Theme Parks & Themed Entertainment

When Good Attractions Happen to Bad Movies

Dinosaurs stomping down Main Street U.S.A.?! Giant mechanical sea monsters menacing guests in Tomorrowland’s submarine lagoon?! Jim Hill reveals some of the great Disney theme park shows that we could have gotten … If only the films that they were based on had made a few more bucks.

Published

23 years ago

September 9, 2002

Jim Hill

Katie from Milford, MA. writes:

Jim!
Did you see that “Disney’s Imagineers” special that ran on the Travel Channel last month? I was particularly struck by that “autonomous walking platform” that they showed in the final minutes of the program. As they showed that huge robot lurching about, the show’s narrator said something like “Don’t be surprised if you see a dinosaur walking around during your next visit to a Disney theme park.”
Is this true, Jim? Are the Imagineers really going to turn loose some giant walking robotic dinosaurs and let them walk through the theme parks? If they did … That would be so COOL!!

The truth is, Katie, if Disney’s big Summer 2000 release – the computer animated “Dinosaur” – had been a bigger success, that massive mechanical creature would have been strolling down Main Street U.S.A. months ago.

All too often, this is what happens at WDI: The Imagineers come up with a great idea for a brand new show / ride / attraction that’s based on characters from a forthcoming Disney film. They develop all of these wonderful plans, then patiently sit by & wait for that movie to be released to theaters and prove itself to be a huge success … Only the film ISN’T a huge success. Sometimes it’s an outright flop. Other times, it’s just an under-performer. A would-be blockbuster that barely ends up covering its production and promotional costs.

Either way, Disney Company management suddenly doesn’t want anything more to do with this ill-fated movie. Which is why all talk about spin-off TV shows, direct-to-video sequels and – of course – theme park rides that are based on that movie immediately ceases.

This most recently happened with the company’s Summer 2001 release – “Atlantis: The Lost Empire.” The Imagineers were so certain that the Walt Disney Company had a huge hit on their hands with that film that WDI had already drawn up plans for an “Atlantis” themed attraction that they wanted to quickly drop into Disneyland.

This ride (which was actually supposed to have been a somewhat ambitious retheming of Tomorrowland’s extremely tired “Submarine Voyage”) was supposed to have taken Disneyland visitors down into the depths to visit the graveyard of lost ships. Once there, guests would actually have been able to use a mechanical arm (that extended right out into the water from their sub window) to grab at the gold coins & gems that lined the sea floor.

Of course, all of this undersea activity would have awakened the Leviathan, that massive mechanical lobster-thingy that destroyed the “Ulysses” during “Atlantis: The Lost Empire.” As its giant, crab-like claw closed around the ride vehicle, its sides would bow inward and water from pinhole leaks in the hull would start spritzing the guests inside. (This particular moment in the attraction bring to mind the slogan that the Imagineers had supposedly cooked up for the show: “Don’t waste your breath screaming.”)

How did these Disneyland guests eventually escape the clutches of the Leviathan? Sorry, but that would be telling. Let’s just say that – in spite of the severe shaking that their sub was supposed to have received – that they still made it back to the surface. Unfortunately, most of the booty that the sub’s crew had hauled in with their mechanical arms had been lost during the high speed return trip to the surface. Even so, a few coins did remain in the collection basket…

Which is why – as they exited the sub – each Disneyland guest was to have been handed a genuine plastic coin with the stylized Atlantis “A” stamped on it. To remind them of their fateful trip to the bottom of the sea and their far-too-close encounter with the deadly Leviathan.

Sounds like a fun ride, doesn’t it? WDI sure thought so. The Imagineers were counting on this particular attraction to lift the pall that had fallen over Disneyland’s new Tomorrowland (following the public’s lackluster response to this land’s misbegotten 1998 makeover).

Unfortunately, “Atlantis: The Lost Empire” wasn’t the box office behemoth that Disney had hoped it would be. During its domestic release, the film only pulled in $84 million – which didn’t even cover “A:TLE”‘s negative costs, let alone the ten of millions more that the Mouse had poured into promotion of the picture. Which is why – not wanting to throw good money after bad – Disney executives decided to deep six WDI’s plans to drop an “Atlantis Expedition” attraction into Disneyland’s new Tomorrowland.

