‘The Secret Life of Pets’ to become a Universal attraction

New York: A new attraction that takes riders on an adventure through a New York City street scene with a group of unleashed pets will open next year at Universal Studios Hollywood, the park announced last week.

The ride, based on the 2016 Universal Studios and Illumination Entertainment movie “The Secret Life of Pets,” will put riders on a vehicle that drives on a track to simulate the animal adventure in the Big Apple.

The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash ride will replace the Globe Theatre, a now-shuttered venue that could accommodate up to 720 people and had been used for corporate and media events.

Universal Studios Hollywood representatives declined to elaborate on the ride’s technology except to say in a statement that it will combine “live, dimensional and animated characters with hyper-realistic media.”

The location of the attraction at the upper lot near the western edge of the park puts it adjacent to two other rides — Despicable Me Minion Mayhem and Super Silly Fun Land — both of which were inspired by the Illumination Entertainment movie “Despicable Me.”

Universal Studios Hollywood has been adding new attractions at a regular pace, starting in 2012, as part of a strategy to capitalize on the strong economy and a growing demand from parkgoers for new experiences.

The most recent Universal Studios Hollywood attraction to open, Kung Fu Panda: The Emperor’s Quest, launched last summer in a theater that uses projection-mapping technology to project moving images on uneven surfaces, such as the venue’s pillars and walls.

Universal Studios Hollywood’s biggest investment in recent years was the $500 million Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which opened in April 2016. It was so popular that it helped boost attendance by nearly 14 percent that year, according to Los Angeles consulting firm Aecom.

It was the largest annual percentage increase of any of the top 25 theme parks in the world.

This summer, the park is set to open a new Jurassic World ride, which will replace the 22-year-old Jurassic Park attraction.

Park officials said the ride will be based on a new story line and “ground-breaking technology that has yet to be experienced in a theme park.”

Tribune News Service