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101-477: Universal Studios Hollywood is a film studio and theme park in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles County, California . About 70% of the studio lies within the unincorporated county island known as Universal City while the rest lies within the city limits of Los Angeles , California . It is one of the oldest and most famous Hollywood film studios still in use. Its official marketing headline
202-404: A security guard . The sound stage is the central component of a studio lot. Most studios have several; small studios may have as few as one, and large studios have as many as 20 to 30. Movie studios also provide office space for studio executives and production companies, and makeup rooms and rehearsal rooms for talent. If space allows, a studio may have an outside backlot . Finally, there
303-481: A Hip Mother-to-Be , which was released in the U.S. in March 2005. She pursued legal action against Apatow and Universal Pictures on the basis of copyright infringement. In a public statement, Apatow said, "Anyone who reads the book and sees the movie will instantly know that they are two very different stories about a common experience." Another Canadian author, Patricia Pearson , also publicly claimed similarities between
404-563: A Noah's Nursery and a Noah's Love Inn playhouse for children and animals. This was followed by the opening of the Animal Actors' School Stage in 1970. In 1968, the Screen Actors Guild enacted a rule prohibiting visitors from most soundstages. This new rule, coupled with more productions being shot on location, meant the backlot tram tour could not show visitors much in the way of real movie and television production. Jay Stein, President of
505-541: A brief nationwide discussion in which movie-goers would see the film "so they can join the debate if only to say it wasn't that good." Mike White (longtime associate of Judd Apatow and screenwriter for School of Rock , Freaks and Geeks , Orange County , and Nacho Libre ) is said to have been "disenchanted" by Apatow's later films, "objecting to the treatment of women and gay men in Apatow's recent movies", saying of Knocked Up , "At some point, it starts feeling like
606-549: A call saying she was sorry, that she was tired, and then the call never comes." In August 2016, Rogen again spoke to Howard Stern about how he had felt hurt and somewhat betrayed back then by Heigl's comments. He went on to talk about what a great rapport they'd had on set while working together, and that at the time he had even envisioned making many more movies with her. Though Rogen wishes she would have apologized to him personally as opposed to publicly, he affirmed that he still really liked her, and that he never would have wanted
707-460: A comedy of the bullies, rather than the bullied." In early reviews, both Slate 's Dana Stevens and the Los Angeles Times ' Carina Chocano wrote articles claiming the film propagated sexist attitudes, a topic which was the primary focus of a Slate magazine podcast in which New York editor Emily Nussbaum said: "Alison [Heigl's character] made basically zero sense. She
808-572: A drunken one-night stand between a slacker and a recently promoted media personality that results in an unintended pregnancy . The film was released on June 1, 2007, to box office success, grossing $ 219 million worldwide, and acclaim from critics. This Is 40 , a " sort-of sequel" focused on Rudd's and Mann's characters with Apatow returning as writer/director, was released on December 21, 2012. Ambitious Los Angeles reporter Alison Scott lives with her sister Debbie and her family and has just been promoted to an on-air role with E! . Ben Stone
909-577: A facade. The Los Angeles County Fire Department had reported that Brownstone Street, New York Street, New England Street, the King Kong attraction, some structures that make up Courthouse Square, and the Video Vault had burned down (not to be confused with the actual Film Vault; the Video Vault contains duplicates of Universal's film library). Aerial news footage captured the Courthouse building surviving fire for
1010-613: A faster recovery, contributing to the increasing dominance of Hollywood over New York City. The Big 5 By the mid-1920s, the evolution of a handful of American production companies into wealthy motion picture industry conglomerates that owned their own studios, distribution divisions , and theaters , and contracted with performers and other filmmaking personnel led to the sometimes confusing equation of studio with production company in industry slang. Five large companies: RKO Radio Pictures , 20th Century Fox , Paramount Pictures , Warner Bros. , and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer came to be known as
1111-490: A good editor. But the laughs are plentiful, and it's the rare movie these days where one doesn't feel guilty about finding the whole thing funny." Variety magazine, while calling the film predictable, said that Knocked Up was "explosively funny." On the television show Ebert & Roeper , Richard Roeper and guest critic David Edelstein gave Knocked Up a "two big thumbs up" rating, with Roeper calling it "likable and real," noting that although "at times things drag
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#17328528411311212-644: A growing proportion of Hollywood movie revenue, with approximately 70% of total movie revenue coming from international ticket sales; and the Chinese domestic box-office revenue is projected to outpace those of US in 2020. The growth of film studios and filmmaking outside of Hollywood and the US has produced popular international film studio locations such as Hollywood North ( Vancouver and Toronto in Canada ), Bollywood ( Mumbai , India ), and Nollywood ( Lagos , Nigeria ). As