Kind of a sad end to the story, right? Wait. It gets sadder. Walt Disney Television Animation also thought that “Atlantis: The Lost Empire” was going to be a huge hit. Which is why they put TWO “Atlantis” follow-up projects into production: A direct-to-video sequel to the film as well as “Team Atlantis.”

What was “Team Atlantis”? “TA” was actually probably the bigger loss of the two projects. Why for? Because “Team Atlantis” was supposed to have been this ambitious animated series that would have heralded a return to epic storytelling by Walt Disney Television Animation. Something that this division of the Walt Disney Company hadn’t attempted since “Gargoyles” stopped production ‘way back in 1996.

So what was the story arc for “Team Atlantis”? Due to events that had occurred during the climax of the direct-to-video sequel to “Atlantis: The Lost Empire,” Milo and Kida were now trapped on the surface. Their return route to Atlantis has somehow been sealed off forever. Which means – in order to return to the “Lost Empire” – Milo & Kida must now travel the globe. With the help of the Shepherd’s Journal as well as their old friends from the Whitmore Expedition, they must seek out a new route back to Atlantis.

“Team Atlantis” story arc – as Disney Television Animation’s writers had mapped it out – would have been ambitious, to say the least. Each episode, Milo and Kida would journey to another far-flung corner of the globe where they would be re-united with Moliere (or Vinnie or Audrey or Mrs. Packard or Dr. Sweet). Then the intrepid explorers would have to deal with some paranormal phenomenon (Be it the Loch Ness Monster in Scotland, the Abominable Snowman in the Himalayas, or strange lights in the night sky over Roswell, New Mexico) as they sought out yet another rumored entrance to the “Lost Empire.”

Now here’s the really sad part of the story … During interviews that she did as part of the pre-opening publicity for “Atlantis: The Lost Empire,” Cree Summer (the actress who provided the voice of Princess Kida) revealed that she and the rest of the “A:TLE” vocal cast (sans Michael J. Fox, who had opted out of the TV series) had already begun recording dialogue for a few episodes of “Team Atlantis.”

Cree described working on the weekly “Atlantis” TV series as “a lot of fun. When you record dialogue for an animated feature, you usually work alone. But – when you’re working on an animated TV series – everybody’s there in the booth at the same time. So it’s a lot more fun. I love the people that I do voice-over work with.”

Unfortunately, within days of this interview, Disney realized that “Atlantis: The Lost Empire” wasn’t going to be the big box office “Wow!” that everyone had thought it would be. Which is why the company quietly shut down production on the “Team Atlantis” TV series.

So does this mean that all those recordings that Cree & Co. made for “Team Atlantis” will now never see the light of day? Actually, no. You see – even though Disney had lost interest in doing a spin-off series based on “Atlantis: The Lost Empire” – the company was still committed to doing a direct-to-video sequel to the film.

But – rather than go ahead with the “A:TLE” sequel that Disney Television Animation had already scripted – Mouse House execs elected to take the two or three episodes of “Team Atlantis” that Cree and Co. had already recorded dialogue for and (With the help of a few additional scenes) pass that off as the direct-to-video sequel to “Atlantis: The Lost Empire.”

Of course, one wonders how the writers at Disney Television Animation are going to explain away Milo & Kinda being trapped on the earth’s surface – unable to return to Atlantis. After all, it was the events that occurred during the climax of the original version of the “Atlantis: The Lost Empire” direct-to-video sequel that lead to up the dire situation that these two found themselves in as the “Team Atlantis” TV series got underway. Now … Who knows how Disney intends to deal with this gaping hole in the plotline?

I guess we’ll all have to wait ’til the direct-to-video sequel to “Atlantis: The Lost Empire” hits store shelves next year to learn how Milo & Kida got themselves in this predicament. More importantly, how they get themselves out.

