Logo Variations - Universal Studios

Logo descriptions by Sean Beard, Matt Williams, Nicholas Aczel, Randomkid0627 and others
Logo captures by Eric S., wolfie14, lukesams, logos2010, Logophile, Mr.Logo, TrickyMario7654, LogosForTheWin, and filmbaza.net

These are the logo variations seen throughout the years by Universal Studios.

Arabian Nights (1942): This logo is similar to the Universal Cartoon 1st Logo. The logo is on a blue starry night (with golden and white stars) However, the globe (which is two-dimensional) is red/brown and black and contains some stars (a la Universal Pictures "Art-Deco Globe"), and "A UNIVERSAL PICTURE" around the globe is pink.

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Canyon Passage (1946): A rare variation of the Universal logo is put upon a black/dark blue gradient background. It features a gold globe with the words "A UNIVERSAL PICTURE" around it.

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It Came from Outer Space (1953): The logo is in 3-D and the stars "shine".

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The Birds (1963): The globe appears two-dimensional and static on a white background, with either the words "UNIVERSAL PICTURES PRESENTS" or "A UNIVERSAL RELEASE" inside a white rectangle, both in a bold Times font and situated front and center.

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Marnie (1964): Similar to The Birds variant, only the globe is much more simply drawn, with the oceans in red and the continents in white, and the words "UNIVERSAL PRESENTS" in a black Times font in front of the globe. All this is surrounded by a red ivy rectangular border, itself surrounded by a black rectangular border.

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Torn Curtain (1966): The logo from The Birds is superimposed over the closing scene. Instead of "A UNIVERSAL RELEASE" and the outlined rectangle, it says "A UNIVERSAL PICTURE" in a serif font.

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Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here (1969): The widescreen logo is bylineless.

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Skullduggery (1970): The image of the globe and Van Allen belt is reversed. The logo then fades to a spinning Franklin Globe that the camera zooms into. The globe stops at the film's setting, New Guinea.

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Pufnstuf (1970): Cameo appearance by the 1963 Universal logo during the song "Living Island" and a verse about the world, briefly consisting of the image of the Earth and Van Allen radiation belts, but without the "A UNIVERSAL PICTURE" lettering.

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The Day of the Jackal (1973): Exactly like Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here.

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The Sting (1973): The 1936 Universal "Art Deco Globe" logo is used and is seen tinted in brown.

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The Hindenburg (1975): A silent variant of the 1936 logo appears, leading into the old newsreel footage.
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The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings (1976): The 1936 Universal "Art Deco Globe" is used before going into the newsreel. The fanfare used for the logo is extended for the logo and the title card of the newsreel.

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The Last Remake of Beau Geste (1977): We see a cheap version of the 1936 Universal logo. After the music finishes, the logo keeps spinning as a door opens in the distance. A weird looking man (played by Marty Feldman) pops up from behind the Universal logo and starts breaking off the letters and stops the globe where Africa is. After some narration is heard, the weird man crushes the globe and points down to Africa, then the opening credits play.
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The Deer Hunter (1978): The widescreen logo is sepia-toned.

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The Brink's Job (1978): Exactly the same as The Sting variant.
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Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978): The 1927 Universal "Airplane Passing Globe" logo is used, but with colorful fireworks.

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The Nude Bomb (1980): The globe fades into a white circle on a green background, starting the opening credits sequence.
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Smokey and the Bandit II (1980): An animated car chase around the Universal Globe is seen.

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Xanadu (1980): A recreation of the 1927 Universal globe with the biplane flying around opens the film. As the opening credits appear, the globe remains on screen and a succession of increasingly modern flying machines (Douglas DC-3, Concorde, & a flying saucer) emerge from behind the Earth. The music changes in different styles of music as the objects appear.

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An American Werewolf in London (1981) and The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper (1981): The logo is zoomed out further than usual.

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E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982, 2002 Universal Studios Home Entertainment): The Universal logo animation is played backwards, so we go from the world to outer space. There is another variation where the 1997 logo morphs into the moon and Elliot and E.T.'s hands are seen touching the fingers of each other, but only before the 2002 DVD menu.

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Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982): Exactly the same as The Sting and The Brink's Job variants. Plus, there is a remix of the 1936 fanfare composed by James Horner.

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D.C. Cab (1983): The logo fades into a picture of its starting point.

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Universal Promo for Theaters (1983): Appeared on commercials for movie theaters and exhibitors. The company name and MCA byline are in metallic red and in a Futura font and we zoom forwards through the logo. Also, the globe and rings look different and the rings are bent. This logo was made by Bo Gehring in 1983.


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Pyscho II (1983): The logo appears in black & white.

