Latest news with #StarTrek:RedAlert
Forbes
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Inside ‘Star Trek' And ‘Dungeons And Dragons' At Fan Fest Nights
'Star Trek: Red Alert' is one of the headline experiences at the inaugural Fan Fest Nights at ... More Universal Studios Hollywood. If you thought Halloween Horror Nights was impressive and immersive, wait until you get a load of Fan Fest Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood. Having elevated the celebration of Titans of Terror to a world-class standard, the theme park creatives are bringing iconic pop culture phenomena, including Star Trek, Dungeons and Dragons, and Back to the Future, to life in a whole new way. The all-new, after-hours event kicks off on Friday, April 25, 2025, and runs select nights through Sunday, May 18, 2025. Tickets are on sale now. Ahead of the first-ever Fan Fest Nights, I got to go behind the scenes and look at two of the headline attractions to find out what lies in store. First up, Star Trek: Red Alert. "Everything you see in this attraction is based on references from the original sets and the original archives from Paramount," enthuses Stephen Siercks, Senior Director of Entertainment Production at Universal Studios Hollywood. "We were able to tap into a lot of their resources, and a lot of the team that we are working with now worked on some of those early iterations of the franchise, so being able to tap into their history and experience has been really exciting as well. You cannot get more authentic and uniquely Universal than this attraction." "It's a really large-scale attraction for us, and being able to develop it in a way that tells the story and brings to life the iconic scenes and environments was so important and core to the overall concept. I think they did a phenomenal job bringing it to life." FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder Star Trek: Red Alert, a walkthrough experience similar to the haunted houses at Halloween Horror Nights, has taken two years to develop and realize. The attention to detail has been second to none, from the Enterprise-D bridge to the classic 'swish' doors. "Not only is it the door, but it's the sound effect that we got from Paramount," Siercks enthuses. "It's straight from the TV show, so it's really exciting to see something like that come to life in that way. Also, not only is this a recreation of the bridge, but this is actually the screen used set seen in the Picard series on Paramount Plus." "It's such a great collaboration with the Star Trek team and the Paramount team because they were brought on as creative consultants with us. They've been developing this attraction lockstep with the Universal team, which has been super exciting because you get that level of authenticity that Fan Fest is building for, as well as that fan-first approach of really understanding what the guests are going to want to see and experience throughout." Journey to adventure through iconic corridors on 'Star Trek: Red Alert.' Star Trek: Red Alert, housed in the former The Walking Dead attraction building, will take guests into the heart of the beloved sci-fi franchise, with a concept reminiscent of the classic Klingon Encounter and Borg Invasion 4D attractions at the shuttered Star Trek: The Experience attraction in Las Vegas. The adventure kicks off with guests at the separately ticketed event being split into groups and invited to board a shuttlecraft. "A pre-show video plays where you get a chance to understand who you are, what you're doing, and why you're there. This is where we set up the story that we're being given an exclusive tour of the Starfleet Museum, and one of the ships this is now on display is the Enterprise-D from Star Trek: The Next Generation. You board a shuttlecraft, and that's where our experience begins," Siercks explains. "A video playing on a massive screen makes it look like you're flying through space. You are around the corner, and all of a sudden, you're on the shuttlebay of the Enterprise-D. As the ship's docent leading your tour talks, an entity starts appearing in the distance. It gets closer and closer, then suddenly breaches the force field and whooshes past you, utilizing audio, lighting, and some effects overhead. The entity has infiltrated the Enterprise-D. Everything starts going haywire, and we must get to shelter and safety to better understand what's happening." The journey eventually leads guests to the ship's bridge, where a red alert is declared and the unidentified being appears on the ship screen. "Through translation, we realize that this entity means no harm, and it apologizes for any inconvenience and learns that we've made first contact. For those Star Trek fans out there, that's a big deal," Siercks enthuses. "Not many people get to experience the feeling of getting beamed down to Earth, but in the attraction, they do before they make their way back down to the park." Action stations on the Enterprise-D for 'Star Trek: Red Alert.' Moving from Star Trek: Red Alert on the Upper Lot, the next stop on the top secret tour is Dungeons and Dragons: Secrets of Waterdeep on the Lower Lot. It is constructed and housed in the same soundstage space that has hosted the Stranger Things and The Weeknd