Of course, “Atlantis: The Lost Empire” wasn’t the only recent animated feature that Disney had high hopes for. The Mouse also allegedly thought that “Dinosaur” had franchise written all over it. Which is why there were reportedly plans in place for WDFA to do at least two “Dinosaur” sequels in the direct-to-video format. (Disney executives reportedly had visions of “Dinosaur” becoming their company’s answer to Universal Studios’ highly lucrative “Land Before Time” series. Which – by the way – Episode No. 9 in the “LBT” series hits store shelves this coming December.)

Anyway … Disney execs supposedly felt that “Dinosaur” was going to be so popular with movie-goers that they forced the Imagineers to fold the starring character from that film – Aladar the iguanodon – into Disney’s Animal Kingdom Big “E” Ticket attraction, “Countdown to Extinction.” Which means that Aladar has been on the job, rescuing WDW guests from that vicious Carnotaur, ever since April 1998. A full 25 months before “Dinosaur” would finally reach theaters.

Of course, to capitalize on what Disney execs felt sure was going to be a huge box office hit, Walt Disney Studio also forced the Imagineers to change “Countdown to Extinction”‘s name on the very same day (May 19, 2000) that “Dinosaur” opened in theaters nationwide. And what was the new name of this Disney’s Animal Kingdom attraction? The not-terribly-original-sounding “Dinosaur – The Ride.”

The only problem was … “Dinosaur” wasn’t really such a monstrous hit. Oh, sure. The film grossed $137 million during its domestic release. But the film reportedly cost an astounding $200 million to make. (In an attempt to get a handle on all the negative publicity that had begun swirling around the film and its high price tag, then Disney studio head Peter Schneider insisted that “Dinosaur” had actually “only” cost $135 million.)

So why didn’t the huge audience that Disney had been expecting turn out for “Dinosaur”? Some pointed to the film’s all-too-predictable storyline. Still others suggest that the Discovery Channel’s “Walking With Dinosaurs” mini-series (Which – just like Disney’s “Dinosaurs” – took computer generated prehistoric beasts and cleverly inserted them into film footage of real scenery) had stolen much of “Dinosaur”‘s thunder. Particularly since “Walking with Dinosaurs” had aired in the US in early April, a full six weeks before “Dinosaur” was due to hit theaters.

Whatever the case … “Dinosaur” had not proven to be as success as Disney executives had hoped it would be. Which is why they began backing off on all plans to fold additional “Dinosaur” related shows and attractions into the Disney theme parks.

Chief among these was Danny Hillis’ “autonomous walking platform.” Which – had it been perfected (More importantly, fully funded) – would have allowed a live sized Aladar, Eema and Baylene to have strolled down Main Street U.S.A. Which – you’ll have to admit – would have made for one hell of an exciting finale for any Disney theme park parade.

But – as I said earlier – “Dinosaur” didn’t make all the kind of money that Disney had thought it should. Which is why studio execs decided to cut funding for any direct-to-video sequels to the film as well as any additional theme park attractions that were tied to the “Dinosaur” mythology.

Of course, when Mr. Hillis heard about this, he immediately opted to bail out of WDI’s R & D department. I mean, what was the point of hanging out in Glendale if Disney wasn’t going to get serious about going forward with something as ground-breaking and amazing as the “autonomous moving platform.” (For those of you who’d like to learn more about what’s involved with this cutting edge development, check out this article from the March 2001 edition of “Discover” Magazine – “Pushing the Envelope on Robots” – by following this link.)

Mind you, even though “Dinosaur” tanked, the Imagineers still had hopes that – if the right film were to come along – that they’d still be able to find a logical way to fold the “autonomous walking platform” technology into one of the company’s theme park setting. For a while there earlier this year, WDI had thought that “Reign of Fire” might be that movie. Given that that Touchstone Picture featured fire breathing dragons, the Imagineers felt that it really wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to take the robotic skeleton that had been built as the core component of a full-size walking, roaring dinosaur and use it to build a fire breathing dragon.

