Next time you see a new movie from Universal Studios, you’ll get a nice new welcome from the studio.
As part of their ongoing centennial celebration, Universal is unveiling an all-new animated logo, premiering this Friday, March 2 in front of the 3D CG film “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax.”
“Our Centennial year is the perfect opportunity to create a new logo that reflects our future while honoring our past,” said Ron Meyer, Universal Studios President and COO. “Universal”s new logo celebrates the studio”s extraordinary legacy in creating lasting movie memories and connecting viewers across the globe.”
For the new animated logo design, Universal teamed with the Oscar-winning visual effects artists at Weta Digital (The “Lord of the Rings” trilogy). The new logo was inspired by satellite imagery and attempts to show Earth not as a planet bound by political and geographical boundaries, but as thousands of tiny points of bright light, symbolizing the thousands of communities brought together by the magic of cinema. Awwww…
Composer Brian Tyler (The “Fast and Furious” films, “The Expendables”) provided a new arrangement of Jerry Goldsmith”s previous logo score, which has been in use since 1997. While the theme remains the same, it will now feature a choir, new string parts and a world beat-infused drum cadence.
“We wanted to utilize the classic melody that we all know and bring it into the 21st century, while still being very respectful of what Jerry Goldsmith did originally,” said Tyler. “I wanted it to be a celebration of all the great movies Universal has done over the years-connecting the past to the present.”
This is the seventh variation of the original animated logo since the studio was founded in 1912 (as seen in the above clip). The current, soon-to-be-retired logo was introduced way back in 1997 with Steven Spielberg’s “The Lost World: Jurassic Park.” Say farewell to it here:
Universal is will also celebrate their 100th birthday with a major film restoration commitment, special home entertainment releases, theme park celebrations and a special anniversary gala event that will bring together many of the filmmakers and stars involved in the studio’s rich history.