Sometimes, a quick walk for coffee can turn into an amazing experience. Recently, while taking a walk into Universal Studios with my colleagues from Dream Factory Productions, we came face to face with a unique set of props of an exciting movie from the 80′s: The Fly.
One of the benefits of being a marketing and creative agency located at Universal Studios production backlot facilities is getting our coffee fix at a Starbucks inside the theme park. There is no better way to brainstorm and let the creative juices flow than to enjoy a coffee among so many attractions and thrill rides.
Andres Goyanes with one of the props used in the 1986 movie, The Fly
Most times we take a direct stroll under the new Rip, Ride, Rockit roller coaster, right past the Twister attraction and straight into the Starbucks next to Disaster (formerly the Earthquake ride). However, on the way back to the office we had to walk through one of the stages used for filming movies, commercials and many TV shows–including TNA Wrestling, which is one of the best-known live productions.
Usually the walk through a stage is not very interesting, since most times the whole place is dusty, dark, chilly (the A/C unit runs very cold inside the stages), and full of wood panels and leftover elements from previous productions. But on this day we saw a pare of capsules near the back of the massive stage, which we clearly recognized as the centerpiece props in the 1986 movie The Fly, with Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis.
Needless to say, the transformation capsules sit in a dark corner of the massive stage, forgotten and gathering dust until someone finds a new home for it or it simply gets auctioned to the highest-bidding movie buff. While it remains in very decent shape, the prop seems to have withstood the test of time, still in one piece and with most wiring and hoses still attached.
Again, sometimes you find the most wondrous things when you least expect it. Originally released in 1986, The Fly was one of those movies that give you a glimpse into an unlikely scenario where two life forms can blend into a hybrid with dark consequences. That said, I wonder what I would turn into if I get transformed while holding my Starbucks coffee? A coffee bean?
Either way, it was very exciting to see such an iconic prop just sitting there, lonely and inconspicuously, no longer drawing crowds of onlookers seeking the thrill of connecting with a movie prop with actual screen time.
Transformation chambers (capsules) props from the movie "The Fly" on a storage area inside a backlot film stage in Universal Studios Florida.
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