Despite being shuttered in 2020,Halloween Horror Nightsis returning to Universal Orlando this year with the help ofBeetlejuice. The Florida theme park was not able to run their annual Halloween celebration last year because of the pandemic. However, Universal Orlando has been open since last summer, and they’re ready to celebrate the 30th anniversary ofHalloween Horror Nights, which will include the same safety protocols they’ve been using for the last 8 months. It remains unclear if Universal Studios Hollywood will be reopen forHalloween Horror Nightsthis year or not.
Halloween Horror Nightsstarted at Universal Orlando back in 1991, whereBeetlejuiceserved as the first “Ghost Host.” At the time, the Halloween event was called Fright Nights, but it contained many of the same attractions that are still running on both coasts today. This year’s event will run on select nights from September 3rd to October 31st, and it will include “10 terrifying haunted houses, five twisted scare zones, and two outrageous live shows.”
Beetlejuicereturns to celebrate the 30th anniversary ofHalloween Horror Nightswith a “bone chilling” new haunted house. Visitors “will be at the whim of the self-described ‘Bio-Exorcist’ as they shadow Beetlejuice’s every move through artfully recreated scenes from the popular film.” The “infamous haunted attic within the Maitland home to the model graveyard and Dante’s Inferno Room, guests will have the chance to enter the movie surrounded by its most iconic characters.” It sounds like the new haunted house will be similar to theGhostbustersmaze from 2019, which allowed guests to immerse themselves in the iconic franchise with friends and family.
However,Beetlejuicehas a far different attitude when compared toGhostbusters. “With brash defiance, Beetlejuice is ready to turn on the juice and see what shakes loose - and his plans don’t include returning to the land of the unliving,” reads a description of the upcomingHalloween Horror Nights haunted house. As for the other mazes and scare zones, those have yet to be announced, at least as of this writing. One can imagine that Blumhouse will be a major presence, along with some other Halloween classics, which could even include Michael Myers again.
Like all othertheme parks in California, Universal Studios Hollywood has been shut down for nearly an entire year. Local legislators are trying to get the park, along with Disneyland and other parks, open by early April, which means thatHalloween Horror Nightscould return to the West Coast for the first time since 2019. As to whether or not that will happen is anybody’s guess at the moment. When the parks are allowed to open again, capacity will be severely limited, much like it is at Florida theme parks, and that could put a major damper on getting tickets for an event likeHalloween Horror Nights. You can check out a teaser of theBeetlejuicehaunted house above, thanks to theofficial Universal Orlando Resort YouTubechannel.