1313-414: A hard time enjoying the film itself, calling it "a little sexist" and claiming that the film "paints the women as shrews, as humorless and uptight, and it paints the men as lovable, goofy, fun-loving guys." In response, Apatow did not deny the validity of her accusations, saying, "I'm just shocked she [Heigl] used the word shrew . I mean, what is this, the 1600s?" Apatow also said that the characters in
1414-481: A little bit.... still Knocked Up earns its sentimental moments." A more critical review in Time magazine noted that, although a typical Hollywood-style comedic farce, the unexpected short-term success of the film may be more attributable to a sociological phenomenon rather than the quality or uniqueness of the film per se , positing that the movie's shock value, sexual humor, and historically taboo themes may have created
1515-578: A motion picture of their own because they are not entertainment companies or motion picture companies; they are companies who sell only studio space. In 1893, Thomas Edison built the first movie studio in the United States when he constructed the Black Maria , a tarpaper-covered structure near his laboratories in West Orange , New Jersey , and asked circus, vaudeville, and dramatic actors to perform for
1616-501: A new attraction that had yet to be announced. In August 2008, Universal changed its position and announced plans to rebuild the King Kong attraction , basing the new attraction on the 2005 film adaptation . It emerged only in June 2019, in an article published by The New York Times that the fire had totally destroyed Building 6197, a warehouse adjoining the King Kong attraction, which housed
1717-445: A new film written and directed by Apatow, titled This Is 40 . Apatow had stated that it would not be a sequel or prequel to Knocked Up , but a spin-off, focusing on Pete and Debbie, the couple played by Rudd and Mann. The film was shot in the summer of 2011, and was released on December 21, 2012. In March 2022, Apatow was announced to be in early development of writing a third film, set 10 years after This Is 40 and titled This
1818-561: A new life together. Several of the major cast members return from previous Judd Apatow projects: Seth Rogen , Martin Starr , Jason Segel , and James Franco all starred in the television series Freaks and Geeks which Apatow produced. From the Apatow-created Undeclared (which also featured Rogen, Segel and Starr) there are Jay Baruchel and Loudon Wainwright III . Paul Feig , who co-created Freaks and Geeks , starred in
1919-448: A new tour in the studio commissary would increase profits. On July 15, 1964, the modern tour was established to include a series of dressing room walk-throughs, peeks at actual production, and later, staged events. This grew over the years into a full-blown theme park . The narrated tram tour (formerly "Glamor Trams") still runs through the studio's active backlot , but the staged events, stunt demonstrations and high-tech rides overshadow
2020-427: A profane voicemail . During labor, Alison apologizes for questioning Ben's priorities. When Debbie and Pete arrive at the hospital, Ben refuses to allow Debbie to be at Alison's side, insisting that it is his place. Debbie is both incredulous and thankful that he took charge of the situation and begins to change her formerly negative opinion of him. The couple welcomes a baby girl (a boy in the alternate ending) and starts
2121-521: A result, the current home for KNBC , KVEA and NBC News with Noticias Telemundo Los Angeles Bureaus with new digital facility is on the Universal lot formerly occupied by Technicolor SA . Universal City includes hotels Universal Hilton & Towers, the Sheraton Universal Hotel, and Universal CityWalk , which offers a collection of shops, restaurants, an 18-screen Universal Cinema and
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#17328528411312222-537: A seven-story IMAX theater. In 2023, the park hosted 9.66 million guests, making it the 14th-most visited theme park in the world. In 1914, German American immigrant Carl Laemmle bought the Taylor Ranch in the San Fernando Valley and founded Universal City as a gigantic studio with a zoo, its own police and mayor and Native Americans living on the premises. On March 14, 1915, Laemmle opened Universal Studios in
2323-605: A talent scout for rock bands, but leaves at strange hours in the night, making her suspect he is having an affair. Upon investigating, she learns that he is actually part of a fantasy baseball draft and that he has been doing other activities such as going to the movies on his own, which he explains he does to be free from Debbie's manipulative manner. As a result, they separate, and when Ben expresses pride in Pete's deception, it leads to an argument with Alison as they drive to her doctor. Furious, she ejects him from her car, abandoning him in
2424-462: A talk with his father, Ben decides to take responsibility and makes a great effort to mature, including obtaining his own apartment, getting an office job as a web designer, and reading pregnancy books. When Alison goes into labor and is unable to contact her doctor, she calls Ben, as Debbie and Pete are out of town. After he discovers that Alison's gynecologist is at a Bar Mitzvah (despite emphatically insisting he never took vacations), Ben leaves him
2525-640: A tram tour of the backlot where films such as Psycho and Back to the Future were once shot. In fall 2019, movie mogul Tyler Perry opened Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta . The studio lot is claimed to be larger than any movie-studio lot in Hollywood. In the 1980s and 1990s, as the cost of professional 16mm film equipment decreased, along with the emergence of non-film innovations such as S-VHS and Mini-DV cameras, many young filmmakers began to make films outside
2626-557: A two-day grand opening event with 10,000 attendees. He later invited the general public to see all the action for an admission fee of just five cents, which also included a boxed lunch with chicken. There was also a chance to buy fresh produce, since then-rural Universal City was still in part a working farm. This original tour was discontinued around 1930, due to the advent of sound films and the stages being not sufficiently soundproofed. Universal Studios Hollywood's backlot has been damaged by fire nine times throughout its history. The first
