Showrunner and director John Marks remembers his first visit to Epic Universe in late October 2024, six months before its public opening. Describing the experience as “bewitching,” Marks aimed to capture this essence in Peacock’s three-part series, “Epic Ride: The Story of Universal’s Theme Parks.” The series chronicles the construction of the theme park during the months leading up to its grand opening on May 22, 2025.
Marks was determined not to create a commercial. When the park opened last May, it became the first major theme park debut in the U.S. in nearly 25 years, following Universal’s Islands of Adventure in 1999. While the public’s excitement was palpable, the six months prior were marked by intense efforts to meet the opening day deadline. Marks recalls, “It was a ticking clock, and that clock was ticking loudly at the end of 2024.”
The series begins with “The Build,” exploring the history of Universal Studios’ theme parks. Subsequent episodes delve into the park’s construction and its connections to Universal Pictures films. Featured speakers include Vin Diesel, Bryce Dallas Howard, Universal’s chairwoman Donna Langley, and Steven Spielberg. Marks focused on gathering the right voices for the storytelling “accordion,” noting Diesel’s relevance due to the “Fast & Furious” franchise, and Spielberg’s long-standing collaboration with Universal, dating back to the 1970s with the first ‘Jaws’ ride.
Beyond celebrity appearances, Marks emphasized the stories of the creative minds behind the park’s development, such as technical engineers, ride designers, and costume artists. “They could speak on what it’s like to create something that masses of people are going to experience and respond to emotionally. All of these creative artists faced incredible challenges.”
When Marks first visited Epic Universe in October, he was accompanied by cinematographer Philipp Friesenbichler. “I wanted him to come because I had a feeling we were going to see something that would make us hungry to show it to people,” Marks explains. He adds, “I’ve never been to a place that vast, that creatively detailed, while it was still a work in progress. I knew my cinematographer would see the same thing.”
Marks reflects on the seemingly ordinary yet captivating scene of construction workers in helmets walking around a massive roller coaster. “When dusk hit and the lights came on, surrounded by mud, I thought, ‘I want people to feel what I’m feeling right now.’” This sense of wonder became his guiding principle for the series. “It’s special to see a place like this. If you’re moved by it, you might want to come see it for yourself.”
Marks adds, “We felt the emotion of the people in the park who were making this – from the highest-level executive to the ride engineer inspecting the roller coaster. There was tremendous emotion around all of this. If we could capture that emotion, we could tap into the viewers’ emotions so they could feel why people spend years creating these parks. Hopefully, it would move people to want to come and see it all in person.”
As Epic Universe approaches its first anniversary, it has proven to be a tremendous success. The park, rumored to have cost $7.7 billion to build, required the efforts of thousands to realize its 750-acre vision.
Considering a follow-up project, Marks notes that he has not been approached yet and admits the documentary was “quite an undertaking.” Nonetheless, he emphasizes that Epic Universe is a world of immersive storytelling. “These places that tell these stories – they are the stories in and of themselves.”
