WaterWorld

Last updated

WaterWorld
Universal Studios Hollywood Promo Water World.jpg
Universal Studios Hollywood
Area Upper Lot
StatusOperating
Opening dateOctober 21, 1995 (1995-10-21)
April 2017 (2017-04) (2nd Opening)
ReplacedMiami Vice Action Spectacular
Spectrablast
Universal Studios Japan
Area WaterWorld
StatusOperating
Opening dateMarch 31, 2001 (2001-03-31)
June 1, 2018 (2018-06-01) (2nd Opening)
Universal Studios Singapore
Area The Lost World
StatusOperating
Opening dateMarch 18, 2010 (2010-03-18)
Universal Studios Beijing
NameWaterWorld Stunt Show
Area Waterworld
StatusOperating
Opening dateSeptember 20, 2021 (2021-09-20)
Universal Studios Florida
Area World Expo
StatusOperating
Opening dateOctober 17, 2025 (2025-10-17)
Replaced Fear Factor Live
Ride statistics
Attraction typeWater Stunt Show
Theme Waterworld
Duration20 minutes
The arena at Universal Studios Singapore Waterworld arena (Universal Studios Singapore).jpg
The arena at Universal Studios Singapore
Seaplane crash landing Waterworld Plane.jpg
Seaplane crash landing

WaterWorld, also known as WaterWorld: A Live Sea War Spectacular, is a stunt show attraction based on the 1995 film Waterworld found at Universal Studios Hollywood (1995), Universal Studios Japan (2001), Universal Studios Singapore (2010) and Universal Studios Beijing (2021). The original attraction opened at the same time as the film. [1] Although the film was considered a critical and financial disappointment, the show was highly praised, winning a 1996 Thea Award from the Themed Entertainment Association. The classic attraction remains highly rated by park guests. [2]

Contents

Adapted by Ben Hurst, the attraction's story occurs after the events of the movie, beginning with Helen's return from "Dryland" to get her friends from the "Atoll". The show includes the characters Helen, the Deacon, and the Mariner, as well as several "Atollers" and "Smokers". The show is 16 minutes long and includes stunts on water, land, and overhead, supported by many pyrotechnic, flame, water, and other special effects, including the explosive crash landing of the seaplane. [3] [4] The stunt show's unique soundtrack was crafted from snips from the movie score. [5]

The seating is in three sections of arena seating. The first five row of seats are the "Soak Zones", which are the target of splashes from the Jet Skis and various wet special effects.

On April 18, 2024, following the announcement, Universal Studios Hollywood announced that Hollywood version of the live show will feature a new limited time pre-show, The Fall Guy: Stuntacular Pre-Show from April 27 to May 19, 2024, inspired by the 1980s TV series and a new film of the same name about stunt performers and stars Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. The Universal Studios Japan version of the live show has hosted a One Piece based show known as the One Piece Premier Show for the park's annual One Piece Premier Summer seasonal event since 2007.

Plot

The show begins with the Atollers noticing that Helen is returning and they signal back and open the gate to let her in the atoll. She informs them of her discovery of Dryland and that the Smokers are after her. The seaplane attacks the atoll while two of the Smokers break in using jet-skis and water skis. One of the Smokers opens the gate to let the other Smokers inside. Helen and the others fight them using water cannons but the Atollers are one by one killed while Helen jumps from the tower that she's standing on before it collapses. One Smoker signals the Deacon, who immediately arrives in his ship. During his arrival, he swings a golf ball to the audience as a greeting, and takes Helen hostage, demanding that she tell him the whereabouts of Dryland and has one of the surviving Atollers dropped into a toxic tank when she refuses. A Smoker realizes that the Mariner is coming, who emerges from underwater to get into the atoll, leading to a massive brawl between Helen, the Mariner, and the Smokers (in which a nearby fuel tank leaks after being shot at by the Deacon) that ends with all the Smokers being killed, with the Mariner seemingly killed as well. The Deacon proceeds to escape with Helen, but the Mariner, who survived, rescues her and resumes the fight against the Deacon. During the fight, the Deacon accidentally shoots down the seaplane, which crashes into the atoll. Angered, the Deacon attacks the Mariner, but Helen sets the Deacon ablaze, causing him to fall into the water, killing him. This lights the leaking fuel in the water. Helen and the Mariner manage to escape on Helen's boat before the fuel tank explodes, ending the show. [6]

Related Research Articles

<i>Waterworld</i> 1995 post-apocalyptic action film

Waterworld is a 1995 American post-apocalyptic action film directed by Kevin Reynolds and co-written by Peter Rader and David Twohy. It was based on Rader's original 1986 screenplay and stars Kevin Costner, who also produced it with Charles Gordon and John Davis. It was distributed by Universal Pictures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walt Disney Studios Park</span> Theme park at Disneyland Paris

