Since 2010, rumors have floated around that The Lord of the Rings franchise would receive its own theme park land. Yet new rumors from Screamscape and Orlando ParkStop mention that The Lord of the Rings franchise may finally get its own theme park land at Universal’s Epic Universe.
Shortly after Universal opened the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a survey went out and asked guests what theme park lands they would be into. One of the options was The Lord of the Rings and it was described like this:
Imagine if you will a world unlike any you’ve ever visited before: it’s Middle Earth, the ancient and beautiful land forged by J.R.R. Tolkien as the backdrop for his two most well known creations, Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Walk as a human among dwarves, elves, orcs and hobbits-all faithfully recreated and portrayed in the spirit of the original characters as they appeared in both the books and the movies. In this land you’ll experience one-of-a-kind rides and attractions that bring to life some of the most memorable experiences of Tolkien’s world including Bilbo’s hobbit hole, the fortress at Isengard (before it was destroyed) and even the dark world of Mordor — including the terrifying volcanic Mount Doom.
The interesting part about The Lord of the Rings franchise is that according to rumors throughout the years both Disney and Universal have been interested in bringing in this intellectual property. In 2013, it was heavily rumored that Disney won the theme park rights to The Lord of the Rings franchise. Clearly, that never came to be as Universal finally may be the one to utilize the franchise.
Universal may be striking at the opportune time as well. The Lord of the Rings franchise and J.R.R. Tolkien’s work is pretty timeless. But it should also have a resurgence due to the new Amazon Prime series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Rumors of Epic Universe getting The Lord of the Rings started to emerge in 2018.
Screamscape reports that The Lord of the Rings will be Epic Universe’s first expansion. If this rumor becomes a reality, Epic Universe would feature intellectual property like Nintendo, Harry Potter, Classic Monsters, and How to Train Your Dragon. It would definitely make Epic Universe even more epic and timeless.
It also seems like a majority of the plans for a Lord of the Rings land at Epic Universe have been designed, according to various sources and designer portfolio websites. A Middle-Earth land with two E-Ticket attractions, multiple shops, and dining locations should be a hit if it ever comes to fruition.
Stay tuned to Boardwalk Times for all the latest news & information on Universal’s Epic Universe.
Zach Perilstein is the Editor-in-Chief of the Boardwalk Times
