Universal Studios Hollywood Resurrects Cinematic Icons in All-New
“Halloween Horror Nights” Maze Inspired by the Original Universal Monsters
 
New “Universal Monsters” Maze Features Original Score by
GRAMMY Award Winner and Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame Guitarist, SLASH
 
Click Here for a Sneak Peek of the Undead and Click Here to Purchase Tickets

Universal City, CA, August 22, 2018 – It’s alive! Inspired by Universal’s original cinematic Monsters and the studio that invented the horror film,  Universal Studios Hollywood unearths an all-new “Halloween Horror Nights” maze based on the original “Universal Monsters”…with a terrifying contemporary twist on these classic horror icons.

The new maze will also feature an original score produced and composed by celebrated GRAMMY® Award-winning musician, SLASH, long hailed as one of the 10 best electric guitar-players of all time.

“Halloween Horror Nights” begins on Friday, September 14, 2018.

At its core, “Halloween Horror Nights” is an extension of the horror film legacy originated by Universal Pictures and introduced to audiences in the 1920s…with a staple of classic Universal Monsters that dominated the silver screen, including Dracula, The Phantom of the Opera, Frankenstein’s Monster and The Wolf Man.

“Halloween Horror Nights” continues to pay homage to these creatures of the night in this new maze by reawakening more than a dozen of these iconic classic Monsters. The essence of the maze will underscore each of their unique attributes and reimagine them into terrifying modern day characters.  At a glance, resurrected monsters will include The Wolf Man, The Invisible Man, The Phantom of the Opera, Dracula, Dracula’s Bride, Frankenstein’s Monster, The Bride of Frankenstein and The Mummy, to name a few.

By giving each character a unique, complex composition, SLASH’s original score will add a haunting dimension to the experience and help define each of the characters.

“As a fan of horror movies and of ‘Halloween Horror Nights,’ I jumped at the chance to once again collaborate with Universal Studios Hollywood to produce what might be interpreted as a soundtrack for the maze,” said SLASH.  “Similar to the way music affects a film, I wanted to compose a score for the legions of infamous characters featured in the maze to elicit a greater sense of terror for the guests.  In the end, the goal is to ultimately make the guests feel as if they are playing an integral role in a classic Monster movie.” 

“This maze is the ultimate melding of two of history’s greatest icons – classic monsters and the top guitar player of all time,” said John Murdy, Creative Director at Universal Studios Hollywood and Executive Producer of “Halloween Horror Nights.” “SLASH’s intuitive understanding of the characters’ struggles brings enormous depth to the maze to epitomize a living-movie experience for our guests.

“This is the second time we’ve had the great fortune to collaborate with SLASH on a ‘Halloween Horror Nights’ maze,” Murdy continued, “and it is a distinct honor to bring his expertise to the event where guests can enjoy a truly exclusive opportunity.”

"Halloween Horror Nights" at Universal Studios Hollywood brings together the sickest minds in horror to immerse guests in a living, breathing, three-dimensional world of terror. Featuring an all-new slate of unrivaled film production quality mazes, frightful scare zones and a fully re-imagined “Terror Tram” experience uniquely themed to today’s most definitive horror properties, “Halloween Horror Nights” will taunt, terrorize and torment guests with spine-chilling haunted attractions as part of Southern California’s most extreme Halloween experience.

For exciting updates and exclusive “Halloween Horror Nights” content, visit Hollywood.HalloweenHorrorNights.com, like Halloween Horror Nights – Hollywood on Facebook; follow @HorrorNights #UniversalHHN on Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat; and watch the terror come to life on Halloween Horror Nights YouTube.
 
Universal Studios Hollywood is The Entertainment Capital of L.A. and includes a full-day, movie-based theme park and Studio Tour. As a leading global entertainment destination, Universal Studios Hollywood delivers highly themed immersive lands that translate to real-life interpretations of iconic movie and television shows. Recent additions include “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™” which features a bustling Hogsmeade village and such critically-acclaimed rides as “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey” and “Flight of the Hippogriff™”.  Other immersive lands include “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” and “Super Silly Fun Land” as well as “Springfield,” hometown of America’s favorite TV family, located adjacent to the award-winning “The Simpsons Ride™” and the “The Walking Dead” daytime attraction and the all-new DreamWorks Theatre featuring “Kung Fu Panda: The Emperor’s Quest.”  The world-renowned Studio Tour is Universal Studios Hollywood’s signature attraction, inviting guests behind-the-scenes of the world’s biggest and busiest movie and television production studio where they can also experience such authentic thrill rides as “Fast & Furious—Supercharged.”  The adjacent Universal CityWalk entertainment, shopping and dining complex also includes the all-new multi-million dollar, redesigned Universal CityWalk Cinema, featuring deluxe recliner seating in screening room quality theatres, and the “5 Towers” state-of-the-art outdoor concert stage.

