Epic Universe is the world’s newest theme park, and so far it has lived up to its name. The new park has multiple cutting-edge attractions that are unlike anything that has been developed before. Having been able to visit Epic, I can honestly say I’ve never seen anything quite like it, and director Steven Spielberg has something to do with that.
Which is the best Epic Universe attraction is a debate even we can’t settle at CinemaBlend, as we continue to fight over the question. However, Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment is absolutely near the top of the list. In the recent TV special Inside the Worlds of Epic Universe, available with a Peacock subscription, Spielberg, who has been part of developing Universal parks for decades, reveals that we have him (in part) to thank for the attraction. He said…
I was pushing for some kind of a ride experience that would collide every one of these favorite monsters together in one huge, scary, but entertaining experience. As the executive consultant for all the theme parks all over the world, which I’ve been doing since the mid ’80s, I just thought, ‘Oh my god, you know, there’s got to be a place in here to celebrate Universal’s legacy with these famous monsters of filmland.
With the incredible history of Universal’s monster movies and the incredible success of Halloween Horror Nights at all the Universal parks, it’s unsurprising that a land dedicated to them, Dark Universe, finally found its way into a theme park.
But with all the classic Universal Monsters to choose from, which one do you make the star of a major attraction? Why not all of them? Everybody from Frankenstein’s Monster to Dracula to, my personal favorite, the Phantom of the Opera is on display in Monsters Unchained.
It sounds like Spielberg himself was a driving force behind the initial concept of the attraction, which brings all the monsters together in one place. In the ride’s story, Dr. Victoria Frankenstein, the granddaughter of Dr. Victor Frankenstein, who is also part of the attraction, has captured all the monsters to perform experiments on them. Dracula is the final experiment, which is when everything goes wrong.
Steven Spielberg has been a major consultant for Universal for decades. His franchises have also been a major part of the theme parks. That includes an E.T. dark ride still running at Universal Studios Florida, and Jaws being an iconic part of the Universal Studios Hollywood Backlot Tour. Spielberg even shed tears inside the Studio Tour.
As if we didn’t have enough reason to love Steven Spielberg for his movies, we can also love him for what he’s done to the theme park world. If it weren't for him, Dark Universe might not be quite so incredible.
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