Universal Studios Hollywood
Stage 27

Stage 27 was built as a visual effects stage for John Fulton, who ran the visual effects dept. at Universal. The first film shot on it was John Ford's Airmail in 1932. This stage has the largest indoor tank on the Universal lot, and was used as the test area for the infamous mechanical shark constructed for Jaws.

Photo Gallery

Photos from VIP Tour, April 2010

Stage 27

Seen on Screen: Universal Studios Hollywood [Stage 27]

Title	Released	Director	IMDB
Airmail [Feature Film]	1932	John Ford
Stage 27
Shenandoah [Feature Film]	1965	Andrew V. McLaglen
Stage 27
Thoroughly Modern Millie [Feature Film]	1967	George Roy Hill
Stage 12 (Muzzy Estate), Stage 22, Stage 27, Stage 28 were the soundstages used. The Paris Opera House sets on Stage 28 were used for the theatre sequence. Many exterior scenes were shot on New York Street and Brownstone Street. The Square of Warriors embassy buildings featured as Carol Channing / Muzzy's house.
Sweet Charity [Feature Film]	1968	Bob Fosse
The Central Park bridge built for the movie still exists (as a shell) behind the King Kong Model Ship adjacent to Park Lake. This was before the Red Sea effect was built for the Studio Tour, so the area was very different then.
Brownstone Street, Stage 12, Stage 27
The Sting [Feature Film]	1973	George Roy Hill
Brownstone Street and New York Street feature as Old Chicago. The theater on the south side of New York Street featured as the exterior of the Burlesque Theater, and an elevated rail track was built to run above the street. The Paris Opera House sets on Stage 28 were used for the theater interior scenes. Stage 12, Stage 22, Stage 23, Stage 24, Stage 27 and Stage 32 were also used.
Battle of Midway [Feature Film]	1976	Jack Smight
Stage 27
The Thing [Feature Film]	1982	John Carpenter
Stage 24, Stage 27
Airwolf [TV Series]	1984-1986	Donald P. Bellisario
Colonial Street (Cleaver House), Colonial Street Church, Denver Street, Little Europe, New York Street, Six Points Texas, Square of Warriors, Tower of London backlot sets, Stage 14 [helicopter interior mockup], Stage 20 [process shots], Stage 24 [Hawke Cabin set], Stage 27 [The Lair hideout], Stage 28 [process shots]
Die Hard 2: Die Harder [Feature Film]	1990	Renny Harlin
Stage 27, Stage 747
Jurassic Park [Feature Film]	1993	Steven Spielberg
Stage 12 (Visitor Centre), Stage 16, Stage 23 [park maintenance shed], Stage 24 [visitors centre kitchen when velociraptors attack], Stage 27 [Ford Explorer falling through tree (suspended on cables), Brachiosaurus visiting cast in a tree in the morning, Nedry's encounter with a Spitter, attack on Muldoon], Stage 28 (Computer Control room and hatchery)
Apollo 13 [Feature Film]	1995	Ron Howard
Falls Lake - The splashdown at the end of the movie was shot on Falls Lake with the blue sky backdrop.
Stage 27 - Mission Control
Stage 36 - Stage kept at a low 38 degrees Fahrenheit (3.5 degrees Celsius) so that actors' breath was visible on camera.
The Lost World: Jurassic Park [Feature Film]	1997	Steven Spielberg
Old Mexico, Stage 12, Stage 22 [Worker Village kiln house & shed], Stage 24 [T Rex stage - sets were build around the dinosaurs which ran on tracks], Stage 25 [Full size T Rex scenes. The T Rexs were so large they could not be moved from Stage 25 once assembled - the sets had to be built and moved around them], Stage 27 [Gatherers base camp], Stage 28
Small Soldiers [Feature Film]	1998	Joe Dante
Stage 27
Life [Feature Film]	1999	Ted Demme
Stage 27, Stage 28
Man on the Moon [Feature Film]	1999	Milos Forman
Stage 27, Stage 29, Stage 36
Mystery Men [Feature Film]	1999	Kinka Usher
Stage 27, Stage 28 [special effects stage - flying sequences done against greenscreen], Stage 29
How the Grinch Stole Christmas [Feature Film]	2000	Ron Howard
Stage 12 [Whoville], Stage 27 [Mt.Crumpit set], Stage 28 [cave set], Stage 29, Stage 31 and 6 other stages.
Jurassic Park III [Feature Film]	2001	Joe Johnston