2727-464: A two-disc "Extended and Unrated" collector's edition, and an HD DVD "Unrated and Unprotected" version. On November 7, 2008, Knocked Up was released on Blu-ray following the discontinuation of HD DVD, along with other Apatow comedies The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Forgetting Sarah Marshall . Variety reported in January 2011 that Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann would reprise their Knocked Up roles for
2828-602: A video vault and, significantly, a huge archive of analog audio master tapes belonging to Universal Pictures' former division the Universal Music Group (UMG). The collection included the master tape catalogues of various labels acquired by Universal over the years, including Chess, Decca, MCA, Geffen, Interscope, A&M, Impulse, and a host of subsidiary labels. Estimates of the individual items lost range from 118,000 to 175,000 album and 45rpm single master tapes, gramophone master discs, lacquers and acetates, as well as all
2929-415: A witch or a wizard. Two live shows, Frog Choir and Triwizard Spirit Rally, are featured on the outdoor stage. In addition to attractions, the themed area features multiple shops, a Hogwarts Express train picture spot, The Three Broomsticks restaurant, and a variety of outdoor vending carts selling food and drink. Souvenirs and food based on the books and films are sold in the area too. The Lower Lot
3030-467: Is "The Entertainment Capital of LA". It was initially created to offer tours of the real Universal Studios sets and is the first of many full-fledged Universal Studios theme park resorts located across the world. Outside the theme park, a new, all-digital facility near the Universal Pictures backlot was built in an effort to merge all of NBCUniversal 's West Coast operations into one area. As
3131-407: Is a secure compound enclosed by a tall perimeter wall. This is necessary to protect filmmaking operations from unwanted interference from paparazzi and crazed fans of leading movie stars . Movement in and out of the studio lot is normally limited to specific gates (often capped with grand decorative arches), where visitors must stop at a boom barrier and explain the purpose of their visit to
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3232-424: Is a hilarious, poignant and refreshing look at the rigors of courtship and child-rearing, with a sometimes raunchy, yet savvy script that is ably acted and directed." On Metacritic , the film has a score of 85 out of 100, based on reviews from 38 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale. The Los Angeles Times praised
3333-516: Is a major entertainment company that makes films . Today, they are mostly financing and distribution entities. Additionally, they may also have their own privately owned studio facility or facilities; however, most firms in the entertainment industry have never owned their own studios, but have rented space from other companies. The day-to-day filming operations are generally handled by their production company subsidiary. There are also independently owned studio facilities, who have never produced
3434-733: Is a studio "commissary", which is the traditional term in the movie industry for what other industries call a company cafeteria . In addition to these basic components, the largest film studios are full-service enterprises offering the entire range of production and post-production services necessary to create a motion picture, including costumes, props, cameras, sound recording, crafts, sets, lighting, special effects , cutting, editing, mixing, scoring, automated dialogue replacement (ADR), re-recording, and foley . Independent suppliers of all these services and more (e.g., photographic processing labs) are often found in clusters in close proximity to film studios. Nitrate film , manufactured until 1951,
3535-706: Is an immature and wise-cracking Jewish Canadian slacker who lives off injury compensation funds and sparsely works on a celebrity pornographic website with his stoner roommates. While celebrating her promotion, Alison meets Ben at a local nightclub. After a night of heavy drinking, Ben and Alison have a one-night stand , and due to a miscommunication, Ben does not wear a condom. The following morning, they learn over breakfast that they have nothing in common so they go their separate ways, leaving Ben feeling disappointed. Eight weeks later, Alison experiences morning sickness while interviewing James Franco , and she realizes she could be pregnant. She takes multiple pregnancy tests and
3636-458: Is married to Apatow and their two daughters play her children in the movie. Anne Hathaway was originally cast in the role of Alison in the film, but dropped out due to creative reasons that Apatow attributed to Hathaway's disagreement with plans to use real footage of a woman giving birth. Jennifer Love Hewitt and Kate Bosworth auditioned for the part after Hathaway dropped out, but ended up losing out to Katherine Heigl . Christina Aguilera
3737-431: Is shocked to discover that she is pregnant. She contacts Ben for the first time since their one-night stand to tell him. Although abrasive at first, he says he will support her. While Ben is still unsure about being a parent, his father is overjoyed. Alison's mother tries to persuade her to have an abortion, but she decides to keep the child. After spending more time getting to know one another, Alison and Ben decide to give
3838-567: Is the largest themed area in the Upper Lot, featuring the animatronic and screen-based thrill ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey , which is housed in a replica Hogwarts castle, featuring actual props from the films in the queue. In addition, this area includes the family-friendly roller coaster Flight of the Hippogriff , and the interactive Ollivander's Wand Show where a wand picks