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Jaws 3-D (1983) and Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn (1983): Specifically designed for 3D, 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.

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The Pirates of Penzance (1983): The classic 1927 Universal logo is shown in sepia tone, albeit in widescreen.

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The 'Burbs (1989): We see the standard Universal Globe (looks computerized though), but then the text fades-out, leaving only the globe, and then we zoom into the globe closer and closer, until we fly over the town as the opening credits roll. Also the MCA byline is in a different font.

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Uncle Buck (1989): The 1963 logo is slightly zoomed in.

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Problem Child (1990): The full screen DVD has the 75th Anniversary logo in open matte and has black bars on all four sides.

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Mo' Better Blues (1990): Midway through the 1990 75th Anniversary logo, Flavor Flav (of the rap group Public Enemy) is heard speaking: "U-N-I-V-E-R-S-A-L, Universal! Yo, been large for years! Yo, Spike, start the movie, G! (laughs heartily) Flava Flav, you done it again!"

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Cry-Baby (1990): Exactly the same as the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band variant.

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Cape Fear (1991): The logo is in underwater and starts to ripple.

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Far and Away (1992): The logo is zoomed out than usual.

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Jurassic Park (1993, 2000 Universal Studios Home Entertainment DVD): The logo is the 1997 logo and we zoom into a dinosaur footprint. Only appears before the DVD menu. This also appears at the beginning of the Universal Studios Theme Parks commercial and before the DVD menu for The Lost World: Jurassic Park.

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The Flintstones (1994): Variation of the 1990 Universal logo seen at the drive-in theatre 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"). At the end of the movie, we see a prehistoric version of the "Visit Universal Studios" bumper.

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Street Fighter (1994): The text and byline disappear and the globe zooms out to the movie's logo. On the International release, the text "The Ultimate Battle" appears at the bottom of the movie's logo.

On the Video Game version, same as the movie itself, but the logo is zoomed out further than normal and the globe doesn't spin.
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The Paper (1994): The logo fades into a clock.
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Radioland Murders (1994): When the logo is complete, The Globe, text and byline fades out and the Camera moves the sky down into the Antenna.

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Major Payne (1995): Once the logo is complete, a "ding" can be heard like in the original Game Boy start-up screen.
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Casper (1995): The globe stops spinning & it turns into the moon.

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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 the globe is covered with water.

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The Adventures of Captain Zoom in Outer Space (1995, MTE) The 1973 logo appears. Given it's a homage to 1950s sci-fi shows, the logo was most likely used because of its retro look.
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Twister (1996, Non-US version): The Universal 1990 globe, text and byline appear from the clouds.

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Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (1996): At the beginning of This Island Earth, Mike and the bots riff the old Universal International logo.
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BASEketball (1998): After the logo finishes its animation, the text and the glow behind the globe disappear, leaving the globe 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.

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Mercury Rising (1998): The logo is a little darker and the copyright info is removed.
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Small Soldiers (1998): The logo is a little brighter than usual and the copyright info is removed.

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Psycho (1998):The URL byline looks slightly different. Seen only on the home video release, the theatrical release uses the logo without URL.

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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.

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Life (1999): The logo is not centered right.

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The Mummy (1999): The "UNIVERSAL" text disappears and the logo turns into the sun.

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Erin Brockovich (2000): The URL is moved further away from the globe.

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The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000): Similar to The Flintstones variant, only the variation is the 1997 logo with original music, then it pans downward after it finishes. The fake ad from the prequel is intact here.

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The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle (2000): The globe fades to a stylized fancy star above a cartoonish late-50s theater screen, on which the movie's prologue plays. Also, the URL is removed on The Hub's print of this film.

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Gladiator (2000): A color-change job; this time the DreamWorks and Universal logos are sepia-toned.

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Josie and the Pussycats (Non-US version, 2001): The Universal globe transforms into a tongue-stud on a screaming girl's mouth.

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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.

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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.

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Back to the Future: The Trilogy (1985-1990, 2002 DVD reprint): Emmett Brown's car passes by the Universal logo.

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Laurent Gerra à l'Olympia (Translated as "Laurent Gerra at Olympia", 2002): A plane passes by the Universal logo.

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The Fast and the Furious (2001): The logo moves into the opening credits.
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My Little Eye (2002): The entire logo is seen through a 1990s-era computer screen monitor.

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2 Fast 2 Furious (2003): The Universal logo turns into a silver vehicle rim. The URL is removed as well.

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The Cat in the Hat (2003): The logo is custom-made for the movie, taken place on a blue background, the globe is red with the continents in white with black outline, the flash is white, and "UNIVERSAL" is in a white, black-outlined custom font for the movie with the URL, also in the custom font. This logo then morphs into their ball, which is white, has a red stripe with a white star on it.