Falls Lake, Stage 01, Stage 12 [jungle rain forest set - plane crashes into tree, Tyrannosaurus vs Spinosaurus battle], Stage 18 [plane in flight - interior, dinosaur kennel set], Stage 27 [A pteranodon grabs Eric. The groups watches helplessly as Eric is carried away. Everyone scrambles to get Eric. Grant and Amanda are separated from Paul by a Pteranodon], Stage 28 [Pteranodon drops Eric into the Nest area. Eric hits hatchlings with his knapsack. Paul, in pursuit, slips and slides, lands down to nest. Paul grabs Eric, they fight their way out of the nest.], Stage 29 [rock wall observatory], Stage 44 [rock wall canyon, flooded], Stage 25, Stage 747
The One [Feature Film]	2001	James Wong
Stage 27
Crossing Jordan [TV Series]	2001-2007	Tim Kring
Elm Street, Square of Warriors, Falls Lake (Season 6 Finale), Stage 27, Stage 33, Stage 36, Stage 37, Stage 41, Stage 42, Stage 43, Stage 44
Hulk [Feature Film]	2003	Ang Lee
A new set of houses was built on Elm Street on the backlot for this movie. Banner's childhood home was built on the Falls Lake tank. These stages were used for interior scenes: Stage 01, Stage 12 [underground lab], Stage 22, Stage 23 [father's house interior], Stage 27, Stage 28 [the first floor of Bruce Banner's house], Stage 35.
The Cat In The Hat [Feature Film]	2003	Bo Welch
Courthouse Square, Stage 23, Stage 27, Stage 28 [interior of the Walden house], Stage 29, Stage 31
Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement [Feature Film]	2004	Garry Marshall
The streets of Little Europe doubled as Genovia. The Square of Warriors appeared as the exterior of the royal residence. The Train Station also appeared. Interiors were shot on Stage 22, Stage 23, Stage 27 and Stage 36.
The Skeleton Key [Feature Film]	2005	Iain Softley
Stage 23, Stage 24, Stage 27, Stage 28, Stage 29
War of the Worlds [Feature Film]	2005	Steven Spielberg
The 747 landing set used in War of the Worlds is still in position as part of the Universal Studios tour, on the backlot.
Stage 25, Stage 27 [Tank used for ferry capsize sequence featuring underwater cars. Filmed Jan 31 - Feb 2 2005], Stage 28 [bluescreen set for minivan sequence]
Weeds [TV Series]	2005-2012	Jenji Kohan
Shot on Stage 27 at Universal (Season 7 onwards)
You, Me & Dupree [Feature Film]	2006	Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Stage 23, Stage 24, Stage 25, Stage 27, Stage 28
Evan Almighty [Feature Film]	2007	Tom Shadyac
Ark flood sequence shot on Falls Lake. Stage 12 (top section of the ark) and Stage 27 (entrance and lower section of the ark) were also used.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull [Feature Film]	2008	Steven Spielberg
Falls Lake, Old Mexico (as Peru), Freeway Park, Stage 27 [Cemetary where Indy and Mutt find the Crystal Skull], Stage 29 [Indy's house]
Land of the Lost [Feature Film]	2009	Brad Silberling
Stage 12, Stage 27, Stage 28 at Universal Studios Hollywood.
The Muppets [Feature Film]	2011	James Bobin
Shot on Stage 28, with a nearby stage used as a Muppet Workshop to keep the stars looking perky. Stage 27 was also used.
Snow White and the Huntsman [Feature Film]	2012	Rupert Sanders
Stage 27
The Mindy Project [TV Series]	2012-2017	Mindy Kaling
Stage 27, New York Street set, Brownstone Street (apartment located here), Elm Street
Hacks [TV Series]	2021
Stage 27
Bel Air [TV Series]	2022	Andy Borowitz, Susan Borowitz, T.J. Brady
Courthouse Square, Colonial Street, Stage 16, Stage 17, Stage 27

More Information

• Jurassic Park filming details

Studio Specifications

From http://www.filmmakersdestination.com

Stage 27 - Building number 468

• Area (sq.ft.):19701
• Length (feet):199
• Width (feet):99
• Height (feet-inches):39-10
• Floor Material:Concrete
• Pits/Tanks (LxWxH):116-0x68-0x17-0, W21-0x13-0x7-6
• Distributed Load: 500PSF, Point Load: 7000LBS
• Door Openings (WxH):S17-6x18-1, W34-6x18-4

Back to...

• Soundstages at Universal Studios Hollywood
• Universal Studios Hollywood home page