Epic Universe watchlist: See the movies that inspired Universal's new theme park
Show Caption
Hide Caption
Early look at Universal Orlando's Epic Universe's SUPER NINTENDO WORLD
Universal Orlando's Epic Universe park will include five new themed areas including SUPER NINTENDO WORLD. Here's an early look inside.
Universal Orlando's Epic Universe theme park opens to the public this May.
The park features five immersive lands: Celestial Park, Dark Universe, SUPER NINTENDO WORLD, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, and "How to Train Your Dragon" – Isle of Berk.
Epic Universe is located about 15 minutes away from Universal Orlando's existing parks.
Universal Orlando's highly anticipated fourth park is opening next month, filled with immersive experiences inspired by classic horror films, Nintendo video games, the "How to Train Your Dragon" movies and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
There are five new worlds for guests to explore at the theme park — Celestial Park, How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, Dark Universe, SUPER NINTENDO WORLD and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic.
Parkgoers absolutely do not need to be experts on each worlds' lore to enjoy the new park, but it doesn't hurt to catch up on the media that inspired the newest immersive experiences at Universal Orlando Resort.
Here's what to add to your watchlist ahead of Epic Universe's opening this month.
When in 2025 will Epic Universe open?
Epic Universe officially opens to the public on Thursday, May 22, 2025, ahead of Memorial Day weekend.
It will be at Universal's new south campus, about 15 minutes down the road from Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios and Universal Orlando's CityWalk dining, retail and entertainment complex.
Celestial Park
Out of the five new worlds at Epic Universe, Celestial Park is the only one not tied to existing intellectual property. No movies, TV shows, or video games are connected to the world.
It is located at the center of the theme park, serving as the gateway to the four other worlds, which are all accessed by themed portals. It houses several eateries and two rides — Stardust Racers and Constellation Carousel.
Universal Orlando describes the new world as a place where "wondrous discoveries await among the lush greenery, tree-lined walkways and dancing fountains."
"Begin your cosmic journey of discovery in a world between worlds, full of sensory delights for all to enjoy together," Universal writes.
Dark Universe
Described as a "shadowy world where the unknown lurks around every corner," Dark Universe takes classic Universal monsters off the screen and places them in real life. There are two rides — Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment and Curse of the Werewolf.
Universal says parkgoers will explore "a village ravaged by the wrath of unearthly creatures and the monstrous experiments of Dr. Victoria Frankenstein."
There are a lot of examples of remakes and reimaginings of the iconic monsters featured in Dark Universe.
Watch 'Frankenstein' and 'Dracula' on AppleTV
From 'Dracula' to 'The Creature from the Black Lagoon,' here are the classic monster movies to binge before visiting Dark Universe:
" Frankenstein " (1931) - Stream it by renting or purchasing on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and Fandango At Home.
" (1931) - Stream it by renting or purchasing on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and Fandango At Home. " Bride of Frankenstein" (1935) - Stream by renting or purchasing on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and Fandango At Home.
(1935) Stream by renting or purchasing on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and Fandango At Home. " Dracula" (1931) - Stream by renting or purchasing on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and Fandango At Home.
(1931) Stream by renting or purchasing on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and Fandango At Home. " The Wolf Man " (1941) - Stream it by renting or purchasing on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and Fandango At Home.
" (1941) Stream it by renting or purchasing on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and Fandango At Home. " The Mummy " (1932) - Stream by renting or purchasing on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and Fandango At Home.
" (1932) Stream by renting or purchasing on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and Fandango At Home. " The Invisible Man " (1933) - Stream it on IndieFlix. You can also stream it by renting or purchasing on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and Fandango At Home.
" (1933) Stream it on IndieFlix. You can also stream it by renting or purchasing on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and Fandango At Home. " Werewolf of London " (1935) - Stream it by renting or purchasing on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and Fandango At Home.
" (1935) Stream it by renting or purchasing on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and Fandango At Home. "The Creature from the Black Lagoon" (1954) - Stream by renting or purchasing on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and Fandango At Home. You can stream for free on FlixHouse.
SUPER NINTENDO WORLD
SUPER NINTENDO WORLD features rides, dining and immersive attractions based on the Super Mario Bros, Mario Kart, Yoshi, and Donkey Kong franchises. It features two specific lands — Super Mario Land and Donkey Kong Country.
In a press release last year, Universal described the new world as a 'multi-sensory environment where guests can experience the fun and adventure of Nintendo games in a whole new way."
The best way to prepare for the world is to refresh your skills for the Super Mario game series, especially the race tracks on Mario Kart.
As for movies, "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" hit theaters in 2023 and is now available to watch on Amazon Prime Video or Amazon Prime Video with Ads. It's also available to rent or purchase on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and Fandango At Home.