WHEN:
October 26 – 28, and 31, 2018
6:00 – 9:30 pm

​TICKETS:
Tickets go on sale September 2018

• Adult tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door
• Children tickets (12 and under) are $10

ABOUT FESTIVAL OF ARTS
The Festival of Arts, a non-profit 501(c)(3), has always been a local leader that has helped with the growth and development of the community and the arts in Laguna Beach. Established in 1932, the Festival of Arts’ mission is to promote, produce and sponsor events and activities that encourage the appreciation, study and performance of the arts. 

Universal City, CA, Orlando, FL, August 20, 2018 – “The Horrors of Blumhouse” makes an encore performance at this year’s Halloween Horror Nights, bringing leading producer of horror Jason Blum’s blockbusters to life in all-new mazes at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort, beginning Friday, September 14.
 
Partnering with the creative minds at Blumhouse Productions (Get Out, Insidious, Split), Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort will unleash a series of Blum’s most terrifying films at the nation’s most intense and immersive Halloween events.
 
At Universal Studios Hollywood, “The Horrors of Blumhouse: Chapter Two” maze takes guests on a terrifying journey that begins at the entrance to a dilapidated movie theatre, where a compilation of horror films play out in real life. In Blumhouse’s Truth or Dare, guests will succumb to an ancient curse that has been unleashed by a group of unsuspecting college students….forcing them to play a game where the stakes are life and death. In Unfriended, guests become pawns to a supernatural entity that has invaded a chat room. Drawing inspiration from Blumhouse Productions’ infamous opening title sequence, the final feature will lure guests into a creepy old house to answer desperate cries of help…only to discover that they have actually entered a paranormal world where real-life nightmares threaten to trap them forever in misery. 
 
At Universal Orlando Resort, “The Horrors of Blumhouse” maze will bring guests face-to-face with the most gruesome scenes from the déjà vu thriller Happy Death Day, as well as from The First Purge, the newly-released prequel to The Purge series. In Happy Death Day, guests will be transported to the film’s college town, where they will be forced to relive the last day of a student’s life over and over again…until she breaks the murderous cycle. Then, in The First Purge, guests will run for their lives as menacing citizens from the film hunt them as part of the first barbaric government experiment where all crime is declared legal for 12 hours.
 
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.
 
For more information about Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort, visit  www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com. Additional details about the events will be revealed soon. All tickets and vacation packages are now on sale. 
 
About Universal Studios Hollywood: 
Universal Studios Hollywood is The Entertainment Capital of L.A. and includes a full-day, movie-based theme park and Studio Tour. As a leading global entertainment destination, Universal Studios Hollywood delivers highly themed immersive lands that translate to real-life interpretations of iconic movie and television shows. Recent additions include “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™” which features a bustling Hogsmeade village and such critically-acclaimed rides as “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey” and “Flight of the Hippogriff™”.  Other immersive lands include “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” and “Super Silly Fun Land” as well as “Springfield,” hometown of America’s favorite TV family, located adjacent to the award-winning “The Simpsons Ride™” and the “The Walking Dead” daytime attraction and the all-new DreamWorks Theatre featuring “Kung Fu Panda: The Emperor’s Quest.”  The world-renowned Studio Tour is Universal Studios Hollywood’s signature attraction, inviting guests behind-the-scenes of the world’s biggest and busiest movie and television production studio where they can also experience such authentic thrill rides as “Fast & Furious—Supercharged.”  The adjacentUniversal CityWalk entertainment, shopping and dining complex also includes the all-new multi-million dollar, redesigned Universal CityWalk Cinema, featuring deluxe recliner seating in screening room quality theatres, and the “5 Towers” state-of-the-art outdoor concert stage.
 
Updates on “Halloween Horror Nights” at Universal Studios Hollywood are available online at Hollywood.HalloweenHorrorNights.com and on Facebook at: “Halloween Horror Nights – Hollywood,” on Instagram at@HorrorNights and Twitter at @HorrorNights as Creative Director John Murdy reveals a running chronicle of exclusive information. Watch videos on Halloween Horror Nights YouTube and join the conversation using #UniversalHHN.
 
About Universal Orlando Resort:
Universal Orlando Resort is a unique vacation destination that is part of the NBCUniversal Comcast family. For more than 25 years, Universal Orlando has been creating epic vacations for the entire family – incredible experiences that place guests in the heart of powerful stories and adventures. 
 
