount of money that would make Comcast agree to terms with Disney. Especially as hot as a property as Marvel is. 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Daredevil and Blade were once signed away as well.

As for movies and the parks it's actually in the best interest of fans that they are spread out. Sony (now with the help/guidance of Marvel) will produce Spider-Man films while Marvel focuses on Avengers movies. More movies of our favorite characters. If only Fox would come to a deal with Marvel for our Merry Mutants and the First Family it would be beneficial for fans. More movies being made that play in the same sandbox.

Same thing with the Parks. If Disney buys back the rights (or however they do it) we may get a Superhero island eventually. After Toy Story Land, Star Wars, etc. or they stay at Universal, Disney gets its money and we get to ride Spider-Man or get pictures with the X-Men....

Plus as for the movies, Sony has stopped production of all planned Spidey movies and will do what Marvel wants so they work in their play arena. Fox on the other hand had a similar deal on the table (according to sites such As CBR and Fatman on Batman) but turned it down. So Marvel answered with the introduction of the Inhumans (a 2nd to 3rd tier property) to the MCU and the big push as of late of he Inhumans and the squashing of mutant centered stories.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thats one of the grey areas, but Uni put a stop to it. The Guardians are getting incorporated into the Avengers movies, and Universal owns the theme park rights to the Avengers family. I'm pretty sure hearing that the screening was short lived as Universal called foul. Thats why you didn't see any Ant-man or Avengers 2 stuff in Disney World. 

 

That's one of the brilliant things on Universal's end. The contract (from what I gather from a casual reading... or as casual as contract reading can be) permits Universal to use certain characters (Hulk, Spider-Man, Captain America, Fantastic 4, etc) and any other characters who can be reasonably connected to those characters. 

 

But with the expansion of the Marvel [Cinematic] Universe, it's hard to make a case for ANY character not being at least tangentially connected to one of "Universal's." Guardians is a great example. It's like a "Six Degrees of Captain America" game. The Guardians of the Galaxy once met Thanos who had an Infinity Stone given to Loki who fought the Avengers which includes Captain America. Even though Universal's Island doesn't use Iron Man, Iron Man is connected to Captain America via the Avengers so he's a no-go too.

 

As the Universe expands, it also gets smaller and further limits Disney's use, Weird.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

For those who may be wondering what the Hulk is like now, my sister who is at Universal Studios has sent me these pictures...

 

12204911_705015479634982_899979833_n.jpg

12208118_705015489634981_727016823_n.jpg

 

Wow- from this angle there really doesn't appear to be much left of Hulk. The entire iconic cobra roll is gone. IMO, this is enough for me to think of the original Hulk from 1999 as defunct, as it's just basically going to be rebuilt since there is so much track missing. Crazy...

 

For comparison, here's a quick Google Search image I found...not a 100% match-up view wise but close enough...

 

Hulk.jpg

 

Yeah- pretty crazy considering this was still the view just a few months ago...

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

Fun Fact: The removal of the "old Incredible Hulk Coaster" marks the first B&M coaster ever to be dismolished. B&M has now built over a hundred coasters since their first being Iron Wolf in 1990, all of which are in operation today.

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't know if we have a separate thread for the new King Kong ride, but I was there last weekend, and GUYS, IT LOOKS SO COOL. It's so large, and so well themed. I cannot wait for it to open. It's crazy to me how Universal just does this in a year and a half like it's no big deal, and Disney has been talking about/working on Avatar since before even Diagon Alley opened. Universal is doing amazing things.

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

The lights for the new King Kong ride were turned on for the first time tonight. Not sure how to embed the tweet here but I'll try. Anyways, it's beautiful.

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Worker adjusting test lights on a cherry picker at Skull Island - Reign of Kong <a href="https://t.co/FxqClWqKsO">pic.twitter.com/FxqClWqKsO</a></p>—bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) <a href="https://twitter.com/bioreconstruct/status/701917149279952896">February 22, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

 

https://twitter.com/bioreconstruct/status/701917149279952896

  • Like 9
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow... Universal is just unstoppable; it seems all they can do is hit home runs. And to think they also have a new hotel, water park, and two other rides going up with Hulk and Kong. And that's just the Orlando property...

We'll see what that Jimmy Fallon ride is like and then I may just agree with you if that ends up being amazing.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not to be that guy but yeah.... I wouldn't expect anything but the best from Universal and/or Disney. The parks are fighting for the same tourist dollars practically

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The difference is Disney takes their sweet time to get new lands and attractions up and running, while Universal seems to be on a whole different level of production while still producing at a level on par with Disney (in recent years anyway).

Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...