Watch 'The Super Mario Bros. Movie' with Prime Video
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic
The new theme park brings the iconic Ministry of Magic, from the "Harry Potter" and "Fantastic Beasts" franchises, to life.
This new addition to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter takes parkgoers to 1920s Wizarding Paris. Fans of the franchise will recognize elements from the "Fantastic Beasts" movies.
After passing through this world's portal, guests will first journey from a Muggle park in Paris into Place Cachée – a hidden, bustling shopping district in the wizarding part of Paris, lined with Haussmannian buildings, shops, sidewalk cafés and historic Parisian domes rising in the distance.
There is only one ride in Epic Universe's Ministry of Magic — "Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry," a dark ride where guests travel by Métro-Floo, from 1920s Paris to the 1990s British Ministry of Magic.
All eight Harry Potter films — "Sorcerer's Stone" (2001), "Chamber of Secrets" (2002), "Prisoner of Azkaban" (2004), "Goblet of Fire" (2005), "Order of the Phoenix" (2007), "Half-Blood Prince" (2009), "Deathly Hallows Part 1" (2010), and "Deathly Hallows Part 2" (2011) — are now available to stream on Peacock and Max.
The "Fantastic Beasts" trilogy is also available to stream on Max.
Watch the 'Harry Potter' movies with a Paramount+ free trial
Isle of Berk
Epic Universe also houses the mythical land from the popular 'How to Train Your Dragon' franchise – Isle of Berk. It's a Viking-sized village, set during the golden age of harmony between Vikings and dragons (think: between the second and third movie).
These are all the movies and shows to watch to understand the lore behind the Isle of Berk at Epic Universe:
" How to Train Your Dragon" (2010): You can stream it currently on Peacock and Max. You can watch it by renting or purchasing on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and Amazon Prime Video.
(2010): You can stream it currently on Peacock and Max. You can watch it by renting or purchasing on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and Amazon Prime Video. "How to Train Your Dragon 2" (2014) : You can stream it currently on Peacock. You can watch it by renting or purchasing on Apple TV, Vudu, and Amazon Video.
(2014) You can stream it currently on Peacock. You can watch it by renting or purchasing on Apple TV, Vudu, and Amazon Video. "How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World" (2019) : You can stream it currently on Peacock. You can watch it by renting or purchasing on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and Amazon Prime Video.
(2019) You can stream it currently on Peacock. You can watch it by renting or purchasing on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and Amazon Prime Video. "Dragons: Race to the Edge" (2015 - 2018): You can stream all six seasons on Netflix.
Watch the 'How to Train Your Dragon' movies with Prime Video
Universal and DreamWorks have also teamed up for a live-action version of the hit animated franchise, coming out in theaters on June 13, 2025. The upcoming flick stars Mason Thames (Hiccup), Nico Parker (Astrid), Gerard Butler (Stoic), Nick Frost (Gobber), and Julian Dennison (Fishlegs).
Our team of savvy editors independently handpicks all recommendations. If you make a purchase through our links, we may earn a commission. Prices were accurate at the time of publication but may change.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Angelina Jolie Teams up With Edge of Tomorrow Director for Spy Thriller
A new update has sparked excitement around The Initiative. Fresh reports reveal Angelina Jolie will reunite with Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Edge of Tomorrow director Doug Liman for the upcoming spy thriller, with early details hinting at high-stakes espionage and intense action. Angelina Jolie and Doug Liman reunite for spy thriller The Initiative As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Universal is finalizing a deal to acquire the project, with F. Scott Frazier writing the screenplay. RK Films' Joe Roth and Jeff Kirschenbaum will be the producers of the film, and Executive VP of production development Jay Polidoro, along with director of development Tony Ducret, will manage its development for Universal. Described as 'Training Day set in the world [of] spycraft,' the story follows a rogue master spy named Bright, played by Jolie, who operates outside the rules, and a new agent named Charlie. When the two start working together, Charlie faces uncertainty over whether his boss, Bright, is trying to kill him or doing whatever is necessary to protect the world. Production is being targeted to start in the first quarter of 2026. Jolie's recent credits include Maria, in which she portrayed soprano Maria Callas, and Marvel's Eternals. Over the years, she has also appeared in Maleficent, Salt, The Tourist, and Wanted. Her upcoming work includes Alice Winocour's drama Couture and the feature adaptation of Anxious People. Behind the camera, she has directed First They Killed My Father, Unbroken, and the upcoming Without Blood. Liman directed Roadhouse for Amazon MGM Studios and The Instigators for Apple TV+. His Universal credits include The Bourne Identity and American Made. Liman is developing a delayed underwater event film, Deeper. F. Scott Frazier's writing credits include Collide and xXx: Return of Xander Cage. In 2024, he and Jimmy Loweree sold Outdueled to Amazon. The post Angelina Jolie Teams up With Edge of Tomorrow Director for Spy Thriller appeared first on - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
‘Nobody 2' Review: Bob Odenkirk Kills It (and Countless Human Beings) All Over Again
