Here are the logo variations that Universal Pictures did throughout the years:
The Birds (1963): The globe appears two-dimensional and static on a white background, with:
- Opening:
UNIVERSAL PICTURES
PRESENTS - Closing: "A UNIVERSAL RELEASE" inside a white rectangle.
P R E S E N T S
D.C. Cab (1983): The logo fades into a picture of its starting point.
Pyscho II (1983): The logo appears grayscaled.
Jaws 3-D (1983): Specifically designed for 3D, the space background is still and both the globe and company name zoom in towards the screen. The "UNIVERSAL" text is in metallic gold and the Van Allen belts are missing.
The Pirates of Penzance (1983): The classic 1927 Universal logo is shown in sepia tone, albeit in widescreen.
The 'Burbs (1989): We see the standard Universal Globe (looks computerized though) with its MCA byline in a different font, but then the text fades-out, leaving only the globe, and then we zoom into the globe closer and closer, until we fly over Mayfield Place, as the opening credits roll.
Mo' Better Blues (1990): The 75th Anniversary logo is shown, but Flavor Flav of the rap group Public Enemy spells out the letters in "UNIVERSAL" (and also says "Y'all been large for years!" and yells "Yo, Spike! Start the movie, G!").
Cry-Baby (1990): The 1927 logo is used, but afterwards the in-credit text:
UNIVERSAL
A MCA COMPANY
wipes in at the start of the opening credits.
Cape Fear (1991):It animates as normal first, but towards the end, it is in underwater and starts to ripple.
The Flintstones (1994): Variation of the 1990 Universal logo seen at the drive-in theater screen the Flintstones go to in a live-action rendition of the opening for the original show, about two minutes into the movie (no logo is seen at the start); the logo reads "UNIVERSHELL" and script is carved in bones, and the continents are shown as they look in prehistoric times, which happens to be Pangaea. The music is a re-orchestrated version of the 1960 Universal Television theme (originally "Revue Studios").
Street Fighter (1994): The text and byline disappear and the globe zooms out to the movie's logo, but the text "The Ultimate Battle'' appears on the bottom of the movie's logo (seen on the International Prints from Columbia Pictures). This is only on the US release, while international prints uses the Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International logo.
The Paper (1994): The logo fades into a clock.
Major Payne (1995): Once the logo is complete, a "ding" can be heard like in the original Game Boy start-up screen.
Casper (1995): The globe turns into the moon.
Waterworld (1995): The logo plays silently, but the Universal '90-'97 globe stays visible after the text fades out, and we zoom into the globe very slowly as it fills up with water.
Twister (1996, International releases): Just like the Warner Bros. variant, the still version of the logo appears from the clouds.
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (1996): At the beginning of This Island Earth, Mike and the bots riff the old Universal International logo.
BASEketball (1998): After the logo finishes its animation, the text and the glow behind the globe disappear, leaving the globe & background intact. Then the movie's opening titles appear rotating through the globe coming from the right. As the movie title appears, the globe slowly turns into a baseball. After that, the baseball fades out and the movie begins.
Mercury Rising (1998):It is a little darker and the © info is removed.
Small Soldiers (1998):Same as Mercury Rising, but it is a little brighter.
Patch Adams (1998): The logo is zoomed out further, the URL is moved further away from the globe and the copyright info fades in next to it afterwards. Widescreen DVDs have the URL and the copyright info fading in together and placed underneath the globe.
Life (1999): The logo is slightly off-center.
The Mummy (1999): The "UNIVERSAL" text disappears and the logo turns into the sun.
The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000): Similar to The Flintstones variant, only the variation is the 1997 logo with its music, then it pans downward after it finishes.
The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle (2000):The globe freezes as it dissolves to a stylized fancy star above a cartoonish late-50s theater in Frostbite Falls, in which the movie's prologue starts. The camera pans down to the tree curtains as the opening titles takes place.
Gladiator (2000): A color-change job; this time the DreamWorks and Universal logos are sepia-toned.
Josie and the puss*cats (2001, International Releases): The Universal globe transforms into a tongue-stud on a screaming girl's mouth.
Jurassic Park III (2001): During the studio introduction, each logo (Amblin as well) is accompanied by a water ripple effect and the sound of a heavy footstep, referencing the first movie.
The Mummy Returns (2001): Like the first film, the "UNIVERSAL" text disappears, and the logo this time turns into a scorpion on top of a long stick.
Laurent Gerra à l'Olympia ("Laurent Gerra at Olympia", 2002): A plane passes by the Universal logo.
2 Fast 2 Furious (2003): The Universal logo turns into a silver vehicle rim, which starts turning as it transitions to a car. The URL is removed as well.
The Cat in the Hat (2003):
- The logo is redesigned in the style of the original book, taking place on a teal background with no stars, the globe is red with the continents in white with black outline, the flash is white, and "UNIVERSAL" is in a white, black-outlined Suessian font along with its URL. The globe then morphs into the ball, which is the same as the book as the text fades out. The ball & the glow then fades out.
- On international prints and TV broadcasts, after the DreamWorks logo, the globe fades in, followed by the actual variation.
Peter Pan (2003):
- When the logo finishes, it freezes and then fades into the background, which turns into a nighttime sky.
- On international prints, the whole logo is seen after the end credits, and plays silently.
Van Helsing (2004): The logo changes its color to black & white and it turns into a flame from a torch being carried by a man. Also, the URL is removed.
Van Helsing: The London Assignment (2004): The 1927 logo is used, but it's a still logo, the biplane is absent, and many clouds are passing by. The logo then later fades into the moon and the movie begins. This appears after the movie's title, even though the 1997 Universal logo was shown at the beginning before the opening titles.
