Hollywoodland

The weekend had a number of actors converging on Singapore for the two-day event to celebrate the grand opening of the first Universal Studios theme park in South East Asia on May 27 and 28. The other theme parks are in Hollywood (Los Angeles,USA),Orlando (Florida,USA) and Osaka (Japan).

The park in Singapore,however,has been operational for over a year,since a soft launch was held in March,2010. The celebrations commenced on Friday evening in the Hollywood section of Universal Studios when a host of celebrities,including singer and ex-American idol judge Paula Abdul,actor Jet Li and popular Hong Kong actress Maggie Cheung walked the red carpet. Arnold Schwarzenegger,who had earlier confirmed attendance,backed out at the last moment after a scandal regarding his affair with his housekeeper Mildred Baena broke out.

Co-owned by Genting island,Universal Studios Singapore is a lavish theme park spread across 49 acres with seven theme zones that comprise 24 attractions. “We would like our South East Asian fans to come and live the movies with us,” said Chairman and CEO of Universal Studios,Tom Williams.

The studios at Singapore are the first to have a unique Madagascar theme,based on the DreamWorks Animation film by the same name. The studios intend to launch the Transformers 3D theme by the end of this year. However,unlike the two studios in the US,the latest theme park includes only a limited filming studio area. A walk across the circular park starts at the iconic Universal rotating globe and leads to the first zone themed around Hollywood where one can walk past elements that are reminiscent of Hollywood classics,such as the Pantages Hollywood Theatre,which is a Broadway-style theatre and Mels Drive-In,a replica of the famous diner used in American Graffiti. The sets are immaculately designed to lend a feel of the 1950s — Hollywood’s most glorious era.

The Hollywood walkway is followed by other themes — New York,Sci-Fi City (based on the popular tele series Battlestar Gallactica),Ancient Egypt (themed on the popular The Mummy film series),The Lost World (based on Jurassic Park),Far Far Away (the Shrek series theme) and Madagascar. These offer roller-coaster rides,character experiences,retail outlets for collectibles and F&B outlets.

While no concrete plans are in place,John Hallenbeck,the VP,operations,Universal Studios,said that they are looking at Singapore as a possible venue for future film shoots. “We do have a small studio space functional and we have already shot a few telefilms here. A few more are in the pipeline,” he informed.