Universal Studios on Fire (1 Viewer)

[KeithAP]

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

 

[Joe Karlosi]

Hopefully the negative for Jackson's KING KONG was in there.

 

[RonR]

 

[Averry]

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.

 

[Galen_V]

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.

 

[KeithAP]

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

 

[Jeff Robertson]

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.

 

[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.

 

[Greg_S_H]

If Courthouse Square is destroyed, I wonder what that will mean for Ghost Whisperer next season.

 

[Dale MA]

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.

 

[Brandon Conway]

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.

 

[MatthewA]

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.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

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.

 

[Michael_K_Sr]

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. :frowning:

 

[LynxFX]

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.

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

This is aweful news! :frowning::frowning::frowning: So much history going up in flames, I just hope they rebuild after it's all said and done.

 

[Radioman970]

"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.

 

[Greg_S_H]

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.

 

[BrettV]

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.

 

[Phil Florian]

A Very Special Ghost Whisperer, obviously.