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Peter Pan (2003, US Version): The logo is accompanied by sound effects and the globe stops spinning as the text "UNIVERSAL" rotates its regular position.
On the international version, this logo is seen after the end credits along with Revolution Studios' logo, just without the sound effects.

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Van Helsing (2004): The logo changes its color to black & white and it turns into the flame of a torch being carried by a man. Also, the URL is removed.

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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.
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Balto III: Wings of Change (2004): The 1927 logo is used. This comes on after the 1997 Universal logo and may freak people out, but was also in warp speed.
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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.

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Serenity (2005): The logo plays normally, but in the last few seconds, the globe spins a little faster and the text moves closer to it. Also, the shining around the globe and the byline disappear. The text "UNIVERSAL" then zooms in and the planet turns into a real planet Earth.

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Doom (2005): The Earth is replaced with the planet Mars. When the text fades, we zoom into the Olduvai Research Station.

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Michaël Youn: Pluskapoil (2005): The word "UNIVERSAL" turns into the word "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.

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Miami Vice (2006): The logo is in a royal-blue color.

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Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait (2006): The logo is recorded from a VHS and is on a TV screen.

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The Land Before Time XII: The Great Day of the Flyers (2006): After the logo finishes its animation, the globe eventually stops rotating before the text slides away through the left. Then the continents of Earth slowly move, reforming Pangaea while we slowly zoom through it during the opening titles. Also, the URL is removed as well.
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The Holiday (2006, Non-US version): The logo is shortened and cuts in a few seconds, along with Columbia Pictures.

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The Kingdom (2007): The logo changes its color to shadow.

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Dead Silence (2007):Exactly the same as Land of the Deadvariant, It is also in a purple color.

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Death Race (2008): The logo turns black & white while it plays backwards and turns into a car engine.

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Changeling (2008): The 1936 "Art-Deco Globe" logo is used.

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Leatherheads (2008): The 1936 "Art-Deco Globe" logo is sepia-toned.

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The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008): The Universal globe spins around and zooms into China.

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Beethoven's Big Break (2008): A dog barks to the last two notes of the theme.
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Couples Retreat (2009): Exactly the same as VanHelsing variant, but it doesn't turn into flame carried on torch.

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Public Enemies (2009): The contrast in the logo is slightly darker and the URL is removed.

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Bruno (2009): The logo plays, but two dots (called an "umlaut") appear above the letter "U" to create the Latin letter "Ü" in the "UNIVERSAL" towards the end.

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Battlestar Galactica: The Plan (2009): The Universal globe is replaced by a blue planet named Caprica. We then zoom past the logo into the opening scene. Also, the URL is larger than usual.

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Land of the Lost (2009): The 1963 "A UNIVERSAL PICTURE" logo is used and fades to Relativity Media

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Drag Me to Hell (2009): Exactly like on Land of the Lost.

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Inglourious Basterds (2009): Again, the zooming globe logo from 1963.

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The Fourth Kind (2009) and Funny People (2009): The logo is shown without the byline.
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Wanted: Weapons of Fate (Game; 2009): The view comes through the room where combat takes place, then a string of flying keyboard buttons fly and stop over the slowly rotating globus, showing "UNIVERSAL" on the backs of buttons.

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Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey! (2009) and The Invention of Lying (2009, Non-US version): The 1999-2005 version of the 1997 logo is used, this is due to the fact the logo's byline is in it's original font and the logo shakes for a few seconds.

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Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas (2009): The globe is much larger than usual, though the text is normal size. The colors on the globe are much crisper and have a higher intensity. It transforms into a golden tree ornament, then zooms in fast as the background changes to a Christmas tree. Seen on the trailer.

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Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins' Ball (2010): The 1927 Universal "Airplane Passing Globe" logo is used.

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The Wolfman (2010): The 1936 Universal "Art-Deco Globe" logo is used, but this time, the logo has been remade and now colorized. Only on the director's cut version of the film.


On the theatrical version of this film, as well as HBO airings, the 1997 logo is gray and the text is also glowing.
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Repo Men (2010): The logo goes static at its very last seconds.

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Despicable Me (2010): Exactly the same as The Fourth Kind and Funny People variants. Only on the theatrical release as home media and TV prints have the byline.

On the "Gru Control" feature on the Blu-ray for this film, the logo is seen with the URL below.
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Nanny McPhee Returns (2010): Exactly the same as The Fourth Kind and Despicable Me variants.

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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 Universal theme (this theme is actually Track 1 on the movies' soundtrack and is called "Universal Theme"). Also, the NBC Universal byline is removed.

