Universal Studios to replace fire-damaged King Kong attraction
King Kong is coming back to Universal Studios Hollywood in summer 2010 as part of a digitally upgraded studio tour, the park announced Tuesday.
The ape and a New York street scene were destroyed during a fire last year that also burned part of the park’s back lot. Fire officials said the blaze started after company employees used a blowtorch to apply roof shingles.
The studio tour has continued since the fire and guests have been able to see the burned areas and watch the reconstruction, officials said.
This summer, the park will debut updated trams with high-definition flat screens that will play movie clips and filmmakers’ commentary as guests pass by facades, sets and sound stages.
For the new King Kong attraction, guests will wear special glasses and enter a sound stage where they will encounter a swarm of bats and then watch a 3-D fight between a gigantic dinosaur and the ape.
The attraction, which takes guests through Skull Island, will be based on the 2005 film. The original King Kong attraction opened in 1986.
“King Kong has been an integral part of the studio tour for years,” said Audrey Eig, director of publicity at Universal Studios Hollywood. “We are happy to be able to bring him back. No one can destroy the great ape.”
--
The biggest entertainment stories
Get our big stories about Hollywood, film, television, music, arts, culture and more right in your inbox as soon as they publish.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