But then – of course – “Reign of Fire” got snuffed out at the box office this summer and … Well, you know the rest of the drill by now, don’t you?

Jeese …This is a really depressing way to end this story, isn’t it? Okay, how’s about I try to find a happier way to wrap this article up?

How’s about this exciting tidbit? … Those of you who also saw the “autonomous walking platform” sequence in the Travel Channel’s “Disney’s Imagineers” TV special may recall catching a glimpse of a miniature Cinderella’s Castle that seemed alive with color. This castle was plainly visible behind Eric Haseltine (Executive vice president in charge of research & development at Walt Disney Imagineering), as Haseltine spoke enthusiastically about how much fun it was to work at WDI.

So, what’s the deal with that castle? Well, those fluid color changes come as a direct result of all the fiber optics that had been installed in that miniature version of Cinderella’s Castle. This model was a test for … Well, I don’t really want to spoil the whole surprise. But let’s just say that Hong Kong Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle will seem that much more magical after dark.

More to the point, provided that Cynthia Harris can actually get Disney Company management to approve the funding, the original Sleeping Beauty’s Castle at Disneyland may take on an extra special sheen after dark too during its 50th anniversary year … But you didn’t hear this from me.

There. Is that a better ending?

Television & Shows

The Untold Story of Super Soap Weekend at Disney-MGM Studios: How Daytime TV Took Over the Parks

Published

3 days ago

April 24, 2025

Jim Hill

Super Soap Weekends at Disney-MGM Studios

A long time ago in a galaxy that … Well, to be honest, wasn’t all that far away. This was down in Florida after all. But if you traveled to the WDW Resort, you could then experience “Star Wars Weekends.” Which ran seasonally at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Disney World from 1997 to 2015.

Mind you, what most folks don’t remember is the annual event that effectively plowed the road for “Star Wars Weekends.” Which was “Super Soap Weekend.” That seasonal offering — which allowed ABC soap fans to get up-close with their favorite performers from “All My Children,” “General Hospital,” “One Life to Live” and “Port Charles” — debuted at that same theme park the year previous (1996).

So how did this weekend-long celebration of daytime drama (which drew tens of thousands of people to Orlando every Fall for 15 years straight) come to be?

Michael Eisner’s Daytime TV Origins and a Theme Park Vision

Super Soap Weekend was the brainchild of then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner. His career in media began with short stints at NBC and CBS, but it truly took off in 1964 when he joined ABC as the assistant to Leonard Goldberg, who was the network’s national programming director at the time.

Eisner quickly advanced through the ranks. By 1971, he had become Vice President of Daytime Programming at ABC. That meant he was on the scene when One Life to Live joined the lineup in July 1968 and when All My Children made its debut in January 1970. Even after being promoted to Senior Vice President of Prime Time Programming in 1976, Eisner stayed close to the daytime division and often recruited standout soap talent for ABC’s primetime shows.

Fast forward nearly two decades to July 31, 1995. The Walt Disney Company announced that it would acquire ABC/Cap Cities in a $19 billion deal. Although the acquisition wasn’t finalized until February 1996, Eisner was already thinking ahead. He wanted to use the stars of All My Children, One Life to Live, and General Hospital to draw people to Disney’s theme parks.

He had seen how individual soap stars were drawing huge mall crowds across America since the late 1970s. Now he wanted to bring dozens of them together for something much bigger.

Super Soap Weekend Takes Over Disney-MGM Studios

The very first Super Soap Weekend was announced in June 1996, just a few months after the ABC deal closed. The event was scheduled for October 19 and 20 at Disney-MGM Studios and was a massive success.

The weekend featured panel discussions, autograph sessions, and photo opportunities with the stars of ABC’s daytime dramas. Thousands of fans packed the park for the chance to meet their favorite actors. Due to the overwhelming response, the event became an annual tradition and was eventually moved to Veterans Day weekend each November to better accommodate attendees.

Longtime fans like Nancy Stadler, her mom Mary, and their close friend Angela Ragno returned year after year, making the event a personal tradition and building lifelong memories.

