5. TOMB RAIDER

Revenue:  $3 billion (since 1996)

Believe it or not, TOMB RAIDER also lands on the list of highest-grossing franchises of all time, and $3 billion is nothing to sneeze at. A plurality of the money comes from the long-running video game franchise that’s turned Lara Croft into a prototypical pop culture adventurer known by generations. Another billion comes from three films – two early-2000s classics starring Angelina Jolie and a more recent 2018 reboot with Alicia Vikander. Here’s the thing: TOMB RAIDER is theme park gold. This franchise is practically begging to be Universal’s answer to Disney’s Indiana Jones, and by way of a strong, intelligent, athletic, and empowered female protagonist! 

Our idea: Frankly, this one is easy. Again, we would rank TOMB RAIDER as one of the few IPs that could nimbly take over Islands of Adventure’s Lost Continent while still maintaining its basic “role” in the park’s narrative. It’s easy to imagine a Lara Croft takeover of the Declassified Disaster: Poseidon’s Fury, casting guests as explorers one step behind the adventurer as she seeks out the place where Poseidon’s Trident was forged eons ago. Similarly, one can easily imagine a TOMB RAIDER stunt show using the empty foundations of the land’s Sinbad spectacular. But moreover, we’ve got the perfect idea: how about a modern, Universal-budgeted installation of the mysterious, epic, and thrilling Lost Legend: TOMB RAIDER: The Ride? 

 

6. DreamWorks

Despite its long association with Universal Parks (mostly via Shrek 4D), DreamWorks Animation began as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Steven Spielberg-helmed DreamWorks Pictures, who handled distribution for everything from 1998’s Antz to 2005’s Madagascar). Even once the Animation division was spun-off in 2004, it signed distribution deals with Paramount (2006 - 2012), then Fox (2013 - 2017) but not Universal! So any DreamWorks properties within Universal Parks (including Shrek and Madagascar themed lands in Universal Studios Singapore) were mere licensing deals, not unlike Universal’s licensing of Marvel or Dr. Seuss.

It wasn’t until 2016 that Universal actually purchased DreamWorks Animation for $4 billion, acquiring a catalogue of intellectual properties to rival Pixar’s. Given that Universal now technically controls Shrek, Madagascar, Kung-Fu Panda, The Croods, How To Train Your Dragon, and Trolls), there’s been surprisingly little development announced in the U.S. surrounding those properties (aside from a Dragon land rumored for Epic Universe). 

Our ideas: Here, the options seem obvious. We’re all for the all-but-confirmed Dragon land planned for Epic Universe… but how about a fully-immersive fairytale swampland dedicated to Shrek to replace Universal Studios Florida’s very tired Kidzone? A lantern-lit Kung-Fu Panda village serving Noodles and a C-Ticket family dark ride wedged in the plot between Marvel Superhero Island and Toon Lagoon, where a vacant amphitheater is wasting space? After a $4 billion acquisition, it seems like a waste to relegate DreamWorks characters to anachronistic meet-and-greets and a single Dragons land. DreamWorks should be taking over Universal Parks just as feverishly as Pixar did Disney Parks!

7. Chronicles of Narnia

Like Lord of the Rings, C. S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia has that "spark" that would be perfect (if a little too vastly scaled for) a theme park incarnation. This high fantasy children's book series is downright timeless, having entered the cultural canon since the initial publication of "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe" in 1950. In an attempt to secure "the next Harry Potter," Disney even famously began adapting the much-loved seven-book series into an epic big screen family fantasy franchise beginning in 2005. Despite a wonderful lead cast and compelling art direction, rising expenses and declining returns on 2008's second film made it clear that Narnia would not turn into a Potter-sized pop culture coup, leading Disney to abandon the pursuit. (Fox picked it up for a third entry but then also gave up; ironically, that film returned to Disney's catalogue after their acquisition of 20th Century Fox, giving them complete control of the unfinished series.)

Reportedly, Narnia has been optioned for a trendy limited series adaptation on Netflix, which – if done properly! – definitely has the potential to inspire another generation to dig into this family-appropriate high fantasy parable.

Our ideas: We floated Narnia among our Blue Sky ideas for Animal Kingdom alternatives to AVATAR, suggesting that this world of unicorns, minotaurs, centaurs, fauns, and the universal struggle between light and dark might make for a great celebration of "mythical" animals at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Of course, given that Disney practically requires a billion dollar box office to even begin drafting theme park concepts, it's unlikely that a franchise that's already burned them once would ever be given a second chance.

