Author: danryan25

There’s been much rumor and speculation on the announcement last week that Stranger Things is coming back to Orlando and Hollywood.

We wanted to look at what has been announced so far:

Confirmed scenes will include:

Chief Hopper’s Cabin

Starcourt Mall

The Upside Down

There will also be:

– A focus on both seasons 2 & 3 storylines.  Hollywood announced that their version will be 4/5 season 2 and only 1/5 being season 3.

– The houses are being designed in collaboration between Netflix, the show’s creators and Universal’s design teams.

And the best part, the houses WILL include:

Demodogs!

And even the mysterious Mind Flayer!!  How on earth are they going to make this!?!?

The event will run in Orlando on select nights from Sept. 6 – Nov. 2 and will include 10 haunted houses, 5 scare zones and live entertainment (shows?).  Hollywood are yet to announce their maze numbers and dates but their event starts on Sept 13 and we also know that their scarezones are all brand new this year with no repeats.  I have also heard on the grapevine that both mazes this year are set to be scarier, so good news for the people that said last year’s houses weren’t very scary.

Are you excited for Stranger Things returning?  Let us know in the comments!

Whilst we wait here’s the trailer for Season 3!

 

Our good pal the Web Master has been diving deep into the recently updated code from the current Universal Orlando website.

The code is a huge database of words, numbers and letters that may look utter gibberish to you or I but it is actually really important as it’s the computer to computer language that makes the internet work.

And why do we take sneaky peaks at the code? Well the code often contains ghostly signatures for upcoming updates that might indicate the names of future updates or, as in this case, shows us with a list of words that optimize the website to make it easily findable for Google.

We also search the code as in past years it has actually revealed huge codes on houses that hadn’t been announced. For example, The Shining’s house name was located in the code as ‘Jack’ which we all assumed was Jack the Clown but in fact it was Jack from The Shining that was hiding in plain sight!

Anyway, back to the optimization words and phrases. The huge list contains lots and lots of possible Google search terms that would allow Google to find the HHN website over others, countless entries of “Park Hours for Horror Nights”, “Universal Horror Nights”, “Mazes for Orlando HHN” etc.

Now the exciting latest edition to this list is “Universal Fright Night”. Which is a very weird entry as HHN was, for the very first year only, know as Universal’s Fright NightS. But this entry is not plural, it is “Fright Night”. Which as you will know is also the name of a cult classic 80’s horror movie.

This is also significant as this movie would make an AWESOME source material for a maze and the best part, it’s produced via Columbia/Sony and the recent remake was produced by DreamWorks which is a Universal owned company. Universal also has an existing relationship with Columbia as they lease the rights to use Men in Black in the park and have used the rights for one of their biggest franchises: Ghost Busters for many years!

So there you have it, might be something or might be absolutely nothing. Whatever the truth we thought we’d share with you from this fascinating find, thanks HHNU Web Master!

So what do you think? Let us know in the comments!

Remember: NOTHING is confirmed until Universal confirms it officially and this is just a speculative rumor!

Yesterday Universal and Netflix sent the whole internet into a frenzy with news that the awesome franchise Stranger Things was set to return to HHN.  It was no big secret within the industry and concept artwork did leak 24 hours prior but the scale of the positive vibes from this announcement was surely mind blowing!

And what with all the traffic and excitement looking at the video and press releases there was a very quiet detail that was slipped in that we wanted to highlight as it’s very interesting!

That detail is that the mazes currently under construction at both Orlando and Hollywood will be based on both seasons 2 and the unreleased season 3 (note: season 3 is to be released on Netflix on July 4th).

This is interesting to us HHN fans as the maze from HHN28 (last year) was just on season 1.  So this means one of both of two possible reasons:

1. Stranger Things has been renewed for a fourth season (dates of which are unknown).  So the news that Universal is working with Netflix to build a maze this year on a season that hasn’t been released yet is very good news.  That means in theory that the partnership between both companies is VERY strong.  Giving an outside company like Universal access to your content before it is released shows that Netflix is really happy with this partnership!