West Coast Events and the ABC Soap Opera Bistro

Disney even tried to recreate the event out west. Two Super Soap Weekends were held at Disneyland Resort, one in April 2002 and another in June 2003.

At Disney’s California Adventure, Eisner also introduced the ABC Soap Opera Bistro, a themed dining experience that opened in February 2001. Guests could dine inside recreated sets from shows like General Hospital and All My Children, including Kelly’s Diner and the Chandler Mansion. The Bistro closed in November 2002, but for fans, it offered a rare opportunity to step into the world of their favorite soaps.

SOAPnet, Port Charles, and the Expansion of Daytime TV at Disney

Eisner’s enthusiasm for soaps extended beyond the parks. In January 2000, he launched SOAPnet, a cable channel dedicated to prime time replays of ABC’s daytime dramas.

During his time at Disney, General Hospital also received a spin-off series titled Port Charles, which aired from June 1997 to October 2003. The show leaned into supernatural plotlines and was another example of Eisner’s commitment to evolving and expanding the soap genre.

The Final Curtain for Super Soap Weekend

In September 2005, Eisner stepped down after 21 years as head of The Walt Disney Company. Bob Iger, who had previously served as President of ABC and Chief Operating Officer of ABC/Cap Cities, took over as CEO. While Iger had deep ABC credentials, he didn’t share Eisner’s passion for daytime television.

In the fall of 2008, Disney hosted the final Super Soap Weekend at what was then still called Disney-MGM Studios. That same year, the park was rebranded as Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney began shifting away from television-focused experiences.

Within the next five years, the rest of Eisner’s soap legacy faded. One Life to Live was canceled in January 2012. SOAPnet was rebranded as Disney Junior in February 2013. Later that year, All My Children ended its 41-year run on ABC.

Only General Hospital remains on the network today, the last standing soap from the golden age of ABC Daytime.

A New Chapter for Daytime TV and Super Soap Fans

The soap genre may have faded from its former glory, but it’s not gone. On February 24, 2025, CBS premiered a brand-new daytime drama called Beyond the Gates, marking the first new soap launch in years.

Meanwhile, All My Children alum Kelly Ripa has been actively working on a revival. In September 2024, she mentioned a holiday-themed movie set in Pine Valley that would bring back many original cast members. The project was in development for Lifetime, though its current status is unclear.

And what about Super Soap? Fans like Nancy and Angela still hope Disney will bring it back. Even if it only featured the cast of General Hospital, it would be a welcome return for longtime viewers who miss that one weekend a year where the magic of Disney collided with the drama of daytime TV.

If you want to hear firsthand what it was like to be part of Super Soap Weekend, be sure to listen to our I Want That Too podcast interview with actor Colin Egglesfield. He shares behind-the-scenes memories from his days as Josh Madden on All My Children and what it meant to be part of one of the most unique fan events in Disney park history.

History

The Super Bowl & Disney: The Untold Story Behind ‘I’m Going to Disneyland!’

Published

3 months ago

February 6, 2025

Jim Hill

One of the highlights of the Super Bowl isn’t just the game itself—it’s the moment when the winning quarterback turns to the camera and exclaims, “I’m going to Disney World!” This now-iconic phrase has been a staple of post-game celebrations for decades. But where did this tradition begin? Surprisingly, it didn’t originate in a stadium but at a dinner table in 1987, in a conversation involving Michael Eisner, George Lucas, and aviation pioneers Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager.

The Unlikely Beginning of a Marketing Sensation

To understand the origins of this campaign, we have to go back to December 1986, when the Rutan Voyager became the first aircraft to fly around the world without stopping or refueling. Pilots Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager completed the nine-day journey on December 23, 1986, flying over 26,000 miles before landing at Edwards Air Force Base. Their historic achievement earned them national recognition, and just days later, President Ronald Reagan awarded them the Presidential Citizen Medal at the White House.