3939-493: Is the smaller of the two lots. There are five rides at this section of the park that each have height restrictions. It features Jurassic World: The Ride , Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride , Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge and Transformers: The Ride – 3D . Jurassic World: The Ride , is a water adventure ride that takes visitors through the events of the film Jurassic World , ending with an 84-foot (25.6-meter) drop. Outside
4040-461: The Ben Hur set and the majority of Courthouse Square were destroyed. In 1997, the seventh fire occurred at the back lot. A portion of Courthouse Square was again destroyed, though most survived. The most damage was done on June 1, 2008 when a three alarm fire broke out on the back lot of Universal Studios. The fire started when a worker was using a blowtorch to warm asphalt shingles being applied to
4141-718: The Mario Kart franchise, which is located inside of Super Nintendo World . Transformers: The Ride – 3D uses high tech technology to simulate a battle between the Autobots and Decepticons with 4K-3D screens and flight simulator ride vehicles. The Lower Lot also features several gift shops and quick service restaurants. It is Universal's Halloween-themed annual event that lasts for a month and half at both Hollywood and Orlando parks. In 2023, Universal Studio Hollywood featured eight scary haunted houses including: The Last of Us , Stranger Things , and The Exorcist: Believer . It also included
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4242-454: The patents relevant to movie production at the time. Early movie producers relocated to Southern California to escape patent enforcement, thanks to more lenient local courts and physical distance from company detectives and mob allies. (Edison's patents expired in 1913.) The first movie studio in the Hollywood area was Nestor Studios , opened in 1911 by Al Christie for David Horsley . In
4343-407: The vertically integrated structure of the movie industry constituted an illegal monopoly . This decision, reached after twelve years of litigation, hastened the end of the studio system and Hollywood's "Golden Age". By the 1950s, the physical components of a typical movie studio had become standardized. Since then, a movie studio has usually been housed on a "studio lot." Physically, a studio lot
4444-469: The 1920s, including the films Knocked Up and Atonement , the NBC series Law & Order , The Office , and Miami Vice , and CBS 's I Love Lucy . Universal president Ron Meyer stated "Nothing irreplaceable was lost. We have duplicates of everything that was lost." Several days after the fire, it was reported that the King Kong attraction would not be rebuilt and would eventually be replaced by
4545-752: The Apatow-written movie Heavyweights and directed the Apatow-produced Bridesmaids also makes a brief cameo as the Fantasy Baseball Guy. Steve Carell , who makes a cameo appearance as himself, played the main role in Apatow's The 40-Year-Old Virgin which also starred Rogen and Rudd, as well as appearing in the Apatow-produced Anchorman . Finally, Leslie Mann , who also appeared in The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Freaks and Geeks ,
4646-630: The Big Five, the majors, or the Studios in trade publications such as Variety , and their management structures and practices collectively came to be known as the studio system . The Little 3 Although they owned few or no theaters to guarantee sales of their films, Universal Pictures , Columbia Pictures , and United Artists also fell under these rubrics, making a total of eight generally recognized major studios. United Artists, although its controlling partners owned not one but two production studios during
4747-580: The Boston Bubble, called the film "a better, raunchy, modern version of Some Like it Hot ." Early on the film was deemed the best-reviewed wide release of 2007 by the Rotten Tomatoes website. The film appeared on many critics' top-ten lists of the best films of 2007. On December 16, 2007, the film was chosen by the American Film Institute as one of the ten best movies of the year . It
4848-597: The Director" in which he is allegedly hired by the studio to supervise Apatow's work. However, he only interferes with it, eventually leading the two into a fist fight . The film opened at No. 2 at the U.S. box office, grossing $ 30,690,990 in its opening weekend, behind Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End ' s second weekend. The film grossed $ 148,768,917 domestically and $ 70,307,601 in foreign territories, totaling $ 219,076,518. The film also spent eight weeks in
4949-843: The Future: The Ride and Lucy: A Tribute were closed, being replaced in 2008 by The Simpsons Ride and the Universal Story Museum respectively. Also in 2008, the Nickelodeon Blast Zone was re-branded to the Adventures of Curious George. In 2009, Creature from the Black Lagoon: The Musical replaced Fear Factor Live in the Upper Lot. In 2010, the Special Effects Stages and Backdraft attractions were closed to make way for Transformers: The Ride – 3D , which
5050-468: The Future: The Ride replaced Battle of Galactica. In 1996, Jurassic Park: The Ride opened. In 1997, The Land Before Time show replaced Rocky and Bullwinkle Live only to be replaced with Coke Soak a year later, and Totally Nickelodeon replaced the Flintstones Show. In 1999, T2-3D: Battle Across Time and a Chicken Run Walkthrough opened on the Upper Lot, and Beetlejuice's Rock and Roll Graveyard Revue
5151-562: The Golden Age, had an often-tenuous hold on the title of major and operated mainly as a backer and distributor of independently produced films. Smaller studios operated simultaneously with the majors. These included operations such as Republic Pictures , active from 1935, which produced films that occasionally matched the scale and ambition of the larger studio, and Monogram Pictures , which specialized in series and genre releases. Together with smaller outfits such as PRC TKO and Grand National,
