Sci-Fi Storm

This is a new one…with all the turmoil regarding the director and host of the upcoming Oscars, the Academy has produced its own trailer, which…well, I don’t want to spoil it… 🙂

Universal Parks & Resorts confirmed in a press conference today the hot rumor for the past week: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will come to Hollywood – specifically the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park. Very little details was given, such as how they’d fit it in the park (and it WILL be part of the park, not a separate park) – but it would definitely include Hogwart’s castle and the Forbidden Journey ride.

Also confirmed but with even less detail given is that the existing WWOHP section at Islands of Adventure in Orlando will be expanded, as long rumored – but that’s it. Some rumors state that they will somehow connect to space becoming available in the Universal Studios park (fueled by the recent announcement that the long-standing Jaws attraction is closing) – but they are fairly far apart with lots of support buildings and access roads in between. More likely is that it will take over more of the Lost Continent area.

Update: Hypable has a live blog of the announcement.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter may be getting a twin…and perhaps a lot more siblings. Earlier this month Universal Studios President Ron Meyer said in an interview, while panning recent studio failures, said, “Yes” when asked about plans to build additional Harry Potter parks.

Well now the Wall Street Journal is reporting that a second Wizarding World of Harry Potter is on the way (paid subscription required to read the whole article) – and the location will be at Universal Studios Hollywood.

Not much more details, other than an official announcement may come next week. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was a huge success in Orlando (see a previous trip report here), helping to bolster the flailing Islands of Adventure park. Rumors have gone around about a possible expansion to that area, but with the possibility of money going to the other coast to build fresh there, I wonder if that pay delay any expansion plans.

Our friend Ashley Eckstein and her HerUniverse brand has added some new merchandise for the holiday season, including some Cyber Monday deals…including this cute Eureka holiday-themed tote bag, featuring the characters in one of the many animated forms they take in the upcoming holiday episode, airing next Tuesday, December 6th.

Other new items include other Syfy products, such as a Battlestar Galactica pajama set, a Viper wings necklace, a Warehouse 13 burnout T-shirt, and a Sharktopus T-shirt (including a first-ever Mens version). On the Star Wars side, there is a “Daddy Issues” thermal hoodie and a Jedi charm. Plus, there are a limited number of Cylon “Toaster” necklaces (previously a convention exclusive), and also right now with any purchase you can get a free holiday Yoda pin!

When Lucasfilm obtained the domain name “StarWarsIdentities.com” (along with preemptively grabbing the typo’d StarWarsIdentites.com and sw-id.com), speculation ran rampant about the new mystery project, ranging from a new game or expansion to Star Wars: Galaxies, a new series of movies or a TV show, etc. My own thoughts would have been something less grand but marketable – actual ID cards to show your citizenship in the Republic (or Empire, or Rebel membership…). But it seems we were all wrong.

It is a museum exhibit.

This one is a bit different though. Instead of being just a traveling exhibit of props, etc. like has been done in the past, this is more about the characters, and what what defines them. It explores three aspects of an identity: “the origins of the characters, the influences that shape them, and the choices they make during their life.” It also includes an “interactive quest”, allowing a guest to create their own Star Wars identity incorporating fictional elements with their own, creating their own unique character (so wait, I wasn’t entirely wrong… 🙂 )

The exhibit will be at the Montreal Science Centre from April 19 through September 16, 2012, with tickets already on sale via StarWarsIdentities.com.

In case you are missing it, Real Life Comics is doing a Stargate SG-1 themed thread, which you can start reading from here (there are a couple interstitial comics not related to the thread as well). Real Life, done by Greg Dean, is a long running web comic with gaming and sci-fi fan elements while tracking the real life and friends of the artist.

OK, this is bizarrely awesome…

But I’m not sure it beats the Muppets version.

This year’s Syfy Digital Press Tour started a little differently – last year there was a low-key reception dinner just with the Syfy executives – this year it was a luau theme, complete with Hawaiian shirts, a fire dancer, and this time, with the talent! One of the first I met while waiting for it to begin was Rhys Ifans, the actor who has played a wide variety of roles such as a the crazy roommate in Notting Hill, “The Leg” in The Replacements, Xenophilius Lovegood in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1, and now James Hook in the upcoming Neverland and Dr. Curt Conners/The Lizard in The Amazing Spider-Man.
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If you are at Universal Studios Orlando this Thursday, October 6th for Halloween Horror Nights 21, you can meet up for a Q&A and autograph session with Steve Gonsalves and Dave Tango of Ghost Hunters!

The Ghost Hunters Q&A session begins at 8 p.m., followed by the autograph session at 9 p.m. at Pantages theatre, located in the Hollywood area of Universal Studios. Access to the Q&A and autograph session are included in regular admission to Halloween Horror Nights 21 on Thursday.

Ghost Hunters has become one of the highest rated reality shows on Syfy Channel. The popular show follows Gonsalves, Tango and a group of real-life paranormal researchers as they track down the presence of paranormals across the country.

With 19 nights remaining through October, Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights is the nation’s best and most intense Halloween event. Guests confront extreme Halloween entertainment that cannot be experienced anywhere else. This year, they scream as they come face-to-face with a horrifying “thing,” panic as they are hunted by savage banshees, feel chills as they are surrounded by fiendish creatures from a third dimension – and watch in paralyzing fear as Lady Luck transforms from a tempting seductress to a bloodthirsty beast.

The 21st edition of Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Florida opened last Friday. Whereas Halloween Horror Nights XX was all about paying tribute to past icons (the characters that represent the overall theme) and Fear Himself, this year it’s all new, centered around Lady Luck (think – 21…blackjack…) and her double-sided personality…
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