Walt Disney Studios Park is the second of two theme parks built at Disneyland Paris in Marne-la-Vallée, France. which opened on 16 March 2002. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Experiences division. Upon opening, it was dedicated to show business, movie themes, production, and behind-the-scenes, but in the 2010s, in a similar manner to Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World in Florida, it began to distance itself from the original studio backlot theming and entered a new direction of attraction development inspired by iconic Disney stories. The park is represented by the Earffel Tower, a water tower with Mickey Mouse ears similar to the one formerly located at Disney's Hollywood Studios, which in turn was inspired by the water tower at the Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Universal Studios Hollywood</span> Film studio and theme park in the US

Universal Studios Hollywood is a film studio and theme park in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles County, California. About 70% of the studio lies within the unincorporated county island known as Universal City while the rest lies within the city limits of Los Angeles, California. It is one of the oldest and most famous Hollywood film studios still in use. Its official marketing headline is "The Entertainment Capital of LA". It was initially created to offer tours of the real Universal Studios sets and is the first of many full-fledged Universal Studios theme park resorts located across the world.

<i>T2</i>-3D: Battle Across Time Defunct attraction at Universal parks

T2-3D: Battle Across Time was an attraction at Universal Studios Florida, Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Japan. The version of the show in Hollywood had its final performance on December 31, 2012; the show then closed January 1, 2013. The version in Florida had its final performance on October 8, 2017; the show then closed October 9. The version in Osaka closed on September 14, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, making the show on September 13, 2020, the final performance.

Shrek 4-D is an animated 4D film based on the Shrek franchise created by DreamWorks Animation, itself based on the book by William Steig. It also is a 4D simulator ride attraction with motion-based effects and water sprayers located at various theme parks around the world. It is currently shown at Universal Destinations & Experiences in Singapore, and previously in Universal Studios Florida, Hollywood, and Japan. The Hollywood location closed on August 14, 2017, to make way for the DreamWorks Theatre attraction, the Orlando location closed on January 10, 2022, to make way for Illumination's Villain-Con Minion Blast, and the Japan location closed on February 9, 2024. Outside the Universal parks, the movie was shown at Movie Park Germany in Germany from May 2008 until July 2011, and Warner Bros. Movie World in Australia from September 2005 until August 2010. A spin-off attraction titled Donkey's Photo Finish is located at the Florida venue while Meet Shrek and Donkey is located at the Hollywood venue. In Universal Studios Japan, the attraction is shown in the same theater as Sesame Street 4-D Movie Magic, with the Shrek 4-D film shown for the first 12 hours of the day, and the Sesame Street film shown for the next 12 hours of the day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Themed Entertainment Association</span> Theme park industry association

The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) is an international non-profit association that represents creators, developers, designers and producers of themed entertainment. It is also noted for its THEA Awards, which were founded in 1995 and are distributed annually in a range of themed entertainment categories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Studio Tour</span> Ride at Universal Studios Hollywood

The Studio Tour is a ride attraction at the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park in Universal City, California near Los Angeles. Studio Tour is the theme park's signature attraction. It travels through a working film studio, with various film sets on the Universal Studios Lot. Guests sit on multi-car trams for the duration of the ride and looking behind the scenes of Universal Pictures. The tour lasts about 45–60 minutes and is led by an in-person "tram guide", with the aid of pre-recorded videos of Jimmy Fallon. It travels through the Front Lot, Backlot, and various attractions, passing sets and properties from movies along the way. The tour inspired a smaller but similar version at Universal Studios Florida, which was removed in 1995.

<i>Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!</i> Amusement show at Walt Disney World

Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! is a live amusement show at Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Based on the popular and successful Indiana Jones film franchise, it includes various stunts and live reenacted scenes from the series's first film, Raiders of the Lost Ark. It is executive produced by George Lucas and directed by Jerry Rees, with stunt coordination by Glenn Randall.

<i>Waterworld</i> (video game) 1995 video game

Waterworld is a series of video games released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Virtual Boy, MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows and Game Boy, based on the film of the same name, along with unpublished versions for the Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega Saturn, Atari Jaguar, 3DO and PlayStation. These games were produced by Ocean Software. The SNES and Game Boy games were released only in Europe in 1995 and the Virtual Boy game was released exclusively in North America in November 1995. It was released for PC in 1997. The game received widespread negative reviews and the version released for the Virtual Boy is generally considered to be the worst game of its 22 releases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Universal Studios Singapore</span> Universal Studios theme park in Singapore

Universal Studios Singapore is a theme park located within the Resorts World Sentosa integrated resort at Sentosa in Singapore. It features 28 rides, shows, and attractions in seven themed zones. It is one of the five Universal Studios theme parks around the world.