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#17328528411315252-610: The Recreation Division, championed the idea of creating exciting experiences for visitors in place of viewing actual production. Later that same year, the Flash Flood set was opened and this first special-effects attraction proved to be a hit. 20,000 gallons of water rushed 200 feet down a narrow Mexican village street, uprooting an old tree and threatening to engulf the tram. The Parting of the Red Sea attraction opened in 1973. In 1974,
5353-641: The Rockslide staged event was added to the Studio Tour. The following year, The Land of a Thousand Faces opened on the Upper Lot. In 1979, the Battle of Galactica replaced Rockslide as a staged event on the Studio Tour. In 1989's The Wizard , it was the site of the fictional Video Armageddon competition which gave way to the Nintendo World Championships held in 1990. The Flintstones Show opened, replacing
5454-505: The Star Trek Adventure. In 1991, E.T. Adventure opened as the park's first "dark ride," an industry term for an attraction that uses ride vehicles to take passengers through an indoor show building. Around the same time, sister park Universal Studios Florida opened, which had its own, similar E.T. attraction. The Florida version was more of a conventional theme park and paved the way for the Hollywood park's evolution. In 1993, Back to
5555-471: The Upper lot and Lower lot. As of 2021, Universal Studios Hollywood contains ten rides, seven shows, and two play areas. Each lot features a collection of rides, shows and attractions as well as food, beverage, and merchandise shops. The Upper Lot consists of a variety of family-based attractions. The theming of the Upper Lot includes a Mission Revival entrance pathway, known as Universal Boulevard , that features
5656-488: The area was called " Super Nintendo World ", and was confirmed that it would come to Universal Studios Japan in 2020 as well as Universal Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood later on. On August 13, 2017, Shrek 4-D closed after 14 years to make way for the DreamWorks Theatre . In 2018, Jurassic Park: The Ride was closed and refurbished into Jurassic World: The Ride , which opened in 2019. On April 10, 2019,
5757-460: The box office top ten, the longest streak amongst May–June openers in 2007. A company that specializes in tracking responses to advertising spanning multiple types of media attributed the film's unexpected financial success to the use of radio and television ads in combination. On Rotten Tomatoes , Knocked Up has an approval rating of 89%, based on 253 reviews, with an average rating of 7.7/10. The website's critical consensus reads, " Knocked Up
5858-613: The camera. He distributed these movies at vaudeville theaters, penny arcades, wax museums, and fairgrounds. The first film serial , What Happened to Mary , was released by the Edison company in 1912. The pioneering Thanhouser movie studio was founded in New Rochelle, New York in 1909 by American theatrical impresario Edwin Thanhouser . The company produced and released 1,086 movies between 1910 and 1917, successfully distributing them around
5959-532: The coaster was revealed as Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift , with an expected opening in 2026. The International Broadcast Center (IBC) and main press center (MPC) will be located at Universal Studios Hollywood during the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Universal Studios Hollywood is split into two areas on different levels, connected by a series of escalators called the Starway. These areas are known as
6060-555: The culminating artifact in what had become 'the dominant romantic-comedy trend of the past several years—the slovenly hipster and the female straight arrow. ' " The Guardian noted that Heigl's comments "provoked quite a backlash, and Heigl was described as ungrateful and a traitor". In the wake of mounting accusations of sexism, director Judd Apatow discussed ways he might develop more authentic female characters. In July 2009, while promoting their film Funny People Apatow and Rogen appeared on The Howard Stern Show and defended
6161-420: The documentation contained in the tape boxes. Many of the tapes destroyed contained unreleased recordings such as outtakes, alternate versions of released material, and instrumental 'submaster' multitracks created for subsequent dubbing and mixdown to the final master tape. Randy Aronson, who was manager of the vault at the time of the fire, estimates that as many as 500,000 individual song titles were lost. Among
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#17328528411316262-666: The end of March, it was announced that the park would reopen to California residents on April 16, 2021. Universal also announced that The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash! ride would be open to the public on that day, together with a new, fully articulated version of the Indominus Rex in Jurassic World: The Ride. On March 10, 2022, Universal Studios Hollywood announced that its version of Super Nintendo World would open in 2023. On December 14, 2022, Universal officially announced that
6363-418: The entrance of the theme park entrance by several Metro bus routes. Metro Local lines 150, 155, 224, and 240 stop at Lankershim Blvd & Universal Center Drive (front entrance). Metro Local line 165 and Metro Shuttle line 656 Owl stop farther away from the entrance, at Ventura and Lankershim Boulevards. At the front entrance (Universal Center Dr. & Lankershim Blvd), there is a free shuttle tram which takes
6464-460: The film Knocked Up "are sexist at times... but it's really about immature people who are afraid of women and relationships and learn to grow up." Heigl's comments spurred a widespread reaction in the media, including a Huffington Post article in which she was labeled "an assertive, impatient go-getter who quickly tired of waiting for her boyfriend to propose". Heigl clarified her initial comments to People magazine, stating that, "My motive