Imagine a National Lampoon vacation if Chevy Chase was a badass mass murderer — the "Nobody" sequel is just as awesome as that sounds If movies have taught us anything, it's that the worst thing a killer can do is stop killing people. Not the 'bad' killers, of course. Movies say bad killers should be killed. We are, naturally, only talking about the 'good' killers. You know, the ones who only kill 'bad' people, with 'bad' solely defined by whether the good killer thinks they deserve to die. According to movies, we really need those killers, so if they retire and get a less murder-y day job, not only is the world less safe, but those killers would be unhappy. And that's, apparently, the biggest tragedy of all. The 2021 action-comedy hit 'Nobody' was about yet another professional killer who came out of retirement to kick ass and reclaim his self-confidence, as well as — ironically — the love and respect of his family, the same people for whom he quit the job in the first place. 'Nobody' starred the previously unassuming Bob Odenkirk, who wasn't known for kicking ass on camera, and withheld the reveal that this suburban husband Hutch Mansell was a professional butt-kicker for so long it qualified as a twist. In the end, violence solved all of Hutch's problems, and although it was entertaining, it was still yet another action flick that equated that violence with masculinity and celebrated both in equal measure. More from TheWrap Leonardo DiCaprio Feels Like He's 'Emotionally 35' Eminem-Produced Documentary 'Stans' Coming to Paramount+ in August Universal Acquires All Rights to Robert Ludlum's 'Jason Bourne' Book Series Edward James Olmos to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award at Santa Fe Film Festival The best part of 'Nobody 2' — a sequel that outshines the entertaining yet cynical original — is that Hutch's self-worth came with a price. His wife Becca (Connie Nielsen), and his two kids Brady (Gage Munroe) and Sammy (Paisley Cadorath), love and respect him, but now he's a full-blown workaholic, unable to turn off his mass murdering brain long enough to spend one non-violent day with his family. This problem never gets solved over the course of 'Nobody 2.' It's a defining personality flaw. He's either denying his compulsive urges and miserable, or caving in and jeopardizing his family. Anything he does, literally anything, is wrong… even if it's right. So all it takes to get 'Nobody 2' going is to send the Mansells on a family vacation and wait for Hutch to ruin it. It doesn't take long. They travel to a waterpark Hutch loved as a kid and almost immediately run afoul of the locals, one of whom tries to intimidate Brady (big mistake), while another slaps Sammy (huge mistake). Of course, Hutch goes haywire. And, of course, it turns out this waterpark is somehow the cornerstone of a vast criminal empire ruled by a corrupt Sheriff Abel (Colin Hanks) and a cartoonish kingpin named Lendina (Sharon Stone). The plot of 'Nobody 2' is irrelevant, which is a good thing because it's also hackneyed. All that matters is Hutch can't help himself. It's tempting to say he's his own worst enemy, but he has a lot of those. It's also tempting to say he's his own worst victim, but I think the dude he murders with a table saw would raise an objection. Or at least, he would if he hadn't just been murdered with a table saw. Hutch picks a fight in the wrong town, everyone tries to kill him and his family; we don't need any more than that. There's glee to be taken in this series' elaborately choreographed yet working class violence, where Hutch makes the most of whatever happens to be handy to slaughter 'bad' guys, almost all of whom have certainly orphaned fewer children than Hutch has. But when they try to turn the tables and use those same weapons, Hutch tosses them over the side of a boat and says nobody gets to use them anymore. I guess he doesn't like tasting his own medicine — which makes sense since his medicine is homicide. Sharon Stone has a blast playing a better Batman villain than that one time she kinda played a Batman villain. (She was in 'Catwoman,' try to keep up.) But although she's a deadly opponent, she's not the real threat in 'Nobody 2.' The real stakes are whether this family vacation gets ruined or not. It's like a National Lampoon movie where Chevy Chase is a mass murderer. That's a great pitch, dang it, and Timo Tjahjanto throws it at 105 miles per hour. Timo Tjahjanto may not be a known quantity to mainstream American audiences, but he's been making a name for himself in the horror and action genres for years, with frenetic genre films that half-ass nothing and whole-ass everything. Films like 'May the Devil Take You' and 'Headshot' display the same cinematic verve we used to associate with Sam Raimi, and although Tjahjanto's movies have a sense of humor, 'Nobody 2' is atypically breezy for him. Give credit where it's due: Tjahjanto adds his own flair to this franchise while embracing the drollness that makes it feel ever so slightly different from so many similar films. It's easy to write 'Nobody 2' off as 'Nobody Too' and to accuse this series of simply repeating itself in a new locale. It's also not entirely unfair, but repetition doesn't ruin a franchise unless that franchise hinges on its plots. 'Nobody 2' hinges on its characters, and they're a likable bunch who are mostly at war with themselves. The sequel even goes a long way towards retroactively improving the first 'Nobody,' since it solidifies that the Mansells didn't solve all their problems with violence. Violence will always be their problem. Whether they're attacked by the mob or inconvenienced at a grocery store, Hutch will always struggle to keep his work life separate from his home. As long as the cast stays this committed and the writers don't lose track of that inner conflict, this great sequel could have plenty of great sequels of its own. 'Nobody 2' hits theaters this Friday. The post 'Nobody 2' Review: Bob Odenkirk Kills It (and Countless Human Beings) All Over Again appeared first on TheWrap.
