Backdraft is a fire special effects show at the Universal Studios Hollywood

Universal Studios Hollywood

Universal Studios Hollywood is a movie studio and theme park in the unincorporated Universal City community of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is one of the oldest and most famous Hollywood movie studios still in use...

 and Universal Studios Japan

Universal Studios Japan

, located in Osaka, is one of four Universal Studios theme parks, owned and operated by USJ Co., Ltd. . The park is similar to Universal Orlando Resort, since it contains many of the same rides. Most visitors are Japanese tourists or tourists from other Asian countries such as Taiwan, Hong Kong,...

 theme parks. The show is based on the film of the same name

Backdraft (film)

Backdraft is a 1991 action thriller film directed by Ron Howard and written by Gregory Widen. The film stars Kurt Russell, William Baldwin, Scott Glenn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Rebecca De Mornay, Donald Sutherland, and Robert De Niro. Jason Gedrick and J. T. Walsh co-star in the film...

. Visitors can learn how the pyrotechnic effects were created and experience some of them first hand. The Hollywood attraction was supposed to officially close after Labor Day

Labor Day

Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...

 2009 to be replaced by Transformers

Transformers (ride)

Transformers: The Ride is a theme park ride currently under construction at Universal Studios Singapore and Universal Studios Hollywood. It will be based on the film franchise of the same name and will employ 3D high-definition video and audio-animatronics.-Announcements:In 2007, early planning and...

 in 2011 but remained open to appease the temporary closures of other attractions for annual refurbishment. The Hollywood attraction officially closed on April 11, 2010. The attraction remains part of the Osaka park.

Summary

The show at Universal Studios Hollywood has guests begin by entering a sound stage

Sound stage

In common usage, a sound stage is a soundproof, hangar-like structure, building, or room, used for the production of theatrical filmmaking and television production, usually located on a secure movie studio property.-Overview:...

. Some elements of this description may not be accurate for the Japan installation.

Queue

For the Hollywood version, guests enter a soundstage where Backdraft is being filmed. For the Japan version, guests enter a San Francisco building facade and into a building where Backdraft is being filmed.

Pre-show

As guests walk into the "Backdraft filming center", Ron Howard

Ron Howard

Ronald William "Ron" Howard is an American actor, director, and producer. He came to prominence as a child actor, playing Opie Taylor in the sitcom The Andy Griffith Show for eight years, and later the teenaged Richie Cunningham in the sitcom Happy Days for six years...

appears on a video screen and talks to the guests about making Backdraft. For the Hollywood version, guests enter another soundstage. For the Japan version, guests enter a set of a city alley, where the fire is burning the building. The stars from the film appear on the video screen and talk about the fire. The moment they finish, the fire surprises the guests. They are finally led onto a set resembling the warehouse scene in the movie.

Main show

The guests line up on a tiered observation platform, overlooking a simulated warehouse scene. Suddenly, the fire burns the warehouse, causing a Backdraft. The explosions makes more fire. As the "fire" dies, the dying fire makes a final explosion, giving guests a final scare. Participants are then directed to exit through the building.