Water World, Water world, or Waterworld may refer to:

Caryn Lynn Mower is an American actress, stuntwoman, and former professional wrestler. Throughout her career, she performed for various professional wrestling promotions such as Ultimate Pro Wrestling under the ring name Carnidge. She also performed briefly for the World Wrestling Federation as Muffy, the on-screen personal trainer of Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley as part of the McMahon-Helmsley Faction.

<i>Universal 360: A Cinesphere Spectacular</i> Defunct fireworks show attraction

Universal 360: A Cinesphere Spectacular was a fireworks show attraction located at Universal Studios Florida. It replaced the Dynamite Nights Stunt Spectacular, and featured famous scenes from Universal Pictures' films projected onto four large inflated domes in a lagoon located in the center of the park. The show generally took place at the hour of the park's closing. It was directed by John Landis, a filmmaker whose other works include The Blues Brothers and An American Werewolf in London. During New Years Eve celebrations, the show is directed by a woman instead. In 2009, the show was edited and some shorter scenes were removed and replaced by other clips.

<i>Fear Factor Live</i> Defunct stage show at Universal parks

Fear Factor Live was a stunt show attraction located in the World Expo section at Universal Studios Florida and in the Upper Lot section at Universal Studios Hollywood. Both attractions opened in spring 2005. The Hollywood attraction was closed on August 14, 2008, to make way for Creature from the Black Lagoon: The Musical, which opened in spring 2009. The Florida attraction began operating on a seasonal schedule on June 3, 2005. The attraction began running again on a full-time basis in summer 2010. The attraction was based on the NBC television series Fear Factor and featured theme park guests becoming contestants in various stunts inspired by the show. After temporarily closing in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Universal confirmed in October 2021 that the attraction would not reopen.

This article details the appearance of Harry Potter theming in amusement parks. In the late 1990s, Universal Destinations & Experiences began discussing the possibility of purchasing the license for Harry Potter to create and theme amusement park rides. As Time Warner owns the license, a small walkthrough attraction was constructed at Warner Bros. Movie World called the Harry Potter Movie Magic Experience in 2001. This attraction was removed two years later. In 2010, Universal Islands of Adventure park opened The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Similar attractions have also opened in Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Beijing.

<i>Animal Actors on Location</i> Live stage show at Universal Studios

Animal Actors on Location is a live stage show at Universal Studios Florida, and formerly at Universal Studios Hollywood, and Universal Studios Japan. The show features multiple animals performing stunts and tricks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thierry Coup</span> French creative director

Thierry Jean-Andre Coup is the Chief Experiential Futurist at JOCOUP Creative. Coup began his career working in the film industry, performing set design and visual effects. He moved into theme park design in the early 1990s when Walt Disney Parks and Resorts offered him a position with Walt Disney Imagineering. In 1995, he transferred over to Universal Creative and led projects such as The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Transformers: The Ride, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley and Super Nintendo World.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Universal Studios Beijing</span> Universal Studios theme park in Beijing

Universal Studios Beijing is a Universal theme park in Beijing that opened on September 20, 2021 as part of Universal Beijing Resort. Invited-only test operation started on September 1, 2021. The park would become the fifth Universal Studios-branded theme park in the world, the seventh Universal-built park overall, and the third in Asia, after Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Singapore.

References

  1. Wharton, David (October 12, 1995). "Wet, Wild Saga Continues for 'Waterworld'. Universal Studios to Unveil Stunt Show Based on the Film". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles. Retrieved January 9, 2010.
  2. "Waterworld". Inside Universal. Archived from the original on October 7, 2007. Retrieved January 9, 2010.
  3. "Universal Studios Hollywood's 'Waterworld – A Live Sea War Spectacular' Brings Blockbuster Movie Surging to Life" (Press release). Universal Studios. June 14, 2007. Retrieved January 9, 2010.
  4. Cashill, Robert (April 1, 1996), "Waterworld Live", TCI, retrieved January 9, 2010
  5. "WaterWorld: A Live Sea Spectacular". theStudioTour.com. 2006. Retrieved January 9, 2009.
  6. "WaterWorld stunt show at Universal Studios Hollywood - YouTube". www.youtube.com. 21 August 2015. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
  1. "Action Horizons (Waterworld stunts)". Action Horizons. Retrieved January 12, 2010.
  2. "AET Company Profile". Advanced Entertainment Technologies. Retrieved January 9, 2010.
  3. "Amphibian Stunts: Exciting, Safe and Reliable Live Shows (Waterworld Singapore & Hollywood refurbishment 2013)". Amphibian Stunts. Retrieved January 9, 2010.
  4. "Flame Effects (Waterworld Japan)". The Attraction Services Company. 2007. Retrieved January 9, 2010.
  5. "News". Birket Engineering. Retrieved January 9, 2010.
  6. "Waterworld (Japan)". Grayson Production Services. Retrieved January 9, 2010.
  7. "Norm Kahn". Utopia Entertainment. Archived from the original on February 1, 2009. Retrieved January 9, 2010.