6565-471: The film and her novel, Playing House . She declined to sue and declared Eckler's lawsuit to be frivolous. The film made the top-ten list of the jury for the 2007 AFI Awards as well as the top-ten lists of several well-known critics, with the AFI jury calling it the "funniest, freshest comedy of this generation" and a film that "stretches the boundaries of romantic comedies." John Newman, a respected film critic for
6666-717: The film industry had once hoped—movie studios were increasingly being used to produce programming for the burgeoning medium. Some midsize film companies, such as Republic Pictures , eventually sold their studios to TV production concerns , which were eventually bought by larger studios, such as the American Broadcasting Company which was purchased by Disney in 1996. With the growing diversification of studios into such fields as video games , television stations , broadcast syndication , television , theme parks , home video and publishing , they have become multi-national corporations. International markets account for
6767-412: The film's humor despite its plot inconsistencies, noting that, "probably because the central story doesn't quite gel, it's the loony, incidental throwaway moments that really make an impression." Chris Kaltenbach of The Baltimore Sun acknowledged the comic value of the film in spite of its shortcomings, saying, "Yes, the storyline meanders and too many scenes drone on; Knocked Up is in serious need of
6868-483: The fire, but did not confirm whether the physical master reels of his recordings were affected. UMG archivist Patrick Kraus assured that the Impulse Records , John Coltrane , Muddy Waters , Ahmad Jamal , Nashboro Records , and Chess Records masters survived the fire and were still in Universal's archive. Shortly after Music Corporation of America (MCA) took over Universal Pictures in 1962, accountants suggested
6969-465: The incident to hurt her career. Heigl responded that Rogen had "handled that so beautifully," and that she felt nothing but "love and respect" for him. "It was so long ago at this point, I just wish him so much goodness, and I felt that from him, too," she said. Canadian author Rebecca Eckler wrote in Maclean's magazine about the similarities between the movie and her book, Knocked Up: Confessions of
7070-412: The land would open in Hollywood on February 17, 2023. The area soft-opened under technical rehearsals for reserved-guests on January 12, and officially opened as planned on February 17, about a month and a half before the release of Universal/ Illumination 's The Super Mario Bros. Movie . On July 12, 2023, it was announced that a Fast & Furious -themed roller coaster was being built. In May 2024,
7171-645: The large Universal Plaza that opened in 2013. There are not as many fully themed lands as there are small environments linked together with a common Art Deco theme that reflects the glamour of Old Hollywood. Universal Boulevard is home to WaterWorld , and the DreamWorks Theatre , the latter which currently serves as the main location for Kung Fu Panda Adventure , a slightly modified version of Kung Fu Panda: Unstoppable Awesomeness from Motiongate Dubai . The Wizarding World of Harry Potter soft-opened February 12, 2016, and officially opened April 7, 2016, and
7272-660: The losses were all of Decca 's masters from the 1930s to the 1950s and most of the original Chess masters which included artists such as Chuck Berry , Otis Redding , Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf , and most of the John Coltrane 's master tapes from his later career on Impulse Records; the Chess, Coltrane and Impulse Records recordings were later confirmed to have survived. In a statement issued on June 11, 2019, UMG disputed The New York Times article saying it contained "numerous inaccuracies", as well as "fundamental misunderstandings of
7373-451: The masters for the band's 1991 album Nevermind were "gone forever" as a result of the fire. Representatives for R.E.M. announced they would investigate the effects the fire may have had on the band's archival materials, while Hole , Steely Dan , Rosanne Cash and Geoff Downes made statements on their possible losses from the fire. A representative for Eminem confirmed that the rapper's master recordings were digitized months before
7474-863: The middle of a busy street. He tracks her down at her appointment and they have another argument, leading to their breakup. Ben and Pete go on a road trip to Las Vegas . Under the influence of psychedelic mushrooms , they realize their loss and decide to try and save their relationships. Simultaneously, Debbie drags a nervous Alison out partying with her, but they are refused admission to a nightclub by its sympathetic bouncer on account of Debbie's age and Alison's pregnancy. This leads to Debbie's tearful laments about her life and desire to have Pete back. They reconcile at their daughter's birthday party, but when Ben tries to work things out with Alison, she refuses to get back together. Alison's boss finds out about her pregnancy and sees an opportunity to boost ratings with female viewers by having her interview pregnant celebrities. After
7575-468: The minor studios filled the demand for B movies and are sometimes collectively referred to as Poverty Row . The Big Five's ownership of movie theaters was eventually opposed by eight independent producers, including Samuel Goldwyn , David O. Selznick , Walt Disney , Hal Roach , and Walter Wanger . In 1948, the federal government won a case against Paramount in the Supreme Court , which ruled that
7676-607: The motion-picture production that once lured fans to Universal Studios Hollywood. In 1965, the War Lord Tower opened as one of the first attractions in the theme park. One of the early struggles for Universal was coming up with things for young children to do. The existing small Ma & Pa Kettle Petting Zoo was expanded into the Ark Park. This area encompassed the Mt. Ararat petting zoo with over 200 animals and birds representing 30 species and