2. It might also be said that if season 4’s shooting schedule doesn’t line up or for some reason Universal doesn’t make a third Stranger Things maze it could be because next year in 2020 is HHN’s 30th year: HHN30.  So could the event be another anniversary type event where old houses are resurrected under one central theme just like we saw at HHN25, HHN20, HHN16 etc?

Regardless of the above you also need to pepper in the fact that Universal has been working with Netflix a lot lately!  We reported last month on two Universal properties that have found a home on Netflix (with others following soon enough).  Plus you also have got to say that these tweets from the official Universal Twitter account are weird, as they don’t normally especially mention other brands or shows that aren’t Universal, take a look for yourself (click through as there’s more like this on their feed):

Just spent the weekend watching the @netflix doc on Flat Earthers. I’m now convinced I’m flat.

— Universal Orlando Resort (@UniversalORL) March 25, 2019

So when you consider these tweets, the strong partnership with Netflix and the alleged squeezing of using other IPs from the likes of Fox (now Disney) and Warner Bros it would seem that the partnership between Netflix and Universal is to be the most fruitful.

This being said it would indicate to me that The Haunting of Hill House must now surely be on the cards for HHN29 or even HHN30!?  Noting also that one of the production companies behind this series is Steven Spielberg’s Amblin who have been longtime partners with Universal!

So there you have it.  What do you think?  Could we be onto something?  Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Remember nothing is confirmed until Universal officially confirms it!

Netflix’s supernatural thriller, “Stranger Things” returns to “Halloween Horror Nights” 2019 at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort, debuting all-new mazes inspired by seasons 2 and 3 of the critically-acclaimed series.

This year’s chilling mazes pick up where last year’s mazes left off, continuing the suspenseful storyline where a predatory entity terrorizes the small town of Hawkins, Indiana, and delving even further into the parallel universe, referred to as the Upside Down.

The mazes on both coasts will also parallel the hit show as it leaps forward to 1985, taking guests on a terrifying excursion through portions of “Stranger Things 3,” which begins streaming July 4 on Netflix.

As with the previous mazes, Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort are partnering with Netflix and the creators and executive producers of “Stranger Things” to create authentic representations of the blockbuster series.

Universal Studios’ “Halloween Horror Nights” is the ultimate Halloween event. For more than 25 years, guests from around the world have visited “Halloween Horror Nights” to become victims inside their own horror film. Multiple movie-quality mazes based on iconic horror television shows, films and original stories come to life season after season. And, the streets of each park’s event are transformed into highly-themed scare zones where menacing scare-actors lunge from every darkened corner.

“Halloween Horror Nights” begins Friday, September 6 in Orlando and on Friday, September 13 in Hollywood. Additional details about the events will be revealed soon. Limited time ticket offers and vacation packages for Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights are on sale now. For more information about “Halloween Horror Nights” at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort, visit www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com

 

It’s with sad news we can confirm the rumors of whether the new Disney deal with Fox will in fact affect HHN from a tweet that was sent a few days ago by HHN Hollywood’s Creative Lead John Murdy.

For those that don’t know, and there can’t surely be many of you, the deal we’re mentioning is the agreement of where many of the Twentieth Century Fox assets are to be purchased by Disney and assimilated into their ever growing current business. The deal includes nearly all broadcasting rights, contracts and deals for television and film with mostly news outlets and newspapers being excluded.

It’s not known exactly when the deal with finalize but it is expected to complete this year giving Disney the controlling powers over virtually all of Fox’s former properties.