houses at Halloween Horror Nights in recent years. "The intention is to give fans and guests that moment of playing the game and being thrust into it. When you walk into this room, you can see a lot of game memorabilia around, so it's very much about the gameplay. As the lights go down, a dungeon master voice comes on overhead and starts to introduce you to who you are, what you're doing, and why you're there," Siercks explains. "When the lights come back up, the door in front of us has opened, and a scrim effect creates a disappearing room, so we're transported into the Curious Past Shop, which is the next scene. Now we're in the world of Dungeons and Dragons, so we go from playing the game to being thrust into it." Every campaign starts in a tavern, so that's the next location. It's also where participants are introduced to two adventurers, Throckary and Evalina, who join guests on the rest of the quest to claim the stolen Dragon Staff as they continue advancing forward in the attraction. "It's a little different than our typical take on how we usually develop character experiences, but this allows us to get to know these characters that much more and allows for more interactivity and immersion because the groups start playing off one another," Siercks says. The whole quest takes about ten to twelve minutes to complete. Most of the characters in Dungeons and Dragons: Secrets of Waterdeep are original, with one exception. "In the real gameplay, everything is original to that campaign. We're creating our own campaign while still relying on some big bads like Xanathar the Beholder, one of the more well-known evil characters," Siercks recalls. An example of the intricate design detail in 'Dungeons and Dragons: Secrets of Waterdeep.' Moving through, guests next find themselves in an abandoned marketplace. They're told they're getting close to the goal, but before they can progress, they need to solve a puzzle called the Rune Rumble using symbols that adorn the walls. As that happens, things get crazy. "All of a sudden, we hear a dragon, and through shadow play, it starts to fly overhead of us, and it gets closer and closer. There's an interaction between the dragon and our adventurers, where the dragon ends up breathing fire and starts causing havoc in this space, so we have to find a secret entrance to keep moving forward, and that's what propels us to the next room." Continuing the push forward, look for Easter eggs carefully hidden amongst the décor to add "an extra level of detail and authenticity." The grand finale is where guests come face to face with Xanathar. "Xanathar is all about his possessions and prizes from his conquests, which are placed all around the room, and the missing Dragon Staff is one of them. Our two adventurers go up and grab the Dragon Staff. We hear a cackle, and we turn around," Siercks reveals. "Creating Xanathar has been a really amazing partnership with Jim Henson's Creature Shop, which developed and built this puppet. He's one of those characters that every player of Dungeons and Dragons has imagined, and now they get to see it in real life. It's a really special moment." "His eye moves, blinks, his jaw opens and closes, and there's even some articulation of the tongue, so there's full animation. He can rotate left and right as well. He's fully puppeted in real time as well. What's interesting about Xanathar and some of these other characters is that every voice is different depending on your campaign, so now we're bringing life to some of these characters that haven't necessarily been able to have this type of presence before in such an attraction." 'Back To The Future' is just one of the iconic IPs that being brought to live in a new and exciting ... More way Universal Studios Hollywood's Fan Fest Nights. These aren't the only two experiences that will be available for fans to enjoy. Back to the Future-themed Destination Hill Valley invites guests to time travel back to 1955 to experience a celebratory recreation of Courthouse Square in the space where it was first created: the backlot at Universal Studios Hollywood. Among the elements are a complete recreation of the Enchantment Under the Sea prom and an environmental recreation of the classic film's epic finale involving the DeLorean getting Marty home. Elsewhere, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will offer magical creature interactions and the visually spectacular Hogwarts Always light projection show. Fan Fest Nights will also provide a new meet and greet with fan-favorite Yoshi and a scavenger hunt at Super Nintendo World, as well as One Piece and Jujutsu Kaisen-themed experiences in the park. "The goal with Fan Fest Nights was to create guiding principles for the event experience," Siercks said at the event unveiling in January. "We wanted to be fan first and authentic, meaning that we wanted to service the fans who have extreme fandom for these genres, as well as celebrating the communities that have an affinity for them. We continue building on the legacy of delivering these authentic experiences that are uniquely Universal. We're using a foundation set by events like Halloween Horror Nights to build upon the level of immersion and storytelling through all facets of the event."
