Want to take part in “the largest, most intense 3D experience in the planet”? That’s what Universal Studios Hollywood is promising with the King Kong 360 3D, the theme park’s newest attraction featuring the legendary silver screen primate.
If you remember, the park had a King Kong animatronic years ago, which was destroyed in a fire. Instead of reviving that, they decided it would be more fun to throw in an immersive experience – one that puts you right in the middle of an encounter with the beast, feeling his massive presence with all of your senses.
King Kong 360 3D is set on Skull Island, with its resident creatures right out of Jurassic Park, based on the same setting the original attraction was built on. Visitors get on a tram wearing 3D glasses, then enter a soundstage which projects the battle-scarred, 6000-lb silverback gorilla on two 180 x 40 feet screens that wrap around for a full 360-degree experience. The ride uses Surround Digital 3D projection, which throws up eight 60-fps 3D images at a time. A motion simulator is tied in to the whole spectacle, allowing viewers to physically experience the ground-shaking battles between the 25-foot tall King Kong and various other prehistoric behemoths, including a 35-foot tall T-Rex and a group of even larger V-Rex dinosaurs.
As you may have guessed, this isn’t based on the 1933 King Kong that climbed atop a building with a woman in hand. Instead, it’s more closely lifted from Peter Jackson’s 2005 version of the movie, who also directed the theme park attraction.
Mark your calendars for July 1st, when King Kong 360 3D debuts at the Universal Studios Hollywood. It will be included as one stop on the park’s back lot studio tour ride.
[Universal Studios Hollywood via Underwire]