Universal Orlando this morning announced the five scare zones that will join the 10 houses at this year's Halloween Horror Nights.
The five scare zones include two IP-driven and three original concepts. From Universal's press release:
- Zombieland: Double Tap: As guests enter the streets of New York, they’ll be thrown into the world of Zombieland where they must escape bloodthirsty zombies or become a midnight snack.
- Rob Zombie Hellbilly Deluxe: Inspired by the heavy metal horror music of Rob Zombie, guests will be surrounded by otherworldly beings, brutal maniacs and menacing machines all while they scream along to Zombie’s haunting lyrics on the streets of San Francisco.
- Anarch-cade: On Avenue of the Stars, guests will enter a sinister 80s-inspired arcade where they only get one life. Their fear will level up as they try to flee a band of neon slashers, highlighted in black lights, with chainsaws.
- Vikings Undead: Brutal, horn-helmeted warriors will rise from the grave and seize Central Park. Guests will become victims of these skeletal fighters and draugr, reanimated corpses who have channeled their vindictive rage into an endless onslaught of gore.
- Vanity Ball: On the streets of Hollywood, guests will quickly discover beauty is pain as they watch artists turn willing participants into horrific living works of art.
In addition to the scare zones, Universal announced that Academy of Villains will return to the Fear Factor theater in an all-new dance production, Academy of Villains: Altered States. In its press release, Universal also teased a "brand-new show that will debut for the first time ever at Halloween Horror Nights," with details to come later.
This year's Halloween Horror Nights houses at Universal Studios Florida will include four original productions Graveyard Games, Yeti: Terror of the Yukon, Nightingales: Blood Pit, and Depths of Fear, with six IP houses based on Jordan Peele's Us, Ghostbusters, Stranger Things, Universal Monsters, and Killer Klowns from Outer Space... with one final house yet to be revealed.
Halloween Horror Nights begins this year in Orlando on Friday, September 6.
TweetWe've been asking for that! (See the last comments at that link.)
I'm a little disappointed by the lack of strong IP for the scare zones. I'm sorry, but slapping Rob Zombie's name on something doesn't make it draw, and while I really like Zombieland, and am excited for the sequel coming later this fall, I don't think the IP holds a strong pull even for a theme park audience (original movie primarily takes place within an amusement park).
Ultimately, scare zones can survive without a strong IP but only if the actors can develop interesting and fully fleshed out characters. Many of the non-IP scare zones of HHN past have resulted in actors standing on platforms moaning, screaming, and posing for pictures with little appeal.
USF announced that Fear Factor Live! closed last week until the middle of November, so it sounds like the unannounced HHN show will be there based on the timing of the hiatus.
The number of dad jokes in the description of Anarch-cade is absolutely... de-fright-ful... (I'll see myself out)
Who's up for a Banana Splits haunted maze at Halloween Horror Nights?
AOV (Academy of Villains) plays in the Fear Factor location.
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The second show has to involve the fountains used for the current night show. There's just too big of a viewing area that gets wasted during a crowded event.