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Universal Studios Hollywood salutes 'Back to the Future' and more during fan nights
Imagine walking around Hill Valley in 1955, just like Michael J. Fox did when he played time traveler Marty McFly in the 1985 classic 'Back to the Future.' Fans can now live that dream. As part of Universal Fan Fest Nights, attendees will step off a tram and walk around Courthouse Square in Universal's backlot, a "Back to the Future" filming site. Tickets for the after-hours event went on sale Wednesday morning at this link at Universal Studios Hollywood officials talked about the Fan Fest Nights during a media presentation Tuesday outside the theme park at Universal Cinemas. Universal Fan Fest Nights include immersive experiences saluting various movies and genres in Universal Studios Hollywood's upper lot. The nights, set for April 25-27 and May 2-4, 9-11 and 16-28, will feature 'Back to the Future: Destination Hill Valley,' 'Star Trek: Red Alert,' 'Dungeons & Dragons: Secrets of Waterdeep,' 'Jujutsu Kaisen: Hunger of the Cursed,' 'One Piece: Grand Pirate Gathering,' and special additions to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Super Nintendo World. Universal Studios Hollywood's success with its Halloween Horror Nights inspired the theme park to create Fan Fest Nights to immerse Universal guests into other genres, said Stephen Siercks, senior director for entertainment production at the theme park and executive producer of the fan fest evenings. Special cuisine and merchandise will debut in time for the nights. During " Back to the Future: Destination Hill Valley, " visitors will board a tram to the backlot's Courthouse Square. Fans will participate in the Enchantment Under the Sea dance, seen in the first movie when Marty found himself in 1955. There will also be re-enactments of the Clock Tower lightning strike that sent Marty back to 1985. 'When we were looking for ways to celebrate sci-fi, there was no better fit for us at Universal than 'Back to the Future,'' Siercks said. 'What better way to celebrate that franchise than to be able to bring guests to the place where it actually happened and recreate the iconic environment and moments from 1955?' Siercks told the USA Today Network in the Directors Lounge at Universal Cinemas. The Universal Fan Fest Nights executive producer stood near tables with the foods inspired by 'Back to the Future' and the other genres. 'Back to the Future' inspired Universal Studios Hollywood to create dishes such as the Flux Capacitor Patty Melt, Doc Brown's Chicken Pot Pie, the Time Traveler's Milk Shake and the Outatime Cookie, which comes complete with an edible version of the personalized "Outatime" license plate from Doc's Delorean. Julia Thrash, vice president of culinary and executive chef at the theme park, said Universal designed dishes similar to what you'd expect in a 1950s diner, hence the Time Machine Melt, which features pastrami. Fans of 'Star Trek: Picard' will get to go on the Enterprise-D bridge set that was used during the filming of the Paramount+ series' third and final season, 'Star Trek: Red Alert.' But there's a story connected to the experience. Guests have been invited on a tour of the Enterprise-D at the Starfleet museum depicted on 'Picard.' They will enter through a recreation of the Enterprise-D shuttle bay, Siercks said. Suddenly, there's a red alert, and uniformed Starfleet officers go into action. 'An otherworldly being wreaks havoc on the ship, allowing us to go deeper and deeper into the ship, into sick bay, engineering, the transporter room,' Siercks said. He added Paramount Pictures, which produces the 'Star Trek' franchise, has been 'an amazing partner' in providing its expertise to make the experience authentic. New Universal Studios Hollywood dishes inspired by 'Star Trek' include Vulcan Fritters, Klingon Targ Legs, and the Tribble Truffle Trio, a treat featuring chocolate and butterscotch. The trio comes in the gray coffee cup that Capt. James T. Kirk (William Shatner) held in 'The Trouble with Tribbles,' said Thrash, the executive chef. In the original Star Trek series episode, Kirk discovers a Tribble in his cup when he retrieves it from the food processor in the recreation room. Drinks inspired by 'Star Trek' include a vodka-based, blue Romulan ale, Thrash told the USA Today Network. Universal Studios Hollywood also created the Ceti Eel Margarita, which Thrash said came from the planet Ceti Alpha 5 in the 1982 film "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan." The small eel on top of the drink is a gummy. Jim Henson's Creature Shop has teamed with Universal Studios Hollywood to create Xanathar in 'Dungeons & Dragons: Secrets of Waterdeep.' Fans will join the Harpers, a spy network, to foil Xanathar's plot and save the city of Waterdeep. 'Dungeons & Dragons' inspired Fireball, the theme park's new spherical chocolate cake that is jazzed up with pop rocks as part of the topping. Other foods include Traveler's Rations and the Beholder's Brew Fondue. Drinks are Goodberry and the Eldritch Blast. The anime series 'One Piece' inspired this experience, which follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Crew, including Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Sanji. They're off to find One Piece, a treasure of Gol D. Roger, the former King of the Pirates. The adventure-inspired cuisine includes Chopper Cupcake and Nico Robin's Tropical Iced Tea. The experience is inspired by the Japanese manga 'Jujutsu Kaisen' and its anime adaptation. The adventure, which premiered at Universal Studios Japan, follows high school student Yuji Itadori after he inadvertently becomes the host of a powerful curse. The food inspired by the adventure includes Yuji's Chocolate Curse. The popular land at Universal Studios Hollywood will feature a new evening show of projections on its Hogwart Castle. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter show is called 'Hogwarts Always' and depicts a year at the magical school. Guests will also get to interact with fantastic beasts such as Niffler, Baby Dragon, and the Grand Occamy. Thrash said she stuck with British food, such as the Hogwarts Meat Pie and Curry Chicken, for the Potter-inspired cuisine. 'A lot of people don't know curry is British,' the chef said. Fan favorite Yoshi will become a new meet-and-greet character at Super Nintendo World during Fan Fest nights. And guests can go on a scavenger hunt to find all five Yoshi eggs. Cuisine for the "Let's Go, Yoshi" experience is an apple melon smoothie and fettuccine alfredo. Dave Mason covers East County for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at or 805-437-0232. This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Universal Fan Fest Nights takes guests 'Back to the Future' and beyond