The tweet was during one of HHN Hollywood’s regular fan Q&A’s:

As “ahs” or American Horror Story was a perennial favorite at HHN it will be sad to see this property not return. Which got us thinking, what other properties do Fox own that now will likely never see the light of day at HHN? Here’s some ideas:

Aliens / Predator

We’ve never had a house where either of these properties has been allowed to explore their own respective franchises and the best we ever came was a “vs” house back in 2014.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

A rad choice from the 90s and it featured at a previous edition of HHN but strictly in Hollywood (it was also an awesome house read the walkthrough here). With a reboot of the franchise expected soon this could be annoying and what about the Body Collectors (or Gentlemen)!? No more Body Collectors???

A Cure For Wellness

This was recently rumored in 2018 but never saw the light of day.

The Exorcist

It’s been done recently and the sequels aren’t a great loss…

The Fly

Both the original and the beloved 80s version with Jeff Goldblum could sadly be off the table.

Jeepers Creepers

This property has apparently nearly been made a few times, it’s a shame we might never see it realized.

Hammer Horror

Some of the 70s British horror movies were released under the Fox banner. Most of them featured Christopher Lee as Dracula being pursued by Peter Cushing in various guises.

Hellraiser

This long rumored property has apparently got a very complicated legal ownership where Fox has some say over various parts of the franchise.

Lake Placid

The guy that keeps banging the JAWS drum is gonna be pissed…

The Legend of Hill House

Not to be confused with the Haunting of Hill House...

The Omen

Damian won’t likely be rising anytime soon.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Orlando has done a show based on this a few times and it’s sad it might never come back. We just need to take a step to the left and then a step to the riiiiiiiight.

Paranormal Activity

HHN has done similar houses to this with original content.

Poltergeist

Lucky they did it already!

The Simpsons

Forget any chances of a Treehouse of Horror house now.

28 Days Later

We’ve surely had enough zombies houses for this millennium!

Wrong Turn

We’ve had similar houses over the years which were likely better anyway.

The X-Files

It’s been unofficially at the event with The Spawning in 2009 and at various Bill and Ted shows.

But it’s not all bad news:

I reviewed the final creative for the final maze yesterday. Construction has begun.

Our bi-coastal Dark Arts project has been revealed!

And for the foreseeable future, I’m splitting my weeks between two teams.. UO Entertainment and Universal Creative.

Awesome Opportunities!

— Michael Aiello (@Michael_Aiello) March 2, 2019

 

So there you have it. A number of IPs that may or may not ever come to HHN but if the Murdy tweet is to be believed it would appear these properties aren’t likely to come to HHN anytime soon. Thanks Mickey!

So there you have it, let us know your thoughts in the comments! And remember, nothing is confirmed until Universal confirms it!

On a recent episode of The Universal Joint with Jim Hill, Jim spoke at length about Universal’s wider strategy to cutback their use of external outside IPs and instead try to ensure that to, as far as reasonable practical, use their own Universal brands when trying to develop new attractions and additions to the parks.

Recent examples of this include: The Fast and the Furious Ride, Race Through New York with Jimmy Fallon and the soon to be re-themed bakery at the entrance which according to Jim will be refurbished into a new Today styled quick bites eatery. And from what we’re hearing HHN will be no different.

Certain external centrepiece IPs are supposedly still in contention, especially those in partnership with Netflix but the wider haul of houses going forward are supposedly being sort to contain mostly NBC Universal properties.

This being said we thought we’d dive into their back catalogue and look at what possible franchises and films Universal has access to without much external permission making:

**Warning Speculation Ahead**

Universal Monsters

This maze appeared last year at HHN Hollywood and was a real home run for the event. Detailed environments were paired with excellent special effects and superb character design that ensured this was the best house at Hollywood last year. And if Blumhouse reignite the stalled Dark Universe franchise this could be very exciting.

Alfred Hitchcock

Apparently, most of his movies and TV shows were acquired by Universal prior to Hitch’s death. In the final third act of his life he spent his days on the backlot of Universal Hollywood where he planned and then shot many of latter classics. You can read more about that here.

