Things You May Have Missed In The Universal Studios United Kingdom Concept Art

With the announcement that Universal Studios United Kingdom is coming soon, Comcast unveiled some exciting concept art to go with the project. Here are some things you might have missed.

WaterWorld Stunt Show

At the back of the park, there is an odd semi-circular structure that has attracted a lot of interest amongst fans and media outlets online. The likes of The Mirror denote it as a volcano that, on the face of it, could link into the potential for Jurassic World theming.

However, another perhaps more likely theory among fans is that this is an arena for the longstanding WaterWorld stunt and special effects show that already exists at Universal parks in Hollywood, Japan, Singapore and Beijing.

The show is based on the 1995 film of the same name, and set after it, including characters such as Helen, the Deacon and the Mariner. It involves Helen seeking to get her friends from the ‘Atoll’, with stunts on water and land, as well as overhead with a lot of flames, water and pyrotechnic effects, such as the explosive crash landing of a seaplane.

Jurassic World Adventure Dark Ride & Rollercoaster

The large show building adjacent to the winding, green rollercoaster has certainly piqued interest, with its domed roof and fountains that sit out front that look an awful lot like the facade for the Jurassic World Adventure ride that exists in the Universal park in Beijing, even down to its domed roof. You can see the dark ride in Beijing courtesy of the Attractions 360 video below.

From a personal perspective, this building also has a similar look to the Jurassic Park Discovery Center at Islands of Adventure in Orlando, as do the small domed roofs to the left.

As for the rollercoaster, this is subject to more debate. With that bright green colourway, some fans suspected that it may be themed to Wicked – an ironic decision, given part of the film’s set was based some 30 miles away in Ivinghoe in 2023.

A more logical situation, as noted in our roundup article, is that the coaster is a custom Bolliger & Mabillard Hyper Coaster that would be themed to Jurassic Park in some way. This idea comes from Tommy Hawkins on X, who managed to create a top-down concept layout of the coaster based on the concept art, which looks virtually identical to the ‘Hollywood Dream’ coaster at Universal Studios Japan.

Back To The Future Rollercoaster

One element of the park that some fans agree on is the roller coaster off to the left of the concept art, which has been suggested to be a Back To The Future-themed coaster.

Universal has trademarked the Back To The Future name and logo for use in theme park activities, so this would also line up with potential theming.

The design of the coaster itself looks to feature a large top hat to the very left and a spike track, which seems to confirm it to be an Intamin-developed coaster of unknown origin at the moment, according to both Tommy Hawkins and Scott Gustin on X.

Intamin has developed a lot of attractions for Universal in the past, including Harry Potter & Escape From Gringotts and Jurassic World VelociCoaster in Florida, as well as the upcoming Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift in Hollywood.

The theming around the rollercoaster also looks to signal it as a Back To The Future-themed coaster, with one eagle-eyed fan in the Back To The Future subreddit noting the facade to have the diner, cinema, and courthouse from Hill Valley in the right positions.

Intriguingly, this wouldn’t be the first attempt at a proper Back To The Future coaster, as the purported concept art for a previously failed Universal Studios Europe demonstrated a previous concept for a ‘BTTF Timewarp’ coaster, as per Theme Park Insider, in an area that was themed to Hill Valley in 2015 – the year of the second film.

The rest of the theme park looks to be up in the air with regards to theming, although a recent BBC report suggests the likes of Minions, Lord of the Rings and even James Bond could be set for the park when it opens in 2031.

Read more about the two train stations Universal Studios United Kingdom is expected to get.