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Universal Studios on Fire

#1
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6/1/08 at 7:20am
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Woke up this morning to live coverage (check your preferred news source) of the Universal back lot burning. The fire looks massive and there is currently an unconfirmed report of a film vault building is on fire.

Thankfully, so far, nobody has been injured.

-Keith
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#2
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6/1/08 at 7:57am
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Re: Universal Studios on Fire

Hopefully the negative for Jackson's KING KONG was in there.
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#3
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6/1/08 at 8:02am
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Re: Universal Studios on Fire

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#4
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6/1/08 at 8:13am
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Re: Universal Studios on Fire

Quote:
Originally Posted by RonR



Huh?


I've been watching this on the news for a few hours.

To my understanding there was shooting going on...and possible damage to the king kong ride.


I do not believe the film vault is yet burning, but I know it was said to have been "threatened".



It's still a bit unclear though.




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#5
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6/1/08 at 8:54am
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Re: Universal Studios on Fire

Based on this live feed from NBC Livestream: News Raw and this map Studio Operations -- Working on the Lot (click on "Universal lot map" on the left), it appears as if the building currently engulfed in flames is "6197", which is one of the film vaults. The building above the vault that is completely gutted is the King Kong building. Surprisingly, the courthouse facade from Back to the Future seems to have survived.
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#6
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6/1/08 at 9:21am
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Re: Universal Studios on Fire

Just watched a live press conference, apparently a video vault was damaged but not the film vault. The spokesperson said everything in the video vault can be replaced.

Update In another press conference, a Fire dept. spokesperson has said that New York Street, Court House Square (Back to the Future) and the King Kong ride building have been destroyed. The video vault building is currently burning but they seem to have it under control.

-Keith
"If I were running Apple, I would milk the Macintosh for all it's worth -- and get busy on the next great thing. The PC wars are over. Done. Microsoft won a long time ago." -- Steve Jobs, Fortune, Feb. 19, 1996
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#7
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6/1/08 at 9:23am
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Re: Universal Studios on Fire

Watching the coverage live now. Wow. The King Kong ride through was been there a long time. New York Street can be rebuilt. I'm thinking King Kong will not return, however.

It's amazing that they're predicting the park will reopen at Noon. Me thinks it would be best to keep the public away from any lingering toxic fumes.
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#8
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6/1/08 at 9:27am
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Re: Universal Studios on Fire

Quote:
Originally Posted by Keith Plucker
Just watched a live press conference, apparently a video vault was damaged but not the film vault. The spokesperson said everything in the video vault can be replaced.

-Keith
That spokesman was the president of Universal. The fire chief is saying that the video vault is still on fire.

I am interested in hearing what the total losses are, once a full reckoning has been made.
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#9
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6/1/08 at 10:52am
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Re: Universal Studios on Fire

If Courthouse Square is destroyed, I wonder what that will mean for Ghost Whisperer next season.
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#10
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6/1/08 at 10:58am
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Re: Universal Studios on Fire

I'm glad that no one has been injured and the film vault is intact!

Hasn't the Clock Tower been on fire before? I know that the Courthouse from Back to the Future Part III was struck by lightening(!) and burnt to a crisp.
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#11
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6/1/08 at 11:05am
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Re: Universal Studios on Fire

Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg_S_H
If Courthouse Square is destroyed, I wonder what that will mean for Ghost Whisperer next season.
Local LA news reported that s far Ghost Whisperer is the only production that will be directly effected. They're scheduled to shoot scenes tomorrow on the back lot, though the reporter didn't say where.
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#12
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6/1/08 at 12:33pm
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Re: Universal Studios on Fire

The idea that anything could be lost makes my stomach turn.

It will be days or possibly weeks before the damage to the video vault can be assessed.

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#13
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6/1/08 at 3:45pm
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Re: Universal Studios on Fire

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Tucker

That spokesman was the president of Universal. The fire chief is saying that the video vault is still on fire.

I am interested in hearing what the total losses are, once a full reckoning has been made.
According to Universal chairman Ron Meyer, they have duplicates of everything in the vault at an off-site location. However, somewhere between 40,000 and 50,000 videos and reels were damaged in the fire.
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#14
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6/1/08 at 4:08pm
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Re: Universal Studios on Fire

Haven't been to Universal Hollywood in 12 years, but I'm going back this summer with people that have never been there. Courthouse Square was probably my favorite stop on the backlot tour. Needless to say, I'm sick from hearing the news of its destruction.
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#15
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6/1/08 at 7:38pm
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Re: Universal Studios on Fire

Just went there for the MTV Movie Awards, was shocked to see the plumes of smoke. Didn't really get much info about what was lost, most of the focus was still on the awards. Sad day.
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#16
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6/2/08 at 12:34am
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Re: Universal Studios on Fire

This is aweful news! So much history going up in flames, I just hope they rebuild after it's all said and done.
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#17
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6/2/08 at 4:24am
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Re: Universal Studios on Fire

"Fortunately, nothing irreplaceable was lost," Meyer said. "The video library was affected and damaged, but our main vault of our motion picture negatives was not."

This is actually good news.

I've never been to Universal Studios. Is the old Back to the Future set an attraction now? If so, seems like they'll promptly rebuild it, and others. Still...a real shame. It'll be interesting to hear how this happened.

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#18
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6/2/08 at 10:41am
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Re: Universal Studios on Fire

I don't know if the BTTF set is an attraction, but it continues to be a working film set. It's been in use since the '40s and has been destroyed a few times before. Since Ghost Whisperer has apparently begun filming, I wonder what it will mean for the show. Will Melinda be moving? Doubtful, since most of the other Grandview sets remain intact.
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#19
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6/2/08 at 10:54am
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Re: Universal Studios on Fire

Yeah, this is really a shame. I was driving to church in burbank yesterday and saw the billowing smoke. Gah. It always makes my stomach turn when I see that.
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#20
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6/2/08 at 1:11pm
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Re: Universal Studios on Fire

Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg_S_H
If Courthouse Square is destroyed, I wonder what that will mean for Ghost Whisperer next season.