Blumhouse

The Indy film studio that has turned small scale sleeper movies into box office gold, including no less than last year’s smash hit Halloween has been partnered with Universal for some time. This partnership has also seen Blumhouse provide varying degrees of great houses at Orlando and Hollywood for 2017 and 2018.

Jurassic World/Park

As hard as it may seem to turn this franchise into a house Universal have done it before! Read more about that house and scarezone here.

Child’s Play

Some say that Chucky gets used too much but did you see that scarezone last year? It was scary and hilarious, ergo we can always have more Chucky!

JAWS

Keep dreaming fanboys!  😉  (Though it is only one on this list that’s never had a house….)

Insidious

We’ve had a number of houses from this franchise before but there’s definitely more room to provide out-of-the-box ideas if they wanted, such as a house dedicated to the Lipstick Demon for example?

The Purge

We’ve had enough of The Purge right?

And that’s it for franchises, unless we’ve missed some? Let us know your thoughts and what possible Universal productions you’d like to see at HHN in the comments!

And remember, nothing is confirmed or fact until Universal confirms it, just RUMORS!

Jack the Clown, his murderous muse Chance and The Usher are back together again for another show but this time, the amazing actors behind these classic HHN roles will be portraying new and existing characters in the forthcoming new show Animatronicans: Under New Management.

Jeff Jones, comedian, playwright and co-star of the original The Animatronicans, has written a sequel to his hit play which he describes as not a sequel but another episode of the show.  For those that don’t know, the show is what would happen if a number of Disney’s Audio-Animatronic characters were brought to life and started living together just outside the gates of Walt Disney World.

The Usher aka Josh Siniscalco will play Abe Lincoln from Hall of Presidents, Jack the Clown aka James Keaton will play the now missing Polar Bear from the former Maelstrom ride and Chance aka Erin Cline will be giving her hilarious take on the Redhead, the beloved yet seemingly now unemployed figure from the current version of Pirates of the Caribbean Ride.

The show is premiering within the 2019 Orlando Fringe Festival, which will be held on May 14-27 in Orlando’s Loch Haven Park.

For more information: https://orlandofringe.org/

Did you see the original show?  And if so let us know what you thought!  And also whether you’ll be buying tickets!

 

 

It was stealthily confirmed by Universal a few nights ago that a Hellraiser house is definitely off the table for HHN29.

The house has long been rumored for the event ever since potential discussions/meetings of the IP’s use for HHN surfaced online.  It would appear from the tweet below that the ownership of the rights is the main sticking point.

We dug down deeper into the rights issue and found that Dimension Films (yes the same company that Harvey Weinstein used to run) now has a big say in the uses and rights of the franchise and it would appear that perhaps due to other issues the use of this property isn’t top of the agenda.  It was compounded further recently when franchise creator Clive Barker made suggestions of annoyance at a remake being developed last year, he tweeted:

A: The script was written and delivered to Dimension years ago. That was the last anyone heard until news of a sequel surfaced. @shudder pic.twitter.com/09iKEtAROl

— Clive Barker (@RealCliveBarker) 18 March 2017

So as per the tweet from Universal it would appear that the ownership and terms of the use of this IP are perhaps somewhat of a mess.  But this isn’t the only franchise that Dimension has in its stable that have become a little ‘messed’.  HHN fans will remember the issue with the rights to Scream for HHN25 where the permissions were apparently pulled at the very last second with Ghostface even appearing on a number of retracted HHN shirts and edited out of the official HHN TV commercial.  The house was then retrofitted into a Purge house.  For those that don’t remember you can read about that here.

It seems like Dimension has a problem with HHN?  Or perhaps they are just very protective of their brands?  We’ll surely never know.  For the time being keep your eyes and ears peeled as we’ve heard from a very good source that an official house announcement of some kind is due any day now!  Yay!  Until then let us know your thoughts on this in the comments!

