USC's themed entertainment program hired Steve Tatham, executive director of Epic Universe Creative, as director.

The program, part of USC's School of Cinematic Arts' Department of Media and Interactive Games, is a proving ground for future theme park creators.

As experiential entertainment becomes more important to Hollywood, a college program that serves as a pipeline to that world is adding a veteran of the space as its new director.

The themed entertainment program in USC's School of Cinematic Arts (IMGD) Department of Media and Interactive Games has named Steve Tatham as professor and program director.

Tatham was the executive creative director of Universal's Epic Universe, overseeing NBCUniversal's biggest bet in experiential entertainment to date, with densely themed lands based on Nintendo's How to Train Your Dragon, Harry Potter and Universal Monsters. Prior to Epic, he was Creative Vice President at Universal Studios Japan and also held senior roles at Walt Disney Imagineering. He began his career in space as a captain on Disney's Jungle Cruise.

USC's Themed Entertainment BFA program helps students develop skills that can be used to develop new experiences for theme parks, zoos, retail stores, museums, restaurants and other venues built around story-themed storytelling.

"The IMGD themed entertainment program is unique in academia and industry because it really allows students to have fun in a discipline they enjoy every year, but few have the opportunity to study formally," said IMGD President Danny Bilson. Steve Tatham is the ideal professor to lead this program and guide our students as they build the next generation of in-person entertainment. His unique background in directing projects large and small allows him to connect with where students are now and where they want to go. We are delighted to welcome him to the faculty."

"I am honored to join and lead USC's interactive games and media-themed entertainment program," added Tatham. I've spent my career creating stories that people can step into, from theme parks and museum exhibits to the worlds inhabited by Mickey Mouse and Godzilla. What excites me most about USC is the opportunity to take everything I've learned into the classroom and ask what's next: How can we push the boundaries of themed entertainment, bring whole new kinds of stories and places to life, and prepare students to create experiences none of us have ever imagined?