Meanwhile, Disney was gearing up for the grand opening of Star Tours at Disneyland, set for January 12, 1987. Following its usual playbook of associating major theme park attractions with real-world pioneers, Disney’s PR team invited astronauts Gordon Cooper and Deke Slayton to the launch event. But in a twist, they also invited Rutan and Yeager, who were still making headlines.

A Dinner Conversation That Changed Advertising Forever

After the Star Tours opening ceremony, a private dinner was held with Disney CEO Michael Eisner, George Lucas, and Eisner’s wife, Jane. During the meal, Eisner asked Rutan and Yeager, “You just made history. You traveled non-stop around the planet on a plane without ever refueling. How are you ever going to top that, career-wise? What are you two gonna do next?”

Without hesitation, Jeana Yeager replied, “Well, after being cramped inside that tiny plane for nine days, I’m just glad to be anywhere else. And even though you folks were nice enough to fly us here, invite us to your party… Well, as soon as we finish eating, I’m gonna go over to the Park and ride some rides. I’m going to Disneyland.”

Jane Eisner immediately recognized the power of Yeager’s statement. On the car ride home, she turned to Michael and said, “That’s a great slogan. I think you should use that to promote the theme parks.” Like many husbands, Michael initially dismissed the idea, but Jane persisted. Eventually, Eisner relented and pitched it to his team.

The Super Bowl Connection

With Super Bowl XXI just around the corner, Disney’s PR team saw an opportunity. The game was set for January 25, 1987, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena—just miles from Disney Studios. What if they convinced the winning quarterback to say, “I’m going to Disneyland” live on-air?

Disney quickly struck a deal with both quarterbacks—Phil Simms of the New York Giants and John Elway of the Denver Broncos—offering each $75,000 to deliver the line if their team won. Simms led the Giants to victory, making history as the first athlete to say, “I’m going to Disney World!” on national television.

A Marketing Triumph

That year’s Super Bowl had the second-highest viewership in television history, with 87 million people watching Simms say the famous line. The next day, Disney turned the clip into a national commercial, cementing the phrase as a marketing goldmine.

Since then, “I’m going to Disneyland” (or Disney World, depending on the commercial) has been a staple of championship celebrations, spanning the NFL, NBA, and even the Olympics. What started as a casual remark at dinner became one of the most successful advertising campaigns in history.

A Lasting Legacy

Jane Eisner’s keen instinct and Disney’s ability to act quickly on a great idea created a tradition that continues to captivate audiences. The “I’m going to Disneyland” campaign remains a testament to the power of spontaneous inspiration and smart marketing, proving that sometimes, the best ideas come from the most unexpected places.

To learn more about Disney’s ties to the world of sports, check out I Want That Too: A Disney History and Consumer Product Podcast.

Television & Shows

How the Creators of South Park Tricked A-List Celebrities to Roast Universal – “Your Studio & You”

Published

4 months ago

January 12, 2025

Jim Hill

Universal Studios has a rich and storied history, but few moments are as peculiar—and as hilariously cutting—as the creation of Your Studio & You. This 14-minute parody film, commissioned in 1995 to celebrate Universal’s new ownership under Seagram’s, brings together an all-star cast, biting humor, and the unmistakable comedic fingerprints of Matt Stone and Trey Parker.

Long before South Park debuted on Comedy Central in 1997, Stone and Parker were already carving out a reputation for their irreverent style, and Your Studio & You perfectly encapsulates their knack for turning even the most corporate project into something delightfully subversive.

Matt Stone & Trey Parker Before South Park

Stone & Parker were already known out in Hollywood as funny guys. Thanks largely to “The Spirit of Christmas,” which was this video greeting card that they’d crafted for a Fox executive – who then distributed this infamously funny thing (which had Our Lord Jesus Christ & Santa Claus literally duking it out for the holiday affections of Cartman, Kenny, Stan & Kyle) to friends & family.

This was the early 1990s. No internet. Each copy of “The Spirit of Christmas” was made on VHS tape and then mailed. Went viral the old-fashioned way. It’s rumored that George Clooney made over 300 copies of “The Spirit of Christmas” and passed these VHS taps along to friends and family.