Universal Orlando’s three theme parks, Universal Studios Florida, Universal’s Islands of Adventure and Universal’s Volcano Bay, are home to some of the world’s most exciting and innovative theme park experiences – including The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley. Universal Orlando’s on-site hotels are destinations unto themselves and include Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, the Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Royal Pacific Resort, Loews Sapphire Falls Resort, Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort, and coming this August, Universal’s Aventura Hotel. Its entertainment complex, Universal CityWalk, offers immersive dining and entertainment for every member of the family.
 
Universal Orlando Resort continues to unveil all-new guest experiences, including powerful attractions, incredible dining opportunities and dramatically-themed hotels. Now open is Fast & Furious – Supercharged, where guests can join the Fast family and step into the blockbuster Fast & Furious films at Universal Studios Florida. And at Universal CityWalk, Voodoo Doughnut is now serving more than 50 types of delightfully weird and sinfully delicious doughnuts.
 
Follow us on our blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
 
About Blumhouse Productions
Blumhouse Productions, founded by two-time Academy Award®-nominated and two-time Emmy and Peabody Award-winning producer Jason Blum, is a multi-media company known for pioneering a new model of studio filmmaking: producing high-quality, micro-budget films. Blumhouse’s  critically-acclaimed blockbusters Get Out from Jordan Peele and Split from M. Night Shyamalan, grossed more than $500 million worldwide off combined budgets of less than $15 million. In addition, Blumhouse is the producer of the highly profitable The Purge,Insidious, Sinister and Paranormal Activity franchises, which together have grossed more than $2 billion worldwide. Blumhouse’s films also include the Academy Award®-nominated Whiplash, as well as The Gift,Unfriended and The Visit. In 2017, Blum launched an independent TV studio with investment from ITV Studios. Current projects includeSharp Objects, a mini-series for HBO starring Amy Adams, based on Gillian Flynn’s bestselling novel of the same name, and a mini-series for Showtime based on journalist Gabriel Sherman’s reporting on former FOX News chief Roger Ailes.

Actress Yvette Nicole Brown and Fashion Designer Ashley Eckstein Return to Judge the MousequeradeCostume Contest
 
D23 Gold Members Enjoy Additional Savings and Member-Only Benefits
 
Plus, D23 Expo 2019 Design Challenge Themed to Haunted Mansion

BURBANK, Calif. – August 16, 2018 – On Thursday, August 23, D23: The Official Disney Fan Club will begin selling tickets for the next D23  Expo, which will take place August 23-25, 2019, at the Anaheim Convention Center. The largest Disney fan event in the world, D23  Expo celebrates all the wonderful worlds of The Walt Disney Company under one roof, including the best of Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars across film, television, theme parks, products, online, music, live entertainment, and more. D23 Expo 2019 marks the sixth biennial Expo held in Anaheim.
 
Once again, the Expo will celebrate the past, present, and future of Disney with signature entertainment, celebrity appearances, panels, presentations, sneak peeks, and immersive experiences. A massive show floor will feature exhibits, shopping, and photo opportunities from all across Disney and its partners. D23 Expo 2019 marks the return of fan favorites, including the Disney Legends Awards Ceremony, honoring the talented men and women who have made indelible contributions to the Disney legacy; an all-new exhibit from the Walt Disney Archives; Talent Central, where fans can meet their favorite Disney stars; and a daily parade on the show floor.
 
Plus, the Mousequerade costume contest is back with actress Yvette Nicole Brown and fashion designer Ashley Eckstein returning as judges for the popular event, which includes dozens of eye-popping creations from fans around the world.
 
In addition, the D23 Expo 2019 Design Challenge will be themed to the popular Haunted Mansion, which first opened at Disneyland in 1969 and will be celebrating its 50th anniversary next year. Fans are encouraged to create ghoulishly delightful designs, from paintings and drawings to sculptures and models, inspired by the beloved attraction and its 999 happy haunts. Twenty-three pieces of finalist artwork will be on display throughout the D23 Expo weekend at a gallery on the show floor. The winning artist will be chosen prior to the start of the D23 Expo and will receive a cash prize of $2,300. Details for Mousequerade and the Design Challenge will be revealed this fall.
 
D23 Expo 2019 will showcase all of the latest stars in the Disney universe. In 2017, celebrity appearances included Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Whoopi Goldberg, Jordan Fisher, Robert Downey Jr., Mark Hamill, Kristen Bell, Chris Hemsworth, Mandy Moore, and the stars of Disney’s Descendants. Additionally, Disney executives and creative talent came together to deliver special presentations, announcements, and experiences to Disney fans throughout the three-day extravaganza.
 