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Catfish (2010): The logo is depicted as a Google Earth globe. Also, the NBC Universal byline is removed.

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Take Me Home Tonight (2011): The NBC Universal byline is removed and replaced with the <a class="external" href="http://www.universalstudios.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Linkification: http://www.universalstudios.com">www.universalstudios.com</a> URL. Only on the International release.
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Hop (2011) and Phil's Dance Party (2012): The Universal globe is shaped like an egg. On Phil's Dance Party, the 2012 fanfare is used.

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The Little Engine That Could (2011): The 1990 logo is used, but the little train engine appears pulling "UNIVERSAL" across the Earth. Then, the little train engine leaves after the "U" letter bounces off and sets normal, it stands near it and makes a whistle. Also, it has without the bylines "AN MCA COMPANY" or "A DIVISION OF NBC UNIVERSAL".

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The Thing (2011): Exactly the same asThe Little Engine That Couldand Far and Away, but the logo is now widescreen and in blue-purple tones. Also, it is now in normal version without the little train engine.

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Ted (2012) and Ted 2 (2015): When the logo is complete, the byline disappears and the camera zooms in to Boston on the globe.
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Pitch Perfect (2012): The theme is sung A Capella style over the logo. Also, it finishes just after the Comcast byline fades in and cuts to the opening scene of the movie.

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The Man with the Iron Fists (2012): When the logo is complete, it's accompanied by a ripple effect with smoke and hot coals coming from the bottom.

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Les Miserables (2012): The first few seconds of the logo are cut out.

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Oblivion (2013): The Earth in the logo has been decimated to the point that the continents don't glow anymore and the Tet, a space station that is critical to the film's plot, floats above it. The word "UNIVERSAL" looks old and rusted. Also, the logo is darker than usual and the logo ends normally as the Comcast byline pops up.

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47 Ronin (2013): When the logo is complete, the word "UNIVERSAL" and the Comcast byline fade away, leaving the globe intact. Then, the opening credits appear as the camera zooms in to Japan on the globe. On TV prints of this film, it is in open matte.

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Unfriended (2015): The logo flickers and lags like a video chat service with a bad connection, and the music becomes distorted.

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Pitch Perfect 2 (2015): Similar to the variant used for the first Pitch Perfect movie.

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Crimson Peak (2015): The Universal and Legendary Pictures logos are both tinted in red.
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Krampus (2015): Snow is on the logo with UNIVERSAL covered with icicles and a snowstorm is used as the transition.

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Minions (2015): The titular Minions 'singing' the fanfare. One Minion holds one of the last notes for longer than necessary, and when it transitions to the Illumination Entertainment logo, said Minion promptly collapses from lack of breath.

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Land Before Time XIV: Journey of the Brave (2016): The logo zooms into the globe the same way from the twelfth film, and the music from the 1997 logo is used.

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The Huntsman: Winter's War (2016): The entire logo is colored a shiny gold and the background and byline are tinted gold.

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Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016): The logo has a vaguely EDM-sounding remix of the theme, albeit only halfway through the logo's animation.

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Ouija: Origin Of Evil (2016): The 1963 zooming globe is used, the "Comcast" byline appears.

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Happy Death Day (2017): The logo and music both suffer glitches and start over two times, representing the film's Groundhog Day-esque theme.

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American Made (2017): The logo starts normally, but midway through the music stops and the logo turns into the 1963 logo with a Comcast byline.

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Pitch Perfect 3 (2017): Similar to the variants used in the first two Pitch Perfect movies.

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Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018): The logo is in 3D translucent neon map and "UNIVERSAL" text is yellow-stroked.

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The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018): Same as the E.T.variant, but the pre-1973 variant is used, the Comcast byline appears below, and instead of fading to black it transitions to the Amblin logo.

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Mortal Engines (2018): Halfway through the logo, the globe starts getting ruined by bombs, and the "UNIVERSAL" text becomes rusty.

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Apollo 11 (2019): The 1963 logo plays with the Comcast byline (Exactly like Ouija: Origin Of Evil). Only appears on international prints.

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Jurassic World: Battle at Big Rock (Short Film, 2019): The logo is a bit darker, the text and byline fade out. Also, The North America and South America is replaced with the Dinosaur from Jurassic Park series.

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Happy Death Day 2 U (2019): The logo gets split into three copies by several blue lasers. When the logo is almost finished, the three copies merge back to a single copy of the logo, accompanied by a white light burst.

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Last Christmas (2019): After the credits ended, The 1963 closing logo "THE ENTERTAINMENT CENTER OF THE WORLD" and "When in Hollywood Visit Universal Studios is used.