Things didn’t move as fast as they do today. “The Spirit of Christmas” still became a sensation out West.

Zucker Brothers

Matt & Trey also had other supporters in the entertainment industry. Among them David Zucker, who was one of the members of ZAZ (i.e., Zucker Abrahams Zucker), the talented trio that made “Airplane!” in 1980, “Top Secret!” in 1984 and the three “Naked Gun” movies.

The original “Naked Gun” in 1988
“Naked Gun 2 & 1/2 : The Smell of Fear” in 1991
and “Naked Gun 33 & a 1/3: The Final Insult” in 1994

All five of these parody films had been made for Paramount Pictures. But in the Late Winter / Early Spring of 1995, Universal had persuaded the Zucker Brothers to come over and set up shop in a bungalow on their lower lot. With the hope that – at some point further on down the line – David & his brother Jerry would start making funny films for Universal.

Zucker Brothers featured in "Your Studio and You"

And it’s during this same window of time (We’re now talking April of 1995) that news breaks that Seagrams (Yep, the adult beverage company. Who – at the time – was making an absolute fortune on the sales of wine coolers) was about to buy a majority stake in MCAUniversal. We’re talking control of 80% of that company’s stock. Which would effectively make Seagrams the new owners of Universal Studios.

Edgar Bronfman

And Edgar Bronfman – the owner of Seagrams – knew that Universal had had a tough time with its previous owners – which had been the Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. of Japan. Matsushita had bought MCA back in November of 1990 for $7.5 billion but had never really understood the entertainment industry.

This is why – after repeatedly butting heads with Lew Wasserman & Sidney Sheinberg (i.e., the heads of Universal Studios & the Universal theme park respectively) when it came to creative control of this company – Matsushita decided to wash it hands of the entire enterprise. Agreeing to sell their holdings in MCA to Seagrams for $5.7 billion (effectively taking a nearly $2 billion loss on this investment).

And Bronfman … He knew that some bad feeling had developed between Hollywood’s creative community and the Japanese owners of Universal. The thinking was that executives at Matsushita Electric had just not gotten what it took to make movies & TV shows.

And Edgar? Right from the get-go, he wanted to show that Seagrams was NOT going to be Matsushita Electric Redux. Bronfman was looking for a way to send a clear message to Hollywood’s creative community that Universal’s new owners got it. That they were willing to work with Hollywood to make the best possible movies & TV shows at Universal.

And how did Edgar decide to get this message across? By making a funny movie.

Zucker Commissions Trey Parker for “Your Studio & You”

Mind you, Bronfman himself didn’t make this film. The owner of Seagrams reached out to David Zucker. Who – after initially agreeing to produce this introduction-to-Universal film – then farmed out the production of the actual project to Trey Parker. Who – just two days before shooting was supposed to star on the Universal Lot – persuaded Matt Stone to come help him on this project.

Which brings us to “Your Studio and You.” Which is a parody of an educational film from the 1950s, right down to being shot in black & white and featuring a very generic soundtrack.

Now what’s amazing about watching “Your Studio and You” today is that this 14-minute-long film features some of the biggest names working in Hollywood back in the mid-1990s. We’re talking about people like recent Golden Globe winner Demi Moore, Sylvester Stallone, Michael J. Fox and Angela Lansbury. Not to mention two of the most powerful men in all of Hollywood, Steven Spielberg & Jeffrey Katzenberg.

And what’s especially interesting about watch “Your Studio and You” is that – as you watch these performers go through their paces in this motion pictures (which – most of the time – involves doing some innocuous task while holding a Seagram’s wine cooler) – you often get the feeling that this star is not in on the gag.

So how did Matt & Trey get away with this? Simple. There was never actually a script for “Your Studio and You.”

