To say that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter has been a success is an understatement. It’s blown away expectations of many, increased attendance for Universal Orlando by leaps and bounds, and has completely changed the way that the general public sees how a theme park experience should be. So it should come as no surprise that one of the main people responsible for bringing the Wizarding World of Harry Potter to life at Universal Orlando has just gotten a big promotion.
Thierry Coup has been named the Senior Vice President of the Creative Studio at Universal Creative. In short, he will lead the team in all upcoming activities and attractions at all the Universal theme parks nationwide. Here’s the official Press Release from Universal:
Coup began his career with Universal Creative more than 10 years ago and has played an integral part in shaping the award-winning rides and attractions at Universal’s theme parks ever since. His work in creative theme park development has taken him around the world to Japan, Shanghai, Hollywood, Paris and to Universal Orlando Resort, where he served as Creative Director for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and the most innovative theme park ride ever — Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. Additional attractions to his credit include, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, Shrek 4D, The Revenge of the Mummy and King Kong 360 3-D. Currently, Coup is leading the creative team developing the new Transformers attraction for Universal’s theme parks in Hollywood, Calif., and Singapore.
“Thierry has a tremendous reputation of delivering unparalleled attractions and experiences for our guests,” said Mark Woodbury, president of Universal Creative. “He is an industry leader and continues to bring strength to our team with his creativity and vision.”
Prior to his work in theme park and attraction development, Coup worked in the film and TV commercial industries, creating visual effects and stop-motion animation for movies ranging from the Oscar-winning “Total Recall,” to “Gremlins” and TV commercials for many of the world’s iconic brands.
About Universal Creative
Universal Creative is the division of Universal Parks & Resorts that conceptualizes, designs and develops attractions, rides and shows, theme parks, hotels and resorts, location-based entertainment venues, restaurants, retail shops and international project development for Universal Studios, Inc. This innovative team of project managers, designers, artists, engineers, financial analysts, architects and builders continues to set new standards in the industry through the fusion of great story telling, stunning technology and flawless delivery of award-winning attractions. Universal Creative’s top-ranked accomplishments include, the new highly acclaimed The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, King Kong 360 3-D, Universal’s parks in Orlando, Hollywood, Japan, and Singapore, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, The Simpsons Ride, Shrek 4-D, Revenge of the Mummy and The Incredible Hulk.
This isn’t the first big reward that the Wizarding World has had for it’s employees. Earlier this month Universal Orlando President Bill Davis sent out a letter thanking employees for their contributions in making the Wizarding World a huge success, and included bonus checks for many.
For more information on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and Universal Orlando Resort, visit their official website!
