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[Anthony]

Did the thought of a "Superhero Park" or Marvel-themed attractions fill you with dread, or just plain indifference? Same here. But maybe we shouldn't ignore what these comic books could bring to a park, like Walt Disney Studios. Some of them actually have really rather interesting settings - you don't have to have something like the kitsch-fest of Marvel Superhero Island at Islands of Adventure Orlando.

Captain America: The First Avenger (due 2011) was filming in Manchester a few weeks ago, where a street in the Norther Quarter was turned from northern England into Lower East Side Manhattan with just the help of a few signs, shopfronts and cars. I actually went to have a look and whoa, it looked absolutely fantastic. Completely surreal and completely "Disneyland", it was like I was looking into a future park land or street, and one of the most fabulously themed yet.

Someone even set up a blog dedicated to photos and videos of the shoot, which is well worth a look: http://captainamericafilmingmanchester.co.uk













And this video walkthrough could almost be from Photos Magiques, if you just focus on the set:

[youtube:273t4gkn]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3kbh-PQqAs[/youtube:273t4gkn]

If the film is a hit, wouldn't this be a far more interesting way to do something like Florida's "Streets of America" film sets in Walt Disney Studios? Over there they're just generic and empty, left without much character or period-setting so that they could be used for any production, from the days they were intended as actual backlots, but imagine walking down a period 1940s Lower East Side street like this, somewhere between Hollywood Boulevard and Backlot, beyond the existing Tram Tour. The grimy red bricks and gritty sidewalks would be the perfect companion and contrast to the sunny colours of Hollywood Boulevard and the Captain America theme wouldn't be overt whatsoever, in fact it could even just be a single attraction, shop, restaurant within this amazing environment.

Hey, maybe the Gangster Shootout dark ride could even be reborn, with a less murderous superhero theme? ...

[pussinboots]

See, sometimes I don't get the posting behavior of the people on this forum. This is a very interesting post; thanks for sharing this with us. For one thing, the enormous effort that is put into even the most mundane of Hollywood blockbusters (because Captain America will be another film we will have forgotten about by the time the popcorn has digested) is fascinating to me. Imagine the logistics involved in shipping all of this to northern England, setting it up in an actual street and then taking it all down again. And you just know 80% of the signs, storefronts, hand-lettered vintage automobiles, etc. will be lost in the actual film in favor of something fast and CGI-borne. Or they'll cut the scene entirely. No biggie!

Second, if this neighborhood is anything to go by, Manchester has preserved even more of its 19th-century-ness than I had imagined. Which I love.

Did the thought of a "Superhero Park" or Marvel-themed attractions fill you with dread, or just plain indifference?

It was more on the dread side of it.

Same here. But maybe we shouldn't ignore what these comic books could bring to a park, like Walt Disney Studios. Some of them actually have really rather interesting settings - you don't have to have something like the kitsch-fest of Marvel Superhero Island at Islands of Adventure Orlando.

If the film is a hit, wouldn't this be a far more interesting way to do something like Florida's "Streets of America" film sets in Walt Disney Studios? Over there they're just generic and empty, left without much character or period-setting so that they could be used for any production, from the days they were intended as actual backlots, but imagine walking down a period 1940s Lower East Side street like this, somewhere between Hollywood Boulevard and Backlot, beyond the existing Tram Tour. The grimy red bricks and gritty sidewalks would be the perfect companion and contrast to the sunny colours of Hollywood Boulevard and the Captain America theme wouldn't be overt whatsoever, in fact it could even just be a single attraction, shop, restaurant within this amazing environment.

Hey, maybe the Gangster Shootout dark ride could even be reborn, with a less murderous superhero theme? ...

Well, first of all, they probably needn't bother with words like "backlot" or "set" anymore. That ship has sailed.

Second, forget about the Captain America movie. The world will, soon enough. The general theme however, that's timeless. Speaking of which, the nice thing about Disneyland's age is that it was created in a time when the 1930s were not yet a romantic past but rather a depressing decade that happened just before the other, even more depressing decade. As a result, the 1930s, '40s and '50s are virtually unrepresented in that park as well as its successors. So that very rich time in history we now associate with so much Hollywood glamour (and have resurrected and referenced to death, but anyway) is essentially open season to the Studios parks. There is a huge opportunity for a whole "American Waterfront" thing set slightly later in history — let's use Howard Hughes' lifespan as a kind of timeline. And no, comics, detective, superhero or otherwise, are not necessarily a bad addition to this world at all, au contraire. The problem is that if Disney were to take on this new challenge, they would need to remember who they are. Which sounds very much like something a lion-shaped cloud would say, but I mean that they would need to go back to creating layered, interesting worlds in which characters play only minor roles. If they could do that, I'd love a comic book land or even park. But at this point, with all the Madame Tussaud-ization and marketing-fests Disney is plunking down left right and center, I fear the worst; I fear Islands of Adventure.

On the other hand, even that might be a welcome change from Pixar...

[Riebi]

The problem is that if Disney were to take on this new challenge, they would need to remember who they are. Which sounds very much like something a lion-shaped cloud would say, but I mean that they would need to go back to creating layered, interesting worlds in which characters play only minor roles.

I think that´s a very interesting point now. Sometimes I think Disney is at the moment that full with characters they bought (and want to make to money) or created some years ago that they don´t see anymore the simply fact why they made it to this big company: Disney should be a storyteller with a proper stage. Not a "charactersteller". Sometimes it´s better to go two steps back. You will have a better look.