Leaking ideas and answers from the various surveys that Universal puts out is nothing new but on occasion they do throw us some fascinating insights to the possible future plans of their Orlando parks. From Potter expansions to hotel naming, many surveys have floated up over the years to offer these behind the scenes insights.

That’s why when a survey hits inboxes about HHN we all get to see potential peeps into possible properties that are being considered for HHN and that’s exactly what happened today.

Reaching a select number of inboxes, a survey was sent out by Universal asking fans to rate various ideas for HHN30.

There was a huge range of ideas, from “plus-ing” current attractions such as Jimmy Fallon into a temporary Halloween attraction to creating a Treehouse of Horror house in The Simpson’s area. Other such ideas include:

• A Halloween themed musical
• A Halloween version of a Potter ride
• A Game of Thrones house
• An Alfred Hitchcock experience
• Various original house ideas
• A Twilight Zone house
• Halloween Lagoon show
• A Halloween acrobatics show
• A Halloween dance show
• A new version of the Horror Makeup Show
• A Rock Concert

The ideas are really fascinating and offer a great peak into the possible delights that will be welcoming us next year!

But what do you think? Let us know in the comments! Happy Valentines Day!

Photo courtesy of the Halloween Horror Nights discussion group on Facebook

Guests can now purchase a limited time ticket offer and vacation package for the world’s premier Halloween event HHN29, which will be running for a record-breaking 41 nights this fall. Guests can get double the scares with the purchase of a limited time ticket offer where they can get a second night free when they buy one night. They can also stay in the heart of the screams with a vacation package that includes Universal Orlando hotel accommodations, tickets to Universal Orlando’s three world-class theme parks and more.

On select nights from September 6 to November 2, the most terrifying names in horror will take over Universal Studios Florida, as the sun sets on days filled with thrills and the night awakens with a frightening chill for Halloween Horror Nights. Guests will face 10 all-new elaborately themed haunted houses and five scare zones, based on everything from cinematic greats and crazed cult favorites to original abominations from the twisted minds of Universal’s award-winning Entertainment team. And when they need a break from the screams, guests can enjoy Universal Studios’ most exhilarating rides and attractions.

Limited Time Offer: Halloween Horror Nights Flex Ticket “Get a 2nd night free when you buy one event night”
Now through June 5, guests can purchase Halloween Horror Nights Flex Sunday-Friday Ticket Offer online, which includes:One (1) guest admission to two (2) 2019 Halloween Horror Nights event nights on any Sunday – Friday event night for $81.99 per person + tax

Halloween Horror Nights Hotel and Ticket Package
4-night hotel accommodations at the all-new Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Surfside Inn & SuitesAdditional accommodations are available at Universal Orlando’s hotels, including Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort, or a Universal Partner Hotel
4-Day Park-to-Park Ticket to Universal Studios Florida, Universal’s Islands of Adventure and Universal’s Volcano Bay
2019 Halloween Horror Nights Flex Sunday-Friday Plus 1 Night Free Promotional Ticket
Early Park Admission one hour before the theme parks open to one (1) Universal Orlando theme park as determined by Universal Orlando
Access to select live entertainment venues at Universal CityWalk
Complimentary transportation to Universal’s theme parks and Universal CityWalk
Special access to a dedicated Halloween Horror Nights entry gate for guests staying on-site, each event night until 8 p.m.
In addition, guests can add a RIP Tour or The Unmasking the Horror Tour to their vacation package

Halloween Horror Nights Hotel & Ticket Package starting from $145 per person, per night, based on a party of four, limited availability
 **Select event nights Sept. 6 – Nov. 2, 2019. Advance purchase required.Offer valid for bookings now – 11/1/19. Offer valid for travel: 9/6/19 – 11/2/19

Halloween Horror Nights 2019 will run on select nights from September 6 to November 2. More details about the event and additional ticket offers will be announced at a later date. For more information about purchasing tickets for Halloween Horror Nights, visit www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com/Orlando