April 20, 2013 – Parting of the Red Sea, Jaws, Transformers and Shrek – all covered in this month’s Hollywood Minute. Let’s take a quick, bite-sized look at what’s happening at Universal Studios Hollywood this week:
Minions Spotted at the Park
Banana?! Minions from Despicable Me were recently spotted at the park this weekend making their rounds with park guests. Merchandising and character appearances from the franchise are expected to ramp up as Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem’s 2014 opening date approaches.
Jaws
Looks like the shark isn’t working. Jaws is expected to be temporarily closed until April 27, 2013 while the Studio Tour stop undergoes major refurbishment. No changes are expected, but look out for George to see if he has a slightly different grove this time around.
Transformers Awarded “Outstanding Achievement”
Transformers: The Ride – 3D recently won the prestigious “Outstanding Achievement” award from the Themed Entertainment Association. Check out the full press release here.
Shrek 4D Renewed For 3 Year Run
Shrek fans rejoice. Sources tell us that Shrek 4D has been renewed for yet another three-year run, which coincides nicely with the attraction’s new sponsor (Nestle PureLife). If all indicators are correct, this would mean that Shrek would be preserved in the midst of the planned Harry Potter-expansion land.
Final Public Hearing – Evolution Plan
NBCUniversal recently sent out notices detailing the last hearing for the Evolution Plan. Details are scarce, but the meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 23 2013 at 9:15 A.M. at the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration in downtown Los Angeles. Our very own Adriana Morgan is expected to attend the hearing with a report soon after.
Universal Plaza?
Structures have recently been erected within the proposed Universal Plaza arena. Our gut tells us that these new structures (as seen in the graphic to the left) are for shade covers, but regardless – it seems like an odd shape. Could this be for the new Hollywood Ticket Outlet or something else?
Red Sea/Edith Head Construction
…and finally, construction has been spotted near the Red Sea/Edith Head Property Department. Though the long-term Evolution Plan is currently pointing at a complete redevelopment of the area, sources have told us that this recent short-term development is related to the construction of new satellite dishes in preparation for some new backlot tenants.
That’s it for this month’s edition of The Hollywood Minute. If you have some news you’d like us to report, feel free to contact me at jon@insideuniversal.net. Thanks again for reading, and I’ll see you in the next update.
Special thanks to William and Bruce for their supplemental photos.
Jon Fu
Jon Fu is the editor-in-chief of Inside Universal.
Jon originally founded InsideUniversal.net in 2006 as a summer hobby aimed at providing families and fans a resource for all things “Universal Studios Hollywood.” Since then, the website has taken him throughout the United States and around the world – including to places like Universal Orlando Resort, Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Singapore.
Jon currently resides in Santa Cruz, California with his bamboo plant. You can reach him at jon@insideuniversal.net.