For the concept: It would be great to have diffrent sets at WDS. I don´t think it´s necessary to took the movie set/filming studios idea completly apart. They have to change it. WDS looked like a real working studio in 2002. Cause I worked in this business I know that a real working studio isn´t a really magical or beautiful place. It´s something practical where you have "to work"  
A Disney working studio should be more. It should be magical. Change backlot to a real magical backlot with more theme (why not the industrial design of backlot express, maybe a garage where the stunt show building is, an outstanding music studio named "Tour de Force" instead of this tacky halls). Let´s create a real hollywood bvd. Why not going from the real working studio (Studio 1 with much more props and more realistic sets) to the bvd. of dream while you step out the door?
Why not create a big lake behind it with an airplane (entrance to soarin) or an asian harbour (like in POTC)? Why not old new york streets leading to this harbour?

It think they just have to start to dream again. You won´t see a real working studio at a theme park. You will see something better. Something magical. Maybe I´m wrong but I don´t think that the real wild west was looking like the wonderful thunder mesa or an oriental bazar has the clean magic of adventureland.

[pussinboots]

I think that´s a very interesting point now. Sometimes I think Disney is at the moment that full with characters they bought (and want to make to money) or created some years ago that they don´t see anymore the simply fact why they made it to this big company: Disney should be a storyteller with a proper stage. Not a "charactersteller". Sometimes it´s better to go two steps back. You will have a better look.

For the record, I was thinking about Cars Land when I wrote that. As promising and expensive as it looks, I can't help shake the feeling that they're wasting it on a single film franchise. I would have preferred it by far if the land were simply based on the Southwest in general. Which makes me think that if they were to build Marvel Land today, it would be similarly hard sell and unsubtle.

For the concept: It would be great to have diffrent sets at WDS. I don´t think it´s necessary to took the movie set/filming studios idea completly apart. They have to change it. WDS looked like a real working studio in 2002. Cause I worked in this business I know that a real working studio isn´t a really magical or beautiful place. It´s something practical where you have "to work"  
A Disney working studio should be more. It should be magical. Change backlot to a real magical backlot with more theme (why not the industrial design of backlot express, maybe a garage where the stunt show building is, an outstanding music studio named "Tour de Force" instead of this tacky halls). Let´s create a real hollywood bvd. Why not going from the real working studio (Studio 1 with much more props and more realistic sets) to the bvd. of dream while you step out the door?
Why not create a big lake behind it with an airplane (entrance to soarin) or an asian harbour (like in POTC)? Why not old new york streets leading to this harbour?

I had the same idea. If they could just erect a big gate at the end of the current Hollywood Boulevard and at the beginning of the extended boulevard saying "You are now leaving the studio premises" or something similar, their big thematic conundrum would be solved. And tadah, you enter the real Hollywood of the 1940s, paving the way for other lands that aren't supposed to be film sets. It might even make it more okay for the current "studio lots" to be a bit dull in contrast.

[dagobert]

If Marvel will come to Paris, it would be the best to incorporate the superheroes into a Marvel Land in WDSP. I don't want to see a whole superhero park in Europe. I'm not sure if Europe is a perfect market for superheroes since I think they are not as popular as in the USA.

[Anthony]

Second, if this neighborhood is anything to go by, Manchester has preserved even more of its 19th-century-ness than I had imagined. Which I love.

Oh yes, there are still patches here and there! Although this street looks far better as '40s New York than it does normally: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?ie=UTF8&q ... 12,,0,0.87

Well, first of all, they probably needn't bother with words like "backlot" or "set" anymore. That ship has sailed.

Second, forget about the Captain America movie. The world will, soon enough. The general theme however, that's timeless.

I probably launched in with the wrong topic title! An American Waterfront is absolutely what I want, so I was just amazed to see this street with the same industrial New York style but in a time period perfect for the studios - and being used as the backdrop for a big franchise Disney have just bought into. Like I said, anything Captain America related could just be a single attraction or reference within this world. From what I can see, nothing in this particular street even references the character. It'd be a neat way to sneak in some fantastic theming and at the same time get "value" from their Marvel buyout. Everyone's happy!

And maybe in a few years they'll reboot the franchise again and sweep this film under the carpet, but these comic books has been going for a while. Although I have just realised something which might rule this particular character out of an appearance at Disney parks after all - the Nazis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Captainamerica1.jpg

So, Superhero Island it is!...

[sebassah]

My idea would be that this set would be added to the Studio Tram Tour. And instead of 'Fire' or 'Water' effects we could ad real characters (actors) to play a little gangster scene just like in the great movie right!

What do you think?

[Anthony]

Having seen the film (topic here) I thought I'd give this topic a bump and confirm: Anything based on Captain America or Marvel characters would be a very, very cool thing for the Studios. At the moment DLP have dropped merchandise for characters such as Spider-Man into various stores and then subsequently had to discount it to actually sell. What their plan is there I don't know. They didn't sell Eiffel Tower keyrings before they built the Eiffel Tower...

I had the same idea. If they could just erect a big gate at the end of the current Hollywood Boulevard and at the beginning of the extended boulevard saying "You are now leaving the studio premises" or something similar, their big thematic conundrum would be solved. And tadah, you enter the real Hollywood of the 1940s, paving the way for other lands that aren't supposed to be film sets. It might even make it more okay for the current "studio lots" to be a bit dull in contrast.

I'd love them to use a conceit like that, in fact maybe that's already what they have in mind looking at Hollywood Boulevard. But perhaps even just have Front Lot as the only "studio" part of the park. Once you walk through those doors at the end of Studio 1, you're in the movies. (Don't ask me how Backlot would work)

[peter]

just wondering, has anyone heard of "project pinewood"? it was a project for pinewood studios that would have added new sets, and there are parts of the plans which could really fit in.

also, i agree about the marvel merchandise, i mean at the very least make a marvel meet and greet in wdsp, and have 2 or 3 characters used at it, then changing a character when a new film comes out.