King Kong 360 Ride In 3-D Unveiled At Universal Studios
Universal Studios Hollywood will open "King Kong 360 3-D" to the public on Thursday. 
The new attraction replaces the original tram tour that was destroyed in a June 2008 fire. Universal hired award winning director Peter Jackson to bring the gorilla back to life. According to the Daily News, Jackson combines state-of-the-art digital filmmaking with eco-friendly technologies.
The tram drives into a darkened cave where Jackson appears on video monitors, instructing guests to put on their 3-D glasses. Riders are surrounded by two giant movie screens, each 40 feet high and 200 feet long. A system of plates behind the tram as well as bursts of air and water add onto the realism of the ride, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The Daily News reports that each of the four trams rest on its own plates and are programmed to move individually and in sync with whatever piece of the elongated film is happening closest to their car.
"Each platen has its individual routine that's based on what element in the 3-D film is affecting your car," show producer Valerie Johnson-Redrow said. "And it's such a big screen that you'll actually see details in the front that are closer to you than to the cars behind you."
Universal hopes the attraction will become the world's largest 3-D experience.
"It's King Kong," Ron Meyer, president and chief operating officer for Universal Studios said. "It's certainly in the spirit of the original, but it's today's version of it."
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