Balto III: Wings of Change (2004): After the 1997 logo, a sped-up version of the 1927 logo is seen with the opening song starting over it.
Land of the Dead (2005): The 1927 logo is used, but the airplane has a different sound, and the background has different clouds, which turn dark and stormy.
Serenity (2005):In the last few seconds, the globe spins a little faster and the text moves closer to it. Also, the shining around the globe dims out and the URL fades out. The text "UNIVERSAL" then zooms in and the globe turns into a realistic Earth.
Doom (2005): The globe is replaced with the planet Mars. When the text fades, we zoom into the Olduvai Research Station. Also, the logo doesn't begin until 30 seconds into the movie.
Munich (2005): Itis darker as than usual, and it's bylineless.
Michaël Youn: Pluskapoil (2005):"UNIVERSAL" turns into a titular character's name "MICHAËL YOUN" and the globe turns into a 1960's made-up toy globe. Also, the shining around the globe changes its color to red.
Curious George (2006; With the opening song starting over it) and The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie (2008; With the logo's music):The globe appears much more brighter than usual.
Miami Vice (2006):It is shaded in royal blue.
Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait (2006): The logo is recorded from a VHS and is on a TV screen.
The Land Before Time XII: The Great Day of the Flyers (2006): Shortly after it completes, the globe eventually stops rotating before the text rotates out to the left. Then the continents of Earth slowly move, reforming Pangaea while we slowly zoom through it, and fades to the volcanoes during the opening sequence.
The Kingdom (2007): The logo changes its color to shadow, and brightens up to proceed into the Relativity Media logo with the same variation.
Dead Silence (2007): The 1927 logo is used with the same clouds from the Land of the Dead variant. It is also in a purple color and scratched out.
Death Race (2008): The logo turns black & white while it animates in reverse and turns into a car engine.
Changeling (2008): The 1936 logo is used.
Leatherheads (2008):Similar as the Changeling variation, except it is tinted gold.
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008): When the animation is finished, the Earth starts to rotate a little quicker than usual. Then, the Universal text and URL fade out, and a roving view zooms into China, referring to the film's location. On 16:9 widescreen prints, along with the film itself, the logo is in open matte.
Role Models (2008): The logo is a little bit darker than usual.
Beethoven's Big Break (2008): A dog barks to the last two notes of the theme.
Couples Retreat (2009):During the zooming, it changes its color to black & white to represent the opening footage. Also, the URL is removed.
Public Enemies (2009): The contrast is slightly darker. Also, the URL is removed.
Brüno (2009): The logo animates as normal, but two dots (called an "umlaut") appear above the letter "U" to create the Latin letter "Ü" in the "ÜNIVERSAL" towards the end.
Battlestar Galactica: The Plan (2009): The globe is replaced by a blue planet named Caprica, the animation differs slightly, and the URL is bigger. We then zoom past the logo into the opening scene.
Land of the Lost (2009): The 1963 "A UNIVERSAL PICTURE" logo is used with more colour saturation than usual, and it fades to the second half of the Relativity Media logo.
Drag Me to Hell, Inglourious Basterds(both 2009), Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016), Knock at the Cabin (2023) and The Holdovers (2023):Similar to theLand of the Lostvariant, but it doesn't fade to the Relativity Media logo. On the latter three films, the Comcast byline fades in at the bottom.
Wanted: Weapons of Fate (Game; 2009): The view comes through the room where combat takes place, then a string of flying keyboard keys fly and stop over the slowly rotating globus, showing "UNIVERSAL" on the backs of the keys.
Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins' Ball (2010): The 1927 Universal "Airplane Passing Globe" logo is used.
The Wolfman (2010):
- Theatrical Version: The logo is gray and the text is also glowing.
- Director's Cut: The 1936 Universal "Art-Deco Globe" logo is used, but this time, the logo has been remade and is now colorized: the globe is pale golden brown, the text is silver and the background is dark turquoise. Also, the outlines of the continents are added in, an element that was not in the original logo.
Repo Men (2010): The logo goes static at its very last seconds.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010): The logo is done in a retro video game style and the music is an 8-bit version of the theme (this version is actually the first track on the soundtrack album, entitled "Universal Theme"). Also, the NBC Universal byline is removed.
Despicable Me (2010): The 2010 version of the 1997 logo is smaller than usual, depicting that it was shrunk by a shrink ray from the movie.
Death Race 2 (2010): The logo animates in reverse. Towards the end (or beginning) the globe catches fire and the whole logo gets crushed by rocks, seguing into the movie.
Catfish (2010): The logo is depicted as a Google Earth globe. We first zoom out from California on the globe. A cursor then moves to the globe and drags it along, whereupon it continues spinning, "UNIVERSAL" fades in on the right side of the screen, moving into place, and an excerpt of the usual fanfare begins playing. Also, the byline is absent.
Skyline (2010): Exactly the same as the Curious George and The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie variants, but with the NBC Universal byline. Also, the logo was cropped in 2.35:1.
Take Me Home Tonight (2011, International): The byline is replaced with the URL.
Hop (2011) and Phil's Dance Party (2012): The Universal globe is shaped like an egg. On the latter, the 2012 fanfare is used. The latter is absent on a DVD compilation of shorts.
The Little Engine That Could (2011): The 1990 logo is used without the MCA byline, but the little train engine appears pulling "UNIVERSAL" across the Earth. After the engine moves the text into its usual place, it uncouples from the "U", launching away. Then, it comes back and stands near it and makes a whistle.
The Thing (2011): The 1990-1997 Universal logo is zoomed out further than usual and the MCA byline is removed.
On the former film, the fanfare is also shortened.
On Migration, the fanfare is played by the Minions on a slightly off-key kazoo with a ukulele, which also continues over to the Illumination logo.
On the latter film, the logo is silent.