Michael Bay officiates at premiere of TRANSFORMERS The Ride at Universal Studios Singapore (PHOTOS)

Dec 05, 2011 Judith Rubin Uncategorized 0

“I am confident that this ride will set a new standard for theme park attractions and become a beloved crown jewel not only here at Universal Studios Singapore, but also at Universal Studios Hollywood when it opens there next spring.” — Tom Williams, Chairman and CEO of Universal Parks & Resorts

SINGAPORE Universal Studios Singapore celebrated the grand opening of TRANSFORMERS The Ride, the world’s first theme park attraction based on Hasbro’s popular franchise. Making a grand entrance on stage in a 2010 edition of the Chevrolet Camaro, TRANSFORMERS film director and executive producer Michael Bay powered up the ride with the ALLSPARK shard – signaling the start of a new era in immersive theme park entertainment with Asia’s most technologically advanced motion thrill ride. Bay also served as the ride’s creative consultant.

All images: TRANSFORMERS and its logo and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro and are used with permission. © 2011 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved. © 2011 DreamWorks L.L.C. and Paramount Pictures Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Universal Studios Singapore ® & © Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, Chairman of the Genting Group and Resorts World Sentosa, home to Universal Studios Singapore, said: “We set out with the vision of transforming Asia’s tourism landscape when we built Resorts World Sentosa. And less than two years since its opening, Resorts World Sentosa has fulfilled this vision by becoming the region’s number one destination resort. Universal Studios Singapore, one of the crown jewels of the resort, has also risen to fame as one of the most entertainment-packed theme parks in the world.” Tan Sri Lim added: “The premiere of the world’s first TRANSFORMERS theme park attraction in Asia is iconic not only because it is another milestone for the franchise, it also highlights our unwavering commitment in delivering world-class attractions for the whole family.”

Mr Tom Williams, Chairman and CEO of Universal Parks and Resorts; Mr Michael Bay; and Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, Executive Chairman of Genting Singapore standing in front of EVAC, the new AUTOBOT created exclusively for the ride.

Welcoming the New Year, Universal Studios Singapore will also be launching its Hollywood Dreams parade on 31 December, and new developments in phase two of the integrated resort, including two new luxury hotels, the Marine Life Park and an ESPA Complex, will open progressively in 2012, providing an even wider range of entertainment options for the family. Mr Tom Williams, Chairman and CEO of Universal Parks & Resorts, said: “The Universal Studios experience is all about ‘Riding the Movies’. Over the years, we have developed many signature rides and attractions based on great film properties. TRANSFORMERS The Ride continues our proud tradition. I am confident that this ride will set a new standard for theme park attractions and become a beloved crown jewel not only here at Universal Studios

Thierry Coup

Singapore, but also at Universal Studios Hollywood when it opens there next spring.”
Nearly four years in the making, TRANSFORMERS The Ride will transport guests into the TRANSFORMERS universe as new recruits of NEST, protecting the ALLSPARK shard from the evil DECEPTICONS, alongside the AUTOBOTS. Guests will board EVAC, a new AUTOBOT who will be featured for the first time in the attraction, as they experience this four-minute epic motion thrill ride which takes them zipping through subway tunnels, down city streets and across rooftops, with the DECEPTICONS hot on their heels. “For all TRANSFORMERS fans, the hyper-realism of this ride will make it the ultimate one-of-a-kind immersive experience. Included in this ride are many of their favourite larger-than-life characters, including OPTIMUS PRIME and BUMBLEBEE, and this brings the brand to life in a whole new way,” said Mr John Frascotti, Global Chief Marketing Officer of Hasbro, Inc. Chiefly responsible for creating the ground-breaking visual effects exclusively for this attraction is Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), a division of Lucasfilm Ltd. Digital artists worked simultaneously out of their facilities in California and Singapore to develop all of the ride’s pre-show media as well as the hyper-realistic 3D scenes within the attraction.

Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay – Tom Williams – Michael Bay on EVAC

“TRANSFORMERS The Ride is one of the most complex and technically challenging projects we have ever worked on. Creating a seamless and imperceptible blend between the incredible physical sets and our computer generated imagery was a real challenge,” said Mr. Jeff White, visual effects supervisor at ILM. “It pushed the state-of-the-art in ride technology and computer graphics with the results being something that we are very proud of.” He added that the project was worked on simultaneously with TRANSFORMERS: Dark of the Moon, the most recent TRANSFORMERS feature film, released during the summer of 2011 which is now the 4th highest grossing global movie of all time. “This provided much synergy in the process and also provided the ride with unmatched authenticity in the sets, action scenes and characters while telling its own unique story,” Mr White said.