8. DC Heroes

Revenue: $50 billion (Superman, Batman, & DCEU)

In the early 1990s, a brief courtship between Universal and Time Warner saw plans for what would become Islands of Adventure take shape around the Looney Tunes and DC Heroes. Ultimately, a falling out between the two saw Universal go with Marvel Comics instead, while Time Warner bought controlling interest in Six Flags beginning in 1991. The result to this day is that in the United States, DC Heroes are heavily associated with Six Flags… and typically, with big, giant steel coasters that have been “label-slapped” with a hero’s name, and maybe a giant cutout of a comic book character. It makes you doubt that this is the best way to handle one of the most recognizable character portfolios in history.

The flip side, though, would surely be the highly realistic “DC Extended Universe” of films. Warner Bros.’ attempts to lean into the big screen hero franchise started strong with The Dark Knight series, but largely fell apart when they decided to pursue an unending franchise model to match the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Early entries were criticized for being too dark and gritty; later entries, for being “too Marvel.” In the span of a decade, reboots, restarts, tangential entries, and re-editing have created three Batmans, three Jokers, an unclear map of interconnectedness, and a series of films that just don’t seem to mesh into a cohesive whole and that (unlike the MCU) aren’t a whole lot of fun to watch or rewatch. In other words, it’s hard to imagine how the “DCEU” would turn into a fun, immersive theme park land, either.

The best treatment of DC Heroes, then, must exist somewhere in the middle. That’s probably best embodied by Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, which maintained the saturated, comic book style of the characters, but in fully immersive Metropolis and Gotham City lands that capture the world of the DC Heroes missing from Six Flags, but also the fun of DC Heroes that’s missing from the DCEU. 

9. Game of Thrones

Revenue: $4 billion (since 1996)

Game of Thrones will probably always be remembered as one of the most interesting IPs in modern history. Based on George R. R. Martin’s fantasy novel series, the HBO television adaptation was one of the most talked-about franchises of the 2000s. Across its eight seasons and 73 episodes, it earned 59 Emmys, brought a high fantasy drama to the mainstream, and became recognized as one of the greatest television series of all time. The vast worlds of Essos and Westeros and the Tolkein-like lineages and histories within became water cooler talk for a decade.

But what makes Game of Thrones so unique among IPs is that it’s done something previously achieved only by James Cameron’s AVATAR: it disappeared. After a final season that earned mixed reviews (but pretty complete condemnation from fans), the absolute pop culture peak of the series finale led to an instant drop-off in cultural capital. At least, unlike AVATAR, Game of Thrones left its fair share of memorable characters, settings, and quotes… but as for its longevity? Well, it’s not quite clear if the show will become an intergenerational one like Star Wars, Sonic, or Marvel heroes.

Our idea: Its longevity aside, the immense physical and sexual violence that serves as a hallmark of the series makes it highly unlikely we’ll see Game of Thrones come to a Disney or Universal park… But could we see HBO fashioning its own theme park somewhere in Florida or Los Angeles one day? Why not! With a catalogue of classics including His Dark Materials, Westworld, Lovecraft Country, Watchmen, Sesame Street, and The Flight Attendant, HBO basically has an A-List collection of “living lands” just waiting to be built… 

10. Pixar

I know, I know.. It sounds absolutely crazy to suggest Pixar is an “unrepresented” brand in theme parks! The difference is that though Pixar may permeate Disney Parks, very few Pixar projects ascend into the “living land” formula they’re more than worthy of. Given the incredible worlds brought to life in Pixar films, it’s surprising that only Cars Land pulls off a screen-to-park place (whereas mini-lands themed to Ratatouille, A Bug’s Life, and Toy Story aren’t really trying). 

Our idea: There are limitless ways that Pixar films could become “living lands” like Cars Land. Imagine a true Toy Story Land (indoors, and in Andy’s room or maybe under his bed) at Disney’s Hollywood Studios; a full-scale Monstropolis (complete with multiple in-universe rides, restaurants, and shops) at Disney California Adventure; an entire Land of the Dead from Coco along Magic Kingdom’s Rivers of America; even the fantasy realm of Onward or a Paradise Falls Wilderness Explorer land from Up at Animal Kingdom. Given Disney’s $7 billion purchase of Pixar and how its stories serve as a backbone for the company and its merchandising, it’s surprising that the quantity of Pixar in the parks tends to exceed the quality. 

IP-ossibilities

Though many of the most exciting intellectual properties are already spoken for in theme parks (or controlled by those who don't want to license them to major players like Disney and Universal), the fact is that there are thousands of exciting stories still "left" to choose from...

Imagine, if you will, how high-earning, time-tested, and underutilized IPs like Bioshock, James Bond, SpongeBob Squarepants, Power Rangers, Dragonball, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Looney Tunes, World of Warcraft, Sailor Moon, Final Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons, Halo, Ice Age, Fortnite, Mission: Impossible, Godzilla, Scooby-Doo, or Jumanji could be used by designers to create brand new rides... or even bring to life entirely new worlds...