7777-570: The park announced Springfield, a new dining complex to be built around the Simpsons Ride. The new eateries feature "signature eateries from Krusty Burger to Luigi's Pizza and Phineas Q. Butterfat's 5,600 Flavors Ice Cream Parlor to iconic watering holes like Moe's Tavern and Duff's Brewery". It opened on March 28, 2015. On May 7, 2015, Universal Studios announced it formed a partnership with Nintendo to create attractions and merchandise based on Mario and other Nintendo characters. The following year,
7878-579: The park announced The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash!, an attraction based on The Secret Life of Pets . The attraction was set to open on March 27, 2020, adjacent to the Despicable Me Minion Mayhem attraction. However, Universal announced a temporary closure starting on March 14, 2020 to combat the COVID-19 pandemic . On March 5, 2021, it was announced that Universal Studios Hollywood could reopen with reduced capacity beginning April 1, 2021. At
7979-635: The passengers directly towards the theme park entrance. In 2021, The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash! attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood won the award for 'Outstanding Attraction' at the Themed Entertainment Association's (TEA) Thea Awards. In 2023, Universal Studios Hollywood's attraction Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge received the 'Best New Family Attraction' at the Golden Ticket Awards. Film studio A film studio (also known as movie studio or simply studio )
8080-665: The popular Terror Tram. In the Halloween Horror Nights on 2023 at Universal Studio Hollywood, two new live experiences were added, Blumhouse: Behind the Scenes and The Purge: Dangerous Waters . Universal Studios Hollywood can easily be accessed by public transportation at Universal City/Studio City . The Metro B line subway train runs between Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles , Westlake , Koreatown , East Hollywood , and Hollywood . Passengers can also arrive at
8181-550: The relationship a chance. They become closer and prepare for their baby to arrive. Ben proposes with an empty ring box and promises to get Alison a ring someday. Alison thinks it is too early to think about marriage, as she is more concerned with hiding the pregnancy from her bosses, fearing they will fire her if they find out. Alison is increasingly worried about Ben's lack of support and understanding and doubts about their relationship's longevity. These thoughts are due to her sister's loveless marriage. Debbie's husband, Pete, works as
8282-526: The ride stands the Raptor Encounter, a show that happens throughout the day, and the Dino Play jungle gym area for children too small to ride. Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride is a high speed indoor roller coaster transporting guests through moments reminiscent of the 1999 Mummy franchise. Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge is an interactive dark ride attraction featuring augmented reality technology based on
8383-425: The same year, another 15 independents settled in Hollywood. Other production companies eventually settled in the Los Angeles area in places such as Culver City , Burbank , and what would soon become known as Studio City in the San Fernando Valley . The stronger early public health response to the 1918 flu epidemic by Los Angeles compared to other American cities reduced the number of cases there and resulted in
8484-458: The scope of the incident and affected assets," but was unable to publicly disclose details due to "constraints". Following the publication of the New York Times story, Questlove of The Roots confirmed that the master tapes for two of the band's albums, including unused material and multi-track recordings, were lost in the fire. Similarly, Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic said he believed
8585-569: The studio system. Filmmakers and producers such as Mike Judge , Adam Sandler , Jim Jarmusch , Robert Rodriguez , Steven Soderbergh , Quentin Tarantino , Kevin Smith and Richard Linklater made films that pushed boundaries in ways the studios were then reluctant to do. In response to these films, many distributed by mini-studios like Miramax , the majors created their own in-house mini-studios meant to focus on edgier, independent content. Focus Features
8686-595: The studios increased in size they began to rely on production companies like J. J. Abrams ' Bad Robot to handle many of the creative and physical production details of their feature films. Instead, the studios transformed into financing and distribution entities for their films (generally made by their affiliated production companies). With the decreasing cost of CGI and visual effects , many studios sold large chunks of their once-massive studio spaces or backlots to private real-estate developers. Century City in Los Angeles
8787-552: The third time in its history, with only the west side of it being slightly charred. Over 516 firefighters from various local fire departments, as well as two helicopters dropping water, had responded to the fire. Fourteen firefighters and three Los Angeles County sheriffs' deputies sustained minor injuries. The fire was put out after twelve hours, during which time firefighters encountered low water pressure. Destroyed were 40,000 to 50,000 archived digital video and film copies chronicling Universal's movie and TV show history, dating back to
8888-482: The work in Knocked Up , disagreeing with the position Heigl had stated. Rogen pointed to Heigl's work in the film The Ugly Truth to illustrate his point. Rogen said: "I hear there's a scene where she's wearing underwear with a vibrator in it, so I'd have to see if that is uplifting for women." Apatow remarked on Heigl's criticisms, stating that he had expected an apology from Heigl. "You would think at some point I'd get
