Is Universal Studios owned by Disney? Explained

Some people think that Universal Studios is owned by Disney, but that is far from the truth. One of the reasons behind the speculation could be the stark similarities between the two. In their undertakings, when it comes to the kind of services they render, the two can be quite similar.

However, besides that, there are no similarities between Disney and Universal Studios.

According to ENCYCLOpedia.com:

"The Universal umbrella covers a multitude of entertainment ventures, including the production and distribution of motion pictures and music. Other Universal operations include book publishing, concert promotion, two Universal Studios theme parks, management of six amphitheatres, and the licensing and marketing of products inspired by its films."

With that being said, the introduction provided by ENCYCLOpedia.com is a bit backdated. This is because, since then, the studio has expanded drastically. Now it has more theme parks, music, TV shows, movies, theaters, and books under its name.

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Does Disney own Universal Studios?

Contrary to popular belief, Disney does not own Universal Studios. Instead, the studio is owned by Comcast and its subsidiary, NBCUniversal. Disney, on the other hand, is owned by the Walt Disney Company.

Under the guardianship of Comcast, Universal Studios has been able to level up from where it was before. As of now, they have five operative studios across the world that are running successfully. These include Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Orlando Resort, Universal Studios Singapore, Universal Studios Japan, and Universal Beijing Resort.

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Who owns Universal Pictures?

The Universal Picture logo (Image via Instagram/20thcenturyfoxfanmade)

Much like the studio itself, Universal Pictures is also owned by Comcast and its subsidiary, NBC Universal.

Universal Pictures is the banner under which the studio releases its movies and has been doing so for the longest time. The official website presents a brief history of the company. The description reads:

"Universal Pictures is an American film studio, owned by Comcast through its wholly owned subsidiary NBCUniversal, and is one of Hollywood's "Big Six" film studios. Its production studios are at 100 Universal City Plaza Drive in Universal City, California. Distribution and other corporate offices are in New York City."

It adds:

"Universal Studios is a member of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). Universal was founded in 1912 by the German Carl Laemmle (pronounced "LEM-lee"), Mark Dintenfass, Charles O. Baumann, Adam Kessel, Pat Powers, William Swanson, David Horsley, Robert H. Cochrane, and Jules Brulatour. It is the world's fourth oldest major film studio, after the renowned French studios Gaumont Film Company and Pathé, and the Danish Nordisk Film company."

The website also talks about some of the greatest hits delivered by the banner and says:

"Six of Universal Studios' films; Jaws (1975), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Jurassic Park (1993), Despicable Me 2 (2013), Furious 7 (2015) and Jurassic World (2015) achieved box office records, with the first three (which were directed by Steven Spielberg) all becoming the highest-grossing film at the time of its initial release."

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What can you expect from Universal Studios next?

Universal Studios is sure to keep audiences occupied with their upcoming projects. Under the banner of Universal Pictures, the studio is expected to release at least 10 movies.

These include movies that will be released in theaters as well as those that will be available for streaming. Among these are Kung Fu Panda 4, Monkey Man, Despicable Me 4, The Fall Guy, and Wicked. The release dates for all the movies have already been announced.

Universal Pictures' 2025 line-up also looks interesting with movies such as M3GAN 2.0 and Wicked Part 2.

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Disney is expected to release Inside Out 2 and Deadpool 3 in 2024.