A Very Special Ghost Whisperer, obviously.
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#21
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6/2/08 at 5:33pm
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Re: Universal Studios on Fire

The video vault being destroyed doesn't mean that they have lost any films, however it probably means that most of their video masters have been lost and new masters may have to be made from the original film elements. Don't know if this will effect their video release schedule or not.

I'm sure that Universal will rebuild all of the working sets, IE New York Street, Brownstone Street, Courtyard Square as they are huge revenue generators for the studio.

Universal has one of the last existing backlots. Most of the other studios sold theirs off in the late 60s and 70s. Almost every studio in town goes to Universal when they need a backlot street. Both Spiderman (Sony) and Transformers (Paramount) used Universal's New York street sets.

However tons of history have been lost. Parts of the backlot go back to the silent days.

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#22
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6/2/08 at 5:41pm
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Re: Universal Studios on Fire

Quote:
Originally Posted by Douglas Monce
Universal has one of the last existing backlots. Most of the other studios sold theirs off in the late 60s and 70s. Almost every studio in town goes to Universal when they need a backlot street. Both Spiderman (Sony) and Transformers (Paramount) used Universal's New York street sets.

However tons of history have been lost. Parts of the backlot go back to the silent days.

Doug

Also remember though that a lot of the universal backlot was already destroyed in the 1997 fire and already had to be rebuilt once 10 years ago.

Regards,
Brian W. Ralston

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#23
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6/2/08 at 5:48pm
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Re: Universal Studios on Fire

Is it inevitable that this should happen every decade?
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#24
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6/2/08 at 5:59pm
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Re: Universal Studios on Fire

Quote:
Is the old Back to the Future set an attraction now?
That town square set was on the route of the tram tour. It was dressed for Ghost Whisperer. The tram tour is the primary attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood. The park has reopened, and they are driving past the fire-damaged areas, so the tourists can see them briefly.

They will obviously rebuild the sets, although maybe not exactly. The King Kong attraction that was lost was also on the tram tour route, but I haven't heard what they will do with that.

There was also a completely separate BTTF ride, but that closed back in September, replaced by a new Simpsons ride. Apparently is still running at Universal Studios Japan.
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#25
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6/2/08 at 7:47pm
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Re: Universal Studios on Fire

No offense to the men and women who work at Universal (and I hope no one was injured) but studios build and tear down sets all the time. As long as no one was hurt this isn't a big deal. At worse this means more people working to rebuild this...again. And the fact that the video storage was burned? They have more than one back up. This isn't a tragedy. Myanmar or China right now, that's a tragedy. This is a typical US news distraction (this took the headlines on the morning news, anyway...). Sad but really it is more work for people and that's about it. I think. Again, if no one was hurt. If someone was, then it sucks royally but if they are opening and selling tickets for people to see it, albeit briefly, this is simply business as usual.
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#26
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6/2/08 at 8:36pm
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Re: Universal Studios on Fire

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian W. Ralston
Also remember though that a lot of the universal backlot was already destroyed in the 1997 fire and already had to be rebuilt once 10 years ago.

This is very true. That was about a year after the last time I worked at Universal. However that fire, I don't believe, was as extensive as this one. I don't think they lost the WHOLE New York street did they?

Doug
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#27
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6/2/08 at 8:41pm
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Re: Universal Studios on Fire

Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil Florian
No offense to the men and women who work at Universal (and I hope no one was injured) but studios build and tear down sets all the time. As long as no one was hurt this isn't a big deal. At worse this means more people working to rebuild this...again. And the fact that the video storage was burned? They have more than one back up. This isn't a tragedy. Myanmar or China right now, that's a tragedy. This is a typical US news distraction (this took the headlines on the morning news, anyway...). Sad but really it is more work for people and that's about it. I think. Again, if no one was hurt. If someone was, then it sucks royally but if they are opening and selling tickets for people to see it, albeit briefly, this is simply business as usual.


Well surely its not a tragedy in terms of a natural disaster, however some areas of Universal are like landmarks that show up in films over and over.

The town square that everyone is talking about was where the clock tower was in Back To The Future. But it was also the Court House at the end of the original Psycho. Some of these sets go back to the 20s and 30s. Yes these things can be rebuilt, but it will never be exactly the same.

There may also be some films that will be delayed or have to make other arrangements because these sets are not available. Which may put people out of work. As was said before Ghost Whisperer shoots on the Court House Square set. I don't know if they will have to shut down or if they are almost through for the season.

Doug
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#28
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6/2/08 at 9:14pm
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Re: Universal Studios on Fire

Quote:
Originally Posted by Douglas Monce
The town square that everyone is talking about was where the clock tower was in Back To The Future. But it was also the Court House at the end of the original Psycho. Some of these sets go back to the 20s and 30s. Yes these things can be rebuilt, but it will never be exactly the same.

The court house (clock tower) was spared though. The fire was stopped before getting to that building. Luckily.

Regards,
Brian W. Ralston

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#29
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6/2/08 at 10:42pm
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Re: Universal Studios on Fire

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian W. Ralston
The court house (clock tower) was spared though. The fire was stopped before getting to that building. Luckily.
And apparently most of the rest of the square wasn't the version used in the trilogy anyway but a rebuild after the 1990 fire...
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#30
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6/2/08 at 11:15pm
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Re: Universal Studios on Fire

I'm happy that nobody has been injured.
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