8989-506: The world. In the early 1900s, companies started moving to Los Angeles, California . Although electric lights were by then widely available, none were yet powerful enough to adequately expose film; the best source of illumination for motion picture production was natural sunlight. Some movies were shot on the roofs of buildings in Downtown Los Angeles . Edison's Motion Picture Patents Company , based in New York City, controlled almost all
9090-439: Was a contender for the main role but decided to turn it down because she was promoting her album Back to Basics at the time. The closing credits roll over cast members' baby photos. The image of Joanna Kerns as a young mother was previously famous from its use in the opening credits of Growing Pains ' first few seasons. Bennett Miller , the director of Capote , appears in a mockumentary DVD feature called "Directing
9191-457: Was announced in 2008; Special Effects Stages moved to the former Creature From The Black Lagoon building and removed the last "s" from its name. King Kong 360 3-D also opened. On May 24, 2012, Transformers: The Ride – 3D opened on the Lower Lot. On December 31, 2012, Universal Studios Hollywood closed T2-3D: Battle Across Time for Despicable Me Minion Mayhem , which opened in 2014. In April 2014,
9292-560: Was closed. In 2000, the Rugrats Magic Adventure replaced Totally Nickelodeon. In 2001, the Nickelodeon Blast Zone opened, and Animal Planet Live replaced the Animal Actors' School Stage. In 2003, E.T. Adventure was closed to make way for Revenge of the Mummy , which opened in 2004. The following year, Fear Factor Live replaced Spider-Man Rocks. In 2007, Universal's House of Horrors replaced Van Helsing: Fortress Dracula. Both Back to
9393-628: Was composed for the film by folk singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III and Joe Henry . However, the movie's lead song "Daughter" was written by Peter Blegvad . In addition to Wainwright's tracks, there were approximately 40 songs featured in the motion picture that were not included on the official soundtrack on Concord Records. Some of the songs featured in Knocked Up are: Several separate Region 1 DVD versions were released on September 25, 2007. The theatrical R-rated version (128 minutes), an "Unrated and Unprotected" version (133 minutes) (separate fullscreen and widescreen editions available),
9494-410: Was created by Universal Pictures and Fox Searchlight was created by 20th Century Fox for this purpose. Knocked Up Knocked Up is a 2007 American romantic comedy film written, produced and directed by Judd Apatow , and starring Seth Rogen , Katherine Heigl , Paul Rudd , Leslie Mann , Jay Baruchel , Jonah Hill , Jason Segel and Martin Starr . It follows the repercussions of
9595-539: Was done when the Little Europe area and part of Spartacus Square was destroyed. It also destroyed the European, Denver and Laramie street sets. In 1987, the remaining portion of Spartacus Square was destroyed along with street sets and other buildings. As with the 1957 fire, this was suspected to be the result of an arsonist. Just three years later, another fire was deliberately started in the back lot. The New York Street set,
9696-435: Was highly flammable, and sets and backlots were and still are very flammable, which is why film studios built in the early-to-mid 20th century have water towers to facilitate firefighting . Water towers "somewhat inexplicably" evolved into "a most potent symbol ... of movie studios in general." Halfway through the 1950s, with television proving to be a lucrative enterprise not destined to disappear any time soon—as many in
9797-504: Was in 1932, when embers from a nearby brush fire were blown toward the back lot, causing four movie sets to be destroyed and resulting in over $ 100,000 damage. Seventeen years later, in 1949, another brush fire caused the complete destruction of one building and damage to two others. In 1957, the New York street film studio set was destroyed by an arson fire, causing a half-million dollars in damage. Ten years later, in 1967, twice as much damage
9898-515: Was just a completely inconsistent character.... she was this pleasant, blandly hot, peculiarly tolerant, yet oddly blank nice girl. She seemed to have no actual needs or desires of her own...." A. O. Scott of The New York Times explicitly compared Knocked Up to Juno , calling the latter a "feminist, girl-powered rejoinder and complement to Knocked Up. " In a later Vanity Fair interview, lead actress Katherine Heigl admitted that though she enjoyed working with Apatow and Rogen, she had
9999-399: Was once part of the 20th Century Fox backlot, which was among the largest and most famous of the studio lots. In most cases, portions of the backlots were retained and are available for rental by various film and television productions. Some studios offer tours of their backlots , while Universal Pictures allows visitors to its adjacent Universal Studios Hollywood theme park to take
10100-626: Was one of the two pregnancy comedies on the list ( Juno being the other). E! News praised the film's success with the AFI, saying that, "The unplanned pregnancy comedy, shut out of the Golden Globes and passed over by the L.A. and New York critics, was one of 10 films selected Sunday for the American Film Institute's year-end honors." Strange Weirdos: Music From and Inspired by the Film Knocked Up , an original soundtrack album,
10201-465: Was to encourage other women like myself to not take that element of the movie too seriously and to remember that it's a broad comedy," adding that, "Although I stand behind my opinion, I'm disheartened that it has become the focus of my experience with the movie." Meghan O'Rourke of Slate called Heigl's comments unsurprising, noting " Knocked Up was, as David Denby put it in The New Yorker ,
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