This year, discounted single-day and multi-day tickets for D23 Expo 2019 will be available exclusively to D23 Gold Members, and Gold Members who purchase their tickets from August 23–November 20, 2018 will enjoy an additional special “Early Bird” discount. D23 Gold Family Members can save as much as $288 off the price of admission, based on the purchase of four three-day tickets at the D23 Gold Member “Early Bird” rate. General admission tickets are $89 for a one-day adult admission and $69 for children. Three-day money-saving tickets are also available. Discounted hotel and Disneyland Resort park tickets are available to all Expo ticket purchasers. For more information on tickets and the ticket prices for Gold Members and general admission, visit D23expo.com.
 
A limited number of VIP Sorcerer Packages for D23 Expo 2019 will be available exclusively to both D23 Gold and Gold Family Members at $2,500 per ticket. The Sorcerer Package includes a three-day admission ticket with a commemorative Sorcerer credential; reserved seating at presentations; a preview day with a tour of the show floor and advance shopping opportunities; a Haunted Mansion-themed welcome reception; a packed D23 Expo gift pack, including an exclusive bag provided by D23 Expo 2019 sponsor American Tourister, and more. Members can purchase up to two Sorcerer tickets. Additional details and a complete list of Sorcerer Package benefits are highlighted at D23expo.com.
 
D23 Gold and Gold Family Members will also be entitled to special benefits throughout the weekend including exclusive discounts and offers at select Disney retail and partner locations; a commemorative gift; and limited priority queueing for Hall D23 and the Expo Arena. Look for announcements about these opportunities in the coming months. To join D23and enjoy these benefits, visit D23.com/join.
 
For the latest news and updates about D23 Expo 2019, visit D23expo.com.
 
 
About D23
The name “D23” pays homage to the exciting journey that began in 1923 when Walt Disney opened his first studio in Hollywood. D23 is the first official club for fans in Disney’s 90-plus-year history. It gives its members a greater connection to the entire world of Disney by placing them in the middle of the magic through its quarterly publication, Disney twenty-three; a rich website at D23.com with members-only content; member-exclusive discounts; and special events for D23 Members throughout the year.
 
Fans can join D23 at Gold Membership ($79.99), Gold Family Membership ($104.99), and General Membership (complimentary) levels at D23.com and at shopDisney.com/D23. To keep up with all the latest D23 news and events, follow DisneyD23 on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., ORLANDO, Fla. (August 14, 2018) – Beginning on Friday, September 14, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, from Trancas International Films, takes a stab at Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights, bringing the notorious slasher to Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort in all-new mazes inspired by the iconic horror film.

Based on the fourth installment in the classic slasher series created by John Carpenter, the mazes will transport guests to the suburban town of Haddonfield, Illinois on Halloween night where Myers has escaped Smith’s Grove Sanitarium and is hungry for revenge. This time, he relentlessly stalks his niece Jamie as his next victim, stopping at nothing to kill her. 

Guests will follow Myers as he escapes the mental hospital, encounters his first victims at Penney’s Gas Station and Diner, and wreaks terror on Haddonfield, all set to Alan Howarth’s ominous score. The maze will include horrifying scares by Myers in his classic featureless white mask and navy jumpsuit, with guests dodging his bloody knife at every turn. Halloween fanatics can expect a cameo by Myer’s psychiatrist Dr. Loomis and other famous characters from the film as they try to escape the bloodbath.

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 in Hollywood and Orlando 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 coast’s event are transformed into highly-themed scare zones where menacing scare-actors lunge from every darkened corner.

Additional details about Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights will be revealed soon. For more information about Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort, visit www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com. All tickets and vacation packages are on sale now.

About Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Hollywood is The Entertainment Capital of L.A. and includes a full-day, movie-based theme park and Studio Tour. As a leading global entertainment destination, Universal Studios Hollywood delivers highly themed immersive lands that translate to real-life interpretations of iconic movie and television shows. Recent additions include “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™” which features a bustling Hogsmeade village and such critically-acclaimed rides as “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey” and “Flight of the Hippogriff™”.  Other immersive lands include “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” and “Super Silly Fun Land” as well as “Springfield,” hometown of America’s favorite TV family, located adjacent to the award-winning “The Simpsons Ride™” and the “The Walking Dead” daytime attraction and the all-new DreamWorks Theatre featuring “Kung Fu Panda: The Emperor’s Quest.”  The world-renowned Studio Tour is Universal Studios Hollywood’s signature attraction, inviting guests behind-the-scenes of the world’s biggest and busiest movie and television production studio where they can also experience such authentic thrill rides as “Fast & Furious—Supercharged.”  The adjacent Universal CityWalk entertainment, shopping and dining complex also includes the all-new multi-million dollar, redesigned Universal CityWalk Cinema, featuring deluxe recliner seating in screening room quality theatres, and the “5 Towers” state-of-the-art outdoor concert stage.
 
