Summary
- Halloween Horror Nights returns to Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando, offering an immersive horror experience with new and classic scares.
- The Last of Us is a featured attraction, bringing guests into the world of the video game with live performers and appearances by the original voice actors.
- Stranger Things 4 is back with a vengeance, featuring Vecna as the central villain and recreating iconic moments from the Netflix series.
Halloween Horror Nights returns triumphant to Universal Studios Hollywood, opening on September 7 and running on select nights through October 31. Universal Orlando opens its scream season on the evening of September 1, and both locations promise an immersive experience alongside some of the most memorable media in horror history. Aside from a myriad of new and exciting houses for visitors to explore, Universal has brought back the fan-favorite Stranger Things experience, this time centering the adventure around the events of season 5.
Another surprise in the line-up is a haunted house based on Naughty Dog's The Last of Us video game, fresh on the heels of HBO's wildly successful television adaptation. The recent horror hit Evil Dead Rise is also featured among the houses to explore, along with a wide range of classic scares and more contemporary options.
Screen Rant ed a few other media outlets at Universal Studios Hollywood to preview some of the impressive haunted houses for 2023's spooky season. Creative director John Murdy offered a first look at "The Last of Us" and "Stranger Things 4" houses, walking his visitors through the chills and thrills that this year's Halloween Horror Nights had in store.
The Last Of Us At Halloween Horror Nights 2023
Get ready for a new approach to The Last of Us' Cordyceps infection at Halloween Horror Nights, which transports guests to the Pittsburgh Quarantine Zone from the Naughty Dog video game. Visitors become enmeshed in the world of Joel and Ellie as soon as they arrive, witnessing live performers lip-syncing to new lines performed by the original voice actors, Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson. as they try to make it out alive.
Beyond poring over hours of gameplay, John Murdy and his team worked closely with creator Neil Druckmann to recreate the atmosphere and details of the Quarantine Zone — even playing the game's theme music to get onlookers in the mood. That being said, there are a few key differences from the game, such as which stages of Infected appear in Pittsburgh. There are Runners, Stalkers, Clickers, Shamblers... and most significantly Bloaters, who don't appear in that section of the original The Last of Us game but are incorporated to provide fans the full effect.
The Last of Us is made up of more than Infected, however, and Halloween Horror Nights takes full advantage of that fact by spotlighting Hunters as well. When not narrowly avoiding becoming fungi food, visitors will have to escape the clutches of Hunters out for blood by following Joel and Ellie to safety. The protagonists of the game are also its heart, and Murdy has made sure to include moments of levity and unique characterization that showcase the reason millions of players first fell for the apocalyptic duo.
Stranger Things 4 At Halloween Horror Nights 2023
Universal Studios first experimented with a Stranger Things-themed house in 2018, but season 4 brought the attraction back in full force. This time around, Vecna is at the center of the story, and the Halloween Horror Nights house opens with Eddie's trailer and Chrissy's terrifying death scene. While Eddie is a live performer (still voiced by Joseph Quinn), Chrissy is a life-size sculpt that left even Netflix astounded by its accuracy.
Once visitors have made their way through the first trailer, the "Stranger Things" house gives way to a full trailer park, which includes Max's abode as well. Vecna, another custom sculpt, is lurking around corners and ready to scare fans by recreating iconic moments from the show. Not only is the monster himself an important part of the experience, but his victims and "zombies" make appearances throughout.
Eleven's story is also featured, with the Nevada Desert Lab rendered in the expansive look at Stranger Things season 4, which includes Henry and Dr. Brenner. The Rainbow Room will be complete with embedded LEDs and projections, which seek to throw the audience right into the world of the Netflix series. The Creel house leads to the grand finale, where live performers and sculpts once again combine to offer a face-to-face confrontation with Vecna alongside beloved characters.
An Overview Of Halloween Horror Nights 2023
- “The Last of Us” based on Naughty Dog and Playstation’s award-winning post-pandemic video game.
- “Stranger Things 4” transports guests to Hawkins, Indiana where they will face off against the evil Vecna in the fourth season of Netflix’s original series.
- “The Exorcist: Believer” features a terrifying new chapter as Chris MacNeil fights a nefarious demonic force which has possessed two girls.
- “Universal Monsters: Unmasked” expands on the Universal Monsters legacy with horror icons The Invisible Man, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Phantom of the Opera and The Hunchback of Notre Dame coming together for the first time ever in a chilling new story.
- “Chucky: Ultimate Kill Count” features the infamous slasher doll and his best kills throughout the series and films.
- “Evil Dead Rise” brings guests to a new twisted tale in the Evil Dead franchise, based on the 2023 box office hit.
- “Monstruos: The Monsters of Latin America” includes Latin American folklore's most terrifying ghosts and creatures.
- “Holidayz in Hell” takes visitors on a petrifying trip through a series of psychotic seasonal celebrations.
- “Terror Tram…The Exterminatorz” puts guests on the world-famous Universal backlot and in the middle of an insect uprising led by the devious Larry Larva whose goal is to exterminate humans from the Earth. Horror fans will also walk along the Jupiter’s Claim set from Nope where they will encounter The Tethered from Us in an epic crossover from two of director Jordan Peele’s blockbusters.
Halloween Horror Nights 2023 opens September 7 in Universal Studios Hollywood and will be available on select nights through October 31. Tickets can be purchased here, as it is ticketed separately from general ission to the park.