Fire at Universal Studios

It's a shame that so much was destroyed, especially the Back to the Future set.

From what I've seen in pictures and stuff, it looks like the actual courthouse building, the lawn, and one entire side of the street remained undamaged. Using Marty's POV from Back to the Future II as a guide, it looks like the only parts of the square that burned down was the side with the alley he walks out of (directly opposite the courthouse) and the side to the right where the theater with the holographic Jaws 12 advertisement is. So it can likely be rebuilt in no time, while the neighboring New York and New England streets may take a little more time. But it'll probably all be done in a manner of months. I'm sure they'll have crews working 24/7 to get things back up and running, especially since Courthouse Square is currently being used by Ghost Whisperer.

Sucks that the King Kong exhibt has been destroyed again.
The original is one of my all time favourite movies.

Here's some pics I found.

Courthouse Square and King Kong attraction

King Kong attraction

The courthouse set did not burn down. Half of the square did but not the courthouse. It was re-dressed for another film they were currently shooting. Still a god damn shame though.

Michael24 said:

Yeah, it's the one where the tram goes into the building and crosses the bridge as Kong shakes it and breathes his banana-scented breath at you.


The Movie Awards were broadcast from the Gibson Amphitheatre, which is located inside Universal Studios, but it's away from the backlot and the fire area in particular. It's actually upfront near the main entrance, pretty much adjacent to the Waterworld stunt show. I've been to a couple concerts there in the last few years and it's a really nice place.

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What is this banana scented breath stuff I keep hearing? I have been going to Universal since I was 3 or 4 and I never remember Kong having a banana scented breath. I was just there in August to ride Back to the Future one last time and I guess it was the last time I will ever see Kong to but there is no banana breath.



The courthouse square was not the BTTF set in years

Nurhachi1991 said:

What is this banana scented breath stuff I keep hearing? I have been going to Universal since I was 3 or 4 and I never remember Kong having a banana scented breath. I was just there in August to ride Back to the Future one last time and I guess it was the last time I will ever see Kong to but there is no banana breath.

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The scent was much more potent in the early years of the attraction. It opened in 1986 (jeez, can't believe it's been that long!), and I first saw it just a few months later, and the banana breath was very evident then and for the next several years. The last time I was there, in October 2007, it was only barely noticeable, so I guess they never really maintained it over the years.

And apparently it's just been announced that Kong will not be rebuilt and will instead be replaced by a new attraction.

Nurhachi1991 said:

The courthouse square was not the BTTF set in years

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True, it was only used in the first and second film (the 1855 version was built elsewhere, in Northern California), but its use in the series was so popular it became known as the "Back to the Future Square."

Michael24 said:

The scent was much more potent in the early years of the attraction. It opened in 1986 (jeez, can't believe it's been that long!), and I first saw it just a few months later, and the banana breath was very evident then and for the next several years. The last time I was there, in October 2007, it was only barely noticeable, so I guess they never really maintained it over the years.

And apparently it's just been announced that Kong will not be rebuilt and will instead be replaced by a new attraction.

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So that banana breath was for real... I thought you were joking when you mentioned it...
I visited the attraction in 2002 but I didn't notice any smell. Maybe you had to know about it to notice it back then...

Sad to hear Kong will not be rebuilt. I remember him to be most impressive...
Luckily, I have a great souvenir picture I took of him back in 2002.

Yeah, the banana breath was real, but gradually lost its potency over the years. In the last several years, you probably had to already be familiar with it to notice it. The last time I only barely detected it, but my mom said she didn't smell it all.