Updates on “Halloween Horror Nights” at Universal Studios Hollywood are available online at Hollywood.HalloweenHorrorNights.com and on Facebook at: “Halloween Horror Nights – Hollywood,” on Instagram at @HorrorNights and Twitter at @HorrorNights as Creative Director John Murdy reveals a running chronicle of exclusive information. Watch videos on Halloween Horror Nights YouTube and join the conversation using #UniversalHHN.
 
About Universal Orlando Resort
Universal Orlando Resort is a unique vacation destination that is part of the NBCUniversal Comcast family. For more than 25 years, Universal Orlando has been creating epic vacations for the entire family – incredible experiences that place guests in the heart of powerful stories and adventures. 
 
Universal Orlando’s three theme parks, Universal Studios Florida, Universal’s Islands of Adventure and Universal’s Volcano Bay, are home to some of the world’s most exciting and innovative theme park experiences – including The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley. Universal Orlando’s on-site hotels are destinations unto themselves and include Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, the Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Royal Pacific Resort, Loews Sapphire Falls Resort, Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort, and coming this August, Universal’s Aventura Hotel. Its entertainment complex, Universal CityWalk, offers immersive dining and entertainment for every member of the family.
 
Universal Orlando Resort continues to unveil all-new guest experiences, including powerful attractions, incredible dining opportunities and dramatically-themed hotels. Now open is Fast & Furious – Supercharged, where guests can join the Fast family and step into the blockbuster Fast & Furious films at Universal Studios Florida. And at Universal CityWalk, Voodoo Doughnut is now serving more than 50 types of delightfully weird and sinfully delicious doughnuts.
 
Follow us on our blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
 
About Trancas International Films
Trancas International Films, Inc., along with its subsidiary Compass International Pictures, Inc., is a film production and distribution company based in Los Angeles and operating worldwide with a library of classic and revered films, such as John Carpenter’s Halloween, The Message and Lion of the Desert. Trancas has been involved in the production of every film in the Halloween franchise, including the upcoming Universal release directed by David Gordon Green and starring Jamie Lee Curtis. In addition to partnerships with Universal, Trancas has deals with Miramax, Blumhouse, Lionsgate, Anchor Bay and Dimension Films, among others.

Are you ready to face this fear-inducing horror?  How many nights will you be attending HHN?  Let us know!

Are you ready to face those childhood fears???  Let us know, in the comments, below!

With Midsummer Scream screaming its way into Long Beach this weekend, it’s officially time to start making plans for seasonal events. Following up the show is the return of the Leadership Symposium for Seasonal Attractions (formerly the Haunted Attraction Network Leadership Symposium). This time, the event takes place at the Queen Mary and will be filled with collaboration led by some of the top contributors to the seasonal attraction industry. We had a fantastic time at last year’s event (listen to episode 242 of our podcast for all the details) and highly recommend it to those that are in the attractions industry. Here are the details on next week’s event:

What seasonal attractions are your favorite? Let us know in the comments below.

The Power Morphicon Convention is celebrating its SIXTH show, the expo’s first at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. The show is run by veteran convention artist and vendor Scott Zillner who annually puts on nearly a dozen shows in the Los Angeles and Sacramento areas including Japan World Heroes, a convention celebrating Japanese and Sentai related popular culture. Power Morphicon Convention has been held every other year since 2007, and Scott Zillner has been in control of the show since its second run in 2010. Since then, Power Morphicon Convention has been held consistently  on even-numbered years. 

Power Morphicon Convention hosts the largest number of actors and crew from the Power Rangers franchise, including artists and actors from the original Japanese Super Sentai series, upon which the Power Rangers television show is based. In addition to meeting their favorite actors from Power Rangers, fans and convention attendees will be able to purchase some convention exclusive merchandise. These special convention-only items are available for pre-order with your paid convention membership (attending or non-attending), or at the expo during the show. Items include the exclusive Lord Drakkon figurine (throne sold separately) and the black and gold Megazord Funko Pop! figurine. A convention-exclusive Power Morphicon Convention T-shirt is available for purchase, as well as metal Morphin’ Coins and specialized merchandise for Membership Tier.

​Are you excited for the con? Let us know if you’re going and what you’re excited for in the comments section below.