Dates: 1932 – present
2022 Stage Number: Stage 14
2019 Stage Number: Stage 21
Original stage number: 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.
Since Stage 28 was demolished, Stage 27 (now Stage 14) is now the oldest on the Front Lot.
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
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):S17-6×18-1, W34-6×18-4