TRANSFORMERS The Ride is located within Sci-Fi City – one of the seven zones of Universal Studios Singapore. The attraction is enhanced both by a TRANSFORMERS retail store, the TRANSFORMERS Supply Vault, and a new food/beverage venue, the Starbot Café. In addition, theme park guests will be welcomed to TRANSFORMERS The Ride by a walking OPTIMUS PRIME character who measures a whopping 2.9 meters in height, and a 2.3 meter tall walking BUMBLEBEE character, providing great photo opportunities for the family. A special 3D2N Ultimate Fun package for TRANSFORMERS The Ride has also been rolled out through the Resorts World Sentosa website and authorized travel agents, which includes complimentary TRANSFORMERS The Ride souvenirs.

Michael Bay poses with TRANSFORMERS mascots

Guests planning to visit Universal Studios Singapore and take part in the ultimate 3D battle at TRANSFORMERS The Ride this holiday season are encouraged to make prior reservations as quickly as possible through www.rwsentosa.com.

About Resorts World Sentosa
Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), Singapore’s first integrated resort is located on the resort island of Sentosa. Spanning 49 hectares, the resort has welcomed over 15 million visitors since it opened in January 2010. RWS is home to the region’s first-and-only Universal Studios theme park, a casino, luxurious accommodation in four unique hotels, the Resorts World Convention Center, celebrity chef restaurants as well as specialty retail outlets. The resort also offers entertainment ranging from its resident theatrical circus spectacular Voyage de la Vie, to public attractions such as the Crane Dance and the Lake of Dreams. RWS most recently unveiled the first attraction under the second phase of the Resort – its Maritime Experiential Museum and Aquarium. Still to come are the world’s largest oceanarium called Marine Life Park, a destination spa and two additional hotels. Resorts World Sentosa is wholly owned by Genting Singapore, a company of the Genting Group.

About Universal Parks & Resorts
Universal Parks & Resorts (UPR), a unit of Comcast Corporation’s NBCUniversal, encompasses today’s most relevant and popular entertainment experiences, creating emotional connections with guests around the world. Each year, millions of guests visit UPR theme parks to experience thrilling, world-famous attractions that use ground-breaking technology and cannot be found anywhere else. Universal Studios is a globally respected and internationally renowned theme park brand. With three-time Academy Award winner Steven Spielberg as creative consultant, its theme parks are known for some of the most thrilling and technologically advanced “ride-the-movies” motion picture and television show-based attractions. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news, sports and entertainment networks; Universal Studios, a premier motion picture company; significant television production operations; a leading television stations group; and world-renowned theme parks. NBCUniversal is 51%-owned by Comcast, with 49% owned by General Electric.

About Hasbro
Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS) is a branded play company providing children and families around the world with a wide-range of immersive entertainment offerings based on the Company’s world class brand portfolio. From toys and games, to television programming, motion pictures, video games and a comprehensive licensing program, Hasbro strives to delight its customers through the strategic leveraging of well-known and beloved brands such as TRANSFORMERS, LITTLEST PET SHOP, NERF, PLAYSKOOL, MY LITTLE PONY, G.I. JOE, MAGIC: THE GATHERING and MONOPOLY. Come see how we inspire play through our brands at http://www.hasbro.com. © 2010 Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

About Industrial Light & Magic (ILM)
Industrial Light & Magic is a Lucasfilm Ltd. company serving the digital needs of the entertainment industry for visual effects since 1975. ILM has been awarded 15 Academy Awards® for Best Visual Effects and has received 25 Scientific and Technical Achievement Awards. To learn more, visit ILM online at http://www.ilm.com.

MICHAEL BAY
MICHAEL BAY is one of the world’s boldest and most successful filmmakers. His films have grossed over $5 billion worldwide and redefined the action genre. Bay Films is one of the most cutting-edge production companies in Hollywood. Additionally, Bay is the founder of Platinum Dunes, a company originally designed to give talented commercial and video directors a chance to break into the feature world. Bay also owns one of the industry’s premier special effects companies, Digital Domain. A graduate of Wesleyan University and Art Center College of Design, Bay began his career as a commercial and music video director. He has won virtually every major award in the commercial industry. His “Got Milk?” campaign resides in the permanent collection of New York’s Museum of Modern Art.