Filming “Your Studio & You” at Universal Studios Hollywood

Mind you, David Zucker would always insist that there was. Especially when he’d phone up celebrities on the Universal Lot and say “Hey, I’m sending over a couple of college kids later today. They’re working with me on a new parody film. It’s something that we’re doing for the new owners of Universal. I need just a half hour of your time. We’re shooting something special for the party we’ll be holding when the Seagrams people first arrive at the Studio. Absolutely. You’ll definitely get an invite to that party. So can I count on you to help these kids out? Beautiful. They’ll be over there later this morning.”

And then Matt & Trey would show up and say “… Dang, Miss Lansbury. We’re sorry. We must have left our copy of the ‘Your Studio and You’ script back in our office. Which is clear on the other side of the Lot. So – rather than waste your time – why don’t we do this instead? Follow us over to the Psycho House. Where we’re then going to get footage of you painting the front porch on Mother Bates’ house while you say ‘Gosh, with all of the wonderful improvements going on around here, everyone is going to want to work at Universal.’ Oh, and can we also get you to wear this button on the front of your blazer which reads ‘Universal is A-OK’ ? “

And over & over again, the biggest names who were working for Universal at that time took part in the production of “Your Studio & You” because A) David Zucker vouched for Matt Stone & Trey Parker and B) this was something that was being made for the new owners of Universal. And it’s just natural to want to get in good with the new boss.

Steven Spielberg, Jeffery Katzenberg, and Jaws

But no one at Universal anticipated that “Your Studio & You” would wind up being as sharp edged as the finished product turned out to be. I mean, it’s one thing to bite the hand that feeds you. But “Your Studio & You” ? It doesn’t just bite the hand. It takes the hand off at the wrist.

It’s a brutally funny film. With one of the meanest moments reserved for Steven Spielberg, who plays a driver on the Universal Studio Tour who’s trying to persuade a tram full of bored tourists (one of whom is played by Jeffery Katzenberg) that the “Shark Attack” scene down by Jaws Lagoon is actually exciting.

Spielberg actually says lines like “ … Whoa, whoa. What is going on here? Ladies and gentlemen, this never happens. Look out! It’s a shark! Whoa, that is one big scary shark.”

Mind you, as footage of this mechanical shark repeatedly coming up out of the water is shown, “Your Studio & You” ‘s off-screen narrator (who is voiced by Trey Parker says):

“But what about tomorrow? If we don’t keep in step with the times, things that were once neat and thrilling can become old and stupid.”

“Your Studio & You” Reception

This film was supposed to be shown only once at the welcoming party for Seagrams executive on the Universal Lot. And I’m told that – when Edgar Bronfman saw the finished product at that party – he reportedly turned to David Zucker and said “ … That’s a little more mean-spirited that I think it needed to be.”

And with that, “Your Studio & You” was supposed to go back into the Universal vault, never to be seen again. But when “South Park” debuted on Comedy Central in August of 1997 and then became a sensation for its biting humor, there was suddenly a lot of interest in what else Matt & Trey had done. Which is why copies of “The Spirit of Christmas” began to circulate. And – over time – copies of “Your Studio & You” began to bubble up.

Which – as Stone & Parker have repeatedly pointed out – was just not supposed to happen. Largely because none of the celebrities who appeared in “Your Studio & You” had never signed releases for Universal’s legal department. Because – again – this was for a movie that was only going to be shown once at a private function on the Universal Lot.

Matt mentioned (as part of a career retrospective at the Paley Center in LA back in 2000) that “ … they wouldn’t even let us keep a copy of the finished film.”

It’s a funny but brutal movie. And worth taking a look at today especially if you’re a theme park history buff because it shows Universal Studios Hollywood’s “Jurassic Park: The Ride” still under construction on the Lower Lot. That attraction would finally open to the public in June of 1996.

“Your Studio & You” became a lot easier to see after Seagrams sold off its share of Universal to Vivendi in 2000. Copies began propagating online after that. Though Universal Legal will periodically make an effort to get the latest copy of “Your Studio & You” taken off the Internet because – again – none of the performers who appear on camera ever signed the proper releases and/or were paid for their efforts.

That said, if you’re up for a mean-spirited laugh, “Your Studio & You” is well worth 14 minutes of your time. That said, once you watch this thing, be warned: