Halloween Horror Nights has returned to Universal Studios Hollywood and Orlando this month, running through Halloween. To get hyped, Bloody Disgusting’s Vanessa Decker and Rawl Paredes took an early tour of two highly anticipated attractions in Hollywood.
First up is a brand-new maze inspired by the A Quiet Place franchise, based on the first two films. The maze relies heavily on sound design, with speakers placed closer to guests as they walk through. Additionally, American Sign Language (ASL) will be featured throughout the maze. A deaf actress, who works at Universal, portrays Regan in the opening video as guests enter. Scare actors in the maze have been taught ASL, but their role is not to scare—none of them will.
Creative Director John Murdy has expressed excitement for this highly anticipated house, noting that all the creatures were built practically since CGI was used in the films. The maze includes six puppets and four animatronics, each operated by a single puppeteer. Banner sensors throughout the maze will trigger events as guests pass, making them feel as though they’ve caused the creatures’ attacks.
The second featured maze, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Legacy of Leatherface, is inspired by the 1974 original horror classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.
Murdy created an original house that runs parallel to the original film’s timeline. It takes place in the Slaughterhouse, a location mentioned but never shown in the film. In celebration of the franchise’s milestone, Murdy took a multiverse approach, featuring all nine Leatherfaces from the films. The story focuses on the Sawyer family, who have taken over the abandoned Slaughterhouse to conceal their crimes. Murdy’s favorite Leatherface mask is from Texas Chainsaw 3D.
The “Halloween Horror Nights” events kicked off on Thursday, September 5th in Hollywood, and runs select nights through October 31st. Due to popular demand, tickets are expected to sell out.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit HalloweenHorrorNights.com.
