Universal Studios is planning its first theme park in Britain with a huge piece of land already purchased for the venue. Universal Destinations and Experiences is said to be exploring the possibility of building the attraction on a former brickworks site in Bedfordshire.
Universal Destinations & Experiences has bought 480 acres of land at Stewartby as it seeks possible new locations. A spokesperson for the company said it is “exploring” the site’s feasibility.
They told Sky News: “We recently acquired land in Bedford and are at the early stages of exploring its feasibility for a potential park and resort at this site. It will be many months before we are ready to make a decision to proceed and we look forward to engaging with all relevant stakeholders and the local community.”
The UK would be an attractive place for the theme park given its large population, strong tourism, creative industries, transport links and closeness to mainland Europe, a spokeswoman for the company told the BBC.
The site is 45 minutes from London, not far from Luton Airport and a 15 minute drive from Bedford town centre. Tom Wootton, Mayor of Bedford, said that the suggestion of a major business investment is positive, but these are early days and much detailed work is required before decisions are made.
He added: “We very much welcome and are excited by the interest from Universal and the immense potential for it to be transformative for the borough. We’re committed to ensure that any plans align with the best interests of our residents.”
Universal Studios, which is owned by Comcast, has theme parks in China, Japan, Singapore and the US. They include attractions based on some of the film-maker’s most successful movies, including Jurassic World, Despicable Me as well as Fast & Furious.
The theme parks in Hollywood and Osaka include whole areas dedicated to Harry Potter and Super Nintendo. Universal Studios itself is behind some of the biggest movies, such as Oppenheimer, The Exorcist and the Trolls series.