WIRED
a day ago
- WIRED
'War of the Worlds' Isn't Just Bad. It's Also Shameless Tech Propaganda
Aug 13, 2025 10:00 AM By making Big Tech the hero in a movie about government surveillance, the dismally rated remake feels more like an ad for Amazon than anything else. Still from War of the Worlds. Courtesy of Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection 'Here we go' is both the first line of the 2025 Amazon Prime movie War of the Worlds and exactly what I said when I chose to watch it after the shitstorm of reviews that warned me not to. Directed by Rich Lee and shot exclusively through online calls and surveillance feed POVs, War of the Worlds centers around domestic terror analyst William Radford, played by Ice Cube, who is on a mission to save his family and the country from alien cyborgs who are deadset on eating our data. Literally. At first glance, the film's three percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes—up from zero percent when it debuted—seems both impressive and predictable. While getting a rating below five percent seems like a difficult feat, remaking a classic (1953's The War of the Worlds has 89 percent on Rotten Tomatoes), is going to set some pretty high standards. Top that with setting an action film through the lens of Microsoft Teams meetings and poor CGI, and you're bound to make even the most tolerant viewer roll their eyes. But graphics and clearance issues aside (I mean seriously, what was with all of the blurred out faces?), the tech-based plotholes that bordered on propaganda took away from the film's message on the importance of human connection. The most jarring examples are the inconsistencies of technological availability after the data-hungry aliens take out Earth's satellites. Military weapons, vehicle GPS systems, and Facebook page outages wreak physical and emotional havoc across the world, but somehow news networks, Starlink satellites, X feeds, and Amazon purchase access remain unscathed just a few scenes later with little-to-no explanation. Radford's office is locked when he tries to leave to save his daughter, but is somehow open when he has to hack the data servers in the basement— after the building is put on an additional, air-sealed lockdown. Most ridiculously, a Prime Air drone is able to dodge through apocalyptic levels of destruction and mayhem to deliver a worldsaving thumbdrive to the DHS building. The shameless promotion of tech brands doesn't end there. Radford's daughter, Faith, a Georgetown-educated biochemist, somehow has the bright idea of removing a large chunk of debris from her leg—causing near-fatal bleeding. Thankfully, Mark Goodman, her Amazon delivery driver boyfriend, is able to make a tourniquet out of packaging tape because, according to him, he's a 'pro.' Even minor characters get caught up in the 'Amazon Savior' motif. When the worldsaving Amazon Prime Air drone overturns on the way to the DHS building, a houseless person only helps to fix it after being rewarded with a $1,000 Amazon gift card. These scenes in War of the Worlds would have been just outrageous enough to be chalked up to comedy, if it wasn't for the film's heightened focus on government surveillance without any mention of the tech industry's role in all this. From Anonymous-style livestreams featuring the US constitution, to Radford digitally stalking his children, and the secret data-stealing project that beacons the aliens to Earth, the true enemy is clear: the US government and its technology. In fact, the only time privacy is threatened as it relates to private businesses is when the government interferes with it. For example, Radford uses Guardian, the government's surveillance software system, to hack into a Tesla, and remotely take his hurt daughter to a safer location. In the beginning of the film, David, Radford's son, insults his father by saying his career consists of nothing more than spying on people's Amazon shopping carts. Most importantly, the secret government program Goliath, which is the ultimate reason why the alien cyborgs invaded, cyphons billions of dollars worth of private data conversations from the American people. There is zero mention of tech juggernauts like Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk being linked to controversial data collection processes, from failing to protect personal data to staging a full blown digital coup in the US government. Hardly surprising, considering it's an Amazon movie, but it still feels like a glaring omission. If I had to say something nice about War of the Worlds , Lee took a risk remaking a beloved thriller through an internet-first POV. While risks can pay off—this didn't. The decision to demonize government surveillance while making Big Tech the passive victims ultimately water down the film's message—making it more of a near-90 minute commercial for brands like Amazon and Microsoft than food for thought. But hey, maybe all this promo means Amazon Air will finally be available in Washington, DC, at least.
