Theme parks run by studios are the standard, but there’s one studio that really should be front and center.
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Warner Brothers Has An Amazing Library
In addition to Looney Tunes, Warner Brothers has made some incredible movies and series that would make incredible rides and immersive lands for theme park goers. Yet, the studio doesn’t utilize its library for its own purposes.
Here are just some of the amazing properties Time Warner owns:
- Harry Potter (more on that later)
- Aquaman, Batman (more on that later too), and the DC Universe
- Lord of the Rings
- The Matrix
- The Terminator
- Ready Player One
- Godzilla
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
- Dune
- Mad Max
- Polar Express
- Tomb Raider
- Lego Movies
Immersive lands like Galaxy’s Edge from Disney and Hogsmeade/Diagon Alley from Universal are the new standard. The Lord of the Rings (new series coming out on Amazon) would be a perfect place to develop a flagship land that drops visitors into middle earth. It’s not my favorite movie franchise, but from a visitor standpoint, it lends itself to a number of natural, obvious, and memorable experiences.
Likewise, taking back the elements of the DC Universe that aren’t already licensed out (Aquaman for a live-action show), Wonder Woman or even something from the Suicide Squad series could be unique and has recently seen a ton of support from moviegoers.
The Terminator is an obvious 4-D screen and a trackless ride combination that would delight and terrify visitors. Godzilla, Mad Max, and Tomb Raider also make sense. Ready Player One could be a fairly immersive experience as well. Dune was not only a huge success but a sequel and companion series are also in the works.
The Matrix could be excellent for indoor rides and experiences as well as a roller coaster.
Generally speaking, just a handful of the top 50 movies for Time Warner could make for an excellent theme park.
Six Flags Doesn’t Cut It
The Six Flags theme parks (20 worldwide) actively feature Looney Tunes and have been significantly owned by Time Warner and its group of companies for some time. They also have incorporated the DC universe in a limited capacity, but Six Flags doesn’t feel like a Warner Brothers park, it feels like a theme park with some branded rides. Universal and Disney do a far better job of truly engaging guests in the movie experience.
Don’t get me wrong, Six Flags has compelling rides, single-use skip the lines passes (flash pass), and pricing options that benefit those who prefer a weekday visit theme park experience. But they don’t capture the imagination and wonder that a trip to Universal or Disney parks does.
Six Flags is much more widely available (locations all over) but they don’t have that once-in-a-decade or trip of a lifetime feel that the others offer. But it could.
License Deals
One of the problems with Time Warner truly offering a comprehensive experience is that they have licensed out the use of many of their franchises for other parks to use. For example, Harry Potter, now synonymous with Universal, was last licensed to a competing studio for park rides for $300 million. Judging by how many go to Universal for this, it seems like a lost opportunity.
Lego has its own theme parks, making it tough to capitalize on its own Lego movie franchise that’s seen some of the largest grossing films for the studio (just two movies: The Lego Movie and Lego Batman yielded nearly a billion dollars to Warner.
The DC Universe has grown by leaps and bounds in the last decade or two and has built a loyal following that would be able to build an entire park around, but Six Flags has these rights even if they are underutilized.
By selling its rights to some of its biggest opportunities, Time Warner has tied its own hands and missed out on an opportunity to do something of its own accord in a legendary way. Theme park demand remains high; Universal is expanding to its third gate in Orlando which will be as large as its entire existing complex of two parks, City Walk, a water park and a number of hotels. Disney hasn’t shown ambitions for a fifth gate in Orlando, but its ambitions in Shanghai show that bigger is better, especially in foreign markets where it continues to expand.
Conclusion
Time Warner has essentially punted on building a truly compelling theme park option by instead licensing out some of its best content. It’s half measures through the years at Six Flags are no match for what a modern, immersive theme park can be. Warner should reconsider a park and its licensing deals in favor of creating a truly memorable experience for fans.
What do you think? Should Warner open up its own truly immerseive theme parks? Should they enhance Six Flags instead?
They have a park in Abu Dhabi…
Have you been to park Astérix near Lutèce, I mean near Paris?
Bonnemine will be so happy to discuss fashion with your daughter…
🙂
Kyle, Warner is a leader in theme park licensing. It’s a big part of their business. The expertise and capabilities to design and operate theme parks is very specific and this is not something companies outside of Disney and universal can do competitively. So, they license their brands and it’s very profitable!!
However… you are uninformed about WB parks:
Warner DID build Warner Bros MovieWorld Theme Parks… one is in Queensland Australia and the other is new, and in Abu Dhabi. Another was built in Madrid. These are not on the par of Universal or Disney… and they were designed and built and operated by others under licenses.
@Jayson – I appreciate your perspective on licensing vs owning and operating, but I think that Harry Potter and Universal’s investment in it has demonstrated that the bigger market is in creating those environments. Case in point, Universal licensed Harry Potter for many years for $300MM, but that land makes so much money for Universal that they put almost the same amount into a single ride, Hagrid’s Motorbike in Orlando.
And to be clear, it says WB on the front gates for Abu Dhabi and Madrid, but if signage alone was replaced with Six Flags, there’d be no difference. I am talking about a theme park that goes beyond comic book DC universe from 30-40 years ago and Looney Tunes. Those WB parks are WB in name only, they continue to miss the true opportunity that exists and the expansion of those properties.
Didn’t you get the memo? All those old Looney Tunes cartoons are now deemed racist so I don’t know if an amusement park would fly. FogHorn is like a Southern plantation master. Cartoons with blackface, Heckle, and Jeckle, forget it. Bugs Bunny in drag or giving “japs” trouble. It goes on and on. They do have Six Flags and a new park in Abu Dhabi where things are less “woke” I guess.
“Imagine and wonder” doesn’t cut it for me anymore as an adult. I need tall 75mph roller coasters, not pansy-ass space mountains and stuff. Coupled with shorter lines, less offensive entry prices, and not having to suffer Florida, I would say Six Flags (and others like it, i.e. Cedar Point) is fine as a better alternative to the Disneys and Universals of the world.
Maybe I’ll change my tune when I actually get kids.
Rocky Mountain construction hybrid steel box on wood base roller coasters are the best in the world. None of the jerkiness / stiffness of all wood or all steel coasters. Steel Vengeance at Cedar Point and many others around North America.