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Harry Potter Theme Park...
- Thread starter darth_librarian
- Start date
B5_Obsessed
Regular
I see nothig wrong with this at all. Universal is a park primarily dedicated to blockbuster films. Kids (and adults) want to live some part of the adventure. There it is.
I'm just trying to figre out where they will put it. There's not much land available on the site these days.
I'm just trying to figre out where they will put it. There's not much land available on the site these days.
Chilli
High Treason Prevention Officer
How is this "selling out"?
There is a market for this, it isn't something in any way immoral, she was probably made a nice offer, and took it. Where's the problem?
I find it immensely stupid to blame people for making money. Well DUH, that's what we'd all like to do.
darth_librarian
Regular
When she started out with the books, she wanted no merchandising or tie-ins. Somewhere along the line, she changed her tune.
But then I just have personal issues with Rowling and her 'literature', so just ignore me. And the new B5 site has me in a foul mood...
But then I just have personal issues with Rowling and her 'literature', so just ignore me. And the new B5 site has me in a foul mood...
hypatia
Regular
Yea, it was pretty obvious you had a problem with Jo Rowling. Even Babylong 5 indulged in some marketing, I believe.
The focus, I thought, was not to let it get out of control as it has done ridiculously so with certain series (*COUGH.. Star Wars, subtitled "Crap for Cash").
That's the wonderful thing about individuals. Individual tastes vary, you know?
The focus, I thought, was not to let it get out of control as it has done ridiculously so with certain series (*COUGH.. Star Wars, subtitled "Crap for Cash").
That's the wonderful thing about individuals. Individual tastes vary, you know?
Chilli
High Treason Prevention Officer
That much is obvious.
Can you tell me any major franchise that has no merchandising?
JMS had to listen to similar accusations when he auctioned off B5 set pieces on ebay. He was "selling out" or something, as if making money off your work is somehow morally questionable. Which is utter tossage - they're playing by the same rules we all are playing by. They've just had more success.
The beautiful thing about theme parks and merchendizing is that they don't pretend to be anything what they're not. Merchandising seem stupid? Don't buy it. Theme park not appealing? Don't go there.
B5_Obsessed
Regular
I had never heard about Rowling eschewing merchandising. It seems like a silly position for a single mum who was writing at a table where she waitressed. I'm pretty sure products such as the Berty Bott's (sp?) jelly beans came out right around the time of the first movie.
Generally, to sell out would mean to betray your ideals, your fans, or the artistic product itself but Rowling has maintained a high level of involvement with the films and even the theme park "land", so I would say as long as she's still striving for quality, there's no harm done and her earlier comment could be attributed to naivete.
I say theme park "land" because I believe the new attraction will be one of the themed area within the original and somewhat dated Universal Studios park here in Orlando. Looking closer at the property, it appears there is a large parcel of land available, although not visible to guests in the park itself. Through the narrow space between the "Men in Black" attraction and the former "Back to the Future" ride there is a large rectangular plot of land with absolutely nothing on it but sand. Looks like Hogsmead to me.
Generally, to sell out would mean to betray your ideals, your fans, or the artistic product itself but Rowling has maintained a high level of involvement with the films and even the theme park "land", so I would say as long as she's still striving for quality, there's no harm done and her earlier comment could be attributed to naivete.
I say theme park "land" because I believe the new attraction will be one of the themed area within the original and somewhat dated Universal Studios park here in Orlando. Looking closer at the property, it appears there is a large parcel of land available, although not visible to guests in the park itself. Through the narrow space between the "Men in Black" attraction and the former "Back to the Future" ride there is a large rectangular plot of land with absolutely nothing on it but sand. Looks like Hogsmead to me.
Chilli
High Treason Prevention Officer
Bingo - she has not betrayed her artistic product. We can talk about her selling out if she continues writing crappy sequels for several decdaes after HP is done.
A typical sell-out, for me, is Gene Roddenberry on season 3 of Star Trek TOS. In this year, he ended his creative involvement in the show .. while using the rights he kept, with the office, to put in stupid logos of which he hade made tons to market. Rowling has done no such thing, though. The only time she let money visibly influence her writings was whe she wrote the two little tie-in books (Quidditch through the Ages, Magical Creatures and Where to Find them) - which was for charity.
darth_librarian
Regular
Guess I will just take my sorry Rowling hating ass to Thorpe Park then...
Chilli
High Treason Prevention Officer
Sounds like a good idea. Disneyland never was particularily appealing to me .. so when I got a chance to go there a few years ago, I declined and went to Six Flags Magic Mountain instead.
I would probably have more fun at Thrope Park than at a Harry Potter park too. In fact, I was planning to try to go there in July when I'm in London for three days, two of which will be entirely boring
B5_Obsessed
Regular
Well, Lord knows we nver see ANY brits here in Orlando.
Mindwalker
Regular
i hate roller coasters, not sure why. Childhood trauma that has been repressed most likely, clowns are the worst though, I saw a roller coaster full of clowns in a dream once and then I blew it up and I was happy. That was a good dream
Boxie
Regular
Clowns don't bug me... but I'm with you all the way on the rollercoaster thing, Alluveal!
I've been on a lot of cool ones, but they have to be the metal ones... The wooden ones, the kind that look like big trellises, spook me! When I was a kid we'd go to Nantucket, and I tried not to be afraid, but the "click/click/click" and all that swaying kind of got to me! Some of metal ones click too, but my brain tells me it's just sound effects... and it just feels more solid to me.
There's so many good ones...Superman, The Incredible Hulk, and lot of the big monster coasters... and there's this one I rode in Orlando called (I think) Dueling Dragons that I really liked! That one has two trains of cars that start out at the same time, only they're pointed in opposite directions. There's a couple, of what looks like, close calls! One is really close! It looks like you're going to hit head on but then, at the last possible second, one banks and the other drops down! It's too cool to ride in the front on that one!
but I'm with you all the way on the rollercoaster thing, Alluveal!I've been on a lot of cool ones, but they have to be the metal ones...
The wooden ones, the kind that look like big trellises, spook me! When I was a kid we'd go to Nantucket, and I tried not to be afraid, but the "click/click/click" and all that swaying kind of got to me! Some of metal ones click too, but my brain tells me it's just sound effects... and it just feels more solid to me.There's so many good ones...Superman,
The Incredible Hulk, and lot of the big monster coasters... and there's this one I rode in Orlando called (I think) Dueling Dragons that I really liked! That one has two trains of cars that start out at the same time, only they're pointed in opposite directions. There's a couple, of what looks like, close calls! One is really close! It looks like you're going to hit head on but then, at the last possible second, one banks and the other drops down! It's too cool to ride in the front on that one!
Chilli
High Treason Prevention Officer
Superman,
If you mean the one in Six Flags, that is one of the coolest things I have ever been on. 7 seconds of zero gravity - woo!
