Halloween Horror Nights 31 (UOR) - Speculation & Rumors

[Nick]

They did? It had fans no doubt, but it also was pretty hated on. I don't understand the Squid Games at HHN appeal other than the new car smell of it all...

Yeah, the zone certainly wasn't loved beyond it's rabid fans (which every zone/house seems to have). I do think Squid Games could be very fun at HHN beyond the new car smell, but I think it needs to be a house and i'm not sure if Universal would do one. If you do Squid Games as a street, all you're doing is Seek & Destroy and then what's the point?

 

[Disneyson1]

Let's be careful how far we're looking down the rabbit hole to for confirmation on what you guys want to happen. Is it possible that Eddie is the Icon next year? Yes. They have the look down now and they know who to contact to play him as well.

However, it's also possible that James was just having some fun and nothing will come of it regarding Eddie for 31.

Totally agreed. I also think it’s the rumor with the most basis so far, aside from maybe Chucky. Between tweets, backstage rumors, and the reception of the zone, I mean.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

I have a feeling that next year we'll see some experimentation in the zones to figure out a way to improve them.

 

[Freak]

I have a feeling that next year we'll see some experimentation in the zones to figure out a way to improve them.

Man if zones can be anything like 18, 20 or 21, that'd be sick! I like zones with a lot of set dressing and good hiding spots for scares.

 

[WolfmanJ]

I know it's already been mentioned a bunch but The Thing seems like a no brainer for next year's event. It's the 40th anniversary of the movie and Universal owns the rights to it so its not like it'd be hard to get them. It's been 14 years since Carpenter's has been featured, so I'd say it's due to show up again.

I could also see some form of Candyman seeing how well it did at the box office this year.

 

[Crypt Keeper]

Is there any chance Ghostbusters: Afterlife could happen? I know Ghostbusters didn't do very well at 29, but there's always a chance. I don't know if it even has any horror aspects to it at all though.

 

[ThemeParks4Life]

They did? It had fans no doubt, but it also was pretty hated on. I don't understand the Squid Games at HHN appeal other than the new car smell of it all...

I feel like most of the hate came from online communities. Anytime I went through the zone, guests were getting scared/caught off guard and viewing the mini-shows.

I was torn about adding Squid Game into my initial spec, but if it sustains momentum online, Netflix will probably push for it.

Yeah, the zone certainly wasn't loved beyond it's rabid fans (which every zone/house seems to have). I do think Squid Games could be very fun at HHN beyond the new car smell, but I think it needs to be a house and i'm not sure if Universal would do one. If you do Squid Games as a street, all you're doing is Seek & Destroy and then what's the point?

tbh, I don't know how a Squid Game house would work without being the same scares over and over again. It'd either be pink jumpsuits or victim kills every scene. At least a zone changes the pacing a bit and stays closer to the show's tension.

Is there any chance Ghostbusters: Afterlife could happen? I know Ghostbusters didn't do very well at 29, but there's always a chance. I don't know if it even has any horror aspects to it at all though.

The 2019 house included a ghost from Afterlife, so that's less of a reason to bring it back.

 

[v0latilebear]

I think Stranger Things is a given, not sure if Icons will be utilized, they may take a break from them. Thinking 31 will look alot like 28, ST the headliner. Can't see them not doing something with li'l boo seeing how big that took off.

 

[Lucky Planet]

My point was more so within the Article Don Mancini talks about how much he wants a Chucky Maze.
View attachment 15585

for chucky, universal could create puppets like the one they had for the scarezone?

Well, there's always Halloween 5...

they might as well continue lol.

 

[Viator]

Squid Game feels like the type of IP that'd really work well as an "Illusion" based maze, with physical and mental subversions of the game. I wouldn't even put it past if they were able to have multiple scenarios proved for the routes, like Hellgate.

 

[HHNManics]

for chucky, universal could create puppets like the one they had for the scarezone?

They most likely could. The nice thing about the Chucky TV Show thus far is that there is clearly a number of Human Characters that they can use aside from Chucky. There are even certain effects in the Show that are straight from certain houses.

The Feet Under the Curtains Gag from ROTF.


Puppet Behind an Actor Gag from ROTF.

It has a nice amount of content so far and it's an 10 Episode Series with 6 more Episodes to go (Episode 4 came out yesterday).

 

[Legacy]

I know, but it just really stuck out to me because of the rumor that they not only planned for Eddie to kill him and take the throne but even fully rehearsed it.

They also rehearsed a Bellatrix Lestrange show for HHN and nothing has come of that.

A decision on an icon likely won’t be made until March.

 

[MikePat]

for chucky, universal could create puppets like the one they had for the scarezone?

They most likely could. The nice thing about the Chucky TV Show thus far is that there is clearly a number of Human Characters that they can use aside from Chucky. There are even certain effects in the Show that are straight from certain houses.
View attachment 15587View attachment 15588
The Feet Under the Curtains Gag from ROTF.
View attachment 15589
View attachment 15590
Puppet Behind an Actor Gag from ROTF.

It has a nice amount of content so far and it's an 10 Episode Series with 6 more Episodes to go (Episode 4 came out yesterday).

The way I hope HHN Orlando does their next Chucky house is like how Japan does it. Every Chucky scare is doll sized. The way Slimer in Ghostbusters and the Gnome Puppet in Puppet Theater where pulled off makes me think the creative team can easily pull that off.

 

[Viator]

Guessing Chucky will use a mix of puppeteers and more smaller actors, alongside face characters to represent the kids, Andy, Kyle, Nica, and Tiff. Assuming it happens of-course.

I think Last Night in SoHo, Chcuky, and Nope (I didn't include Nope in my spec list, but I could absolutely buy it happening). All three are not only new IP, but new IP that is owned by Universal.

 

[Tobias]

I know I said earlier I'm good with waiting on spec, but there's a couple things to note.

Considering Orlando's relationship with Netflix, I think it's a fairly safe bet that another Netflix show will be featured at the event. I'm not sensing anything that would suggest otherwise. Now as for what property, well let's rip the band-aid off first.

Squid Game. Great show! But does it fit at HHN? Absolutely Not.
This isn't some silly "It's not scary" gatekeeping of the event, I'm looking at what content there is to possibly use at the event and there's a severe lack of it. Definitely not enough for a house, and as others have said if it was a scare zone, it would be Seek & Destroy which wasn't very well received.

For me there's really two Netflix properties which have a really good chance of being used. One is Fear Street, which unlike Squid Game has a treasure trove of content to work with, so much so that it could easily be a MegaHouse to cover the whole trilogy. The other one is a return to Stranger Things, as that's been at the event before and it was a big merch and crowd-drawing IP, several factors that the higher ups really like!

Another safe bet is something Chucky related. To say that he's a Merch-Monster is a understatement, as you couldn't walk very far without seeing several people wearing a Chucky shirt at HHN 30. Add in the photo booth in 30 to promote the new series which is doing very well, and the fact that Don Mancini is also very fine with HHN, it would be the shock of the century if there *ISN'T* anything Chucky related at 31.

Also, some more Universal Monsters. Yet another Merch-Monster and one that's very close to the companies/A&D's hearts. As Bride of Frankenstein Lives showed, they can take fun directions with the monsters. Be it sequels to movies, "What If?.." kind of scenarios, there's a ton of possibilities for each monster they have be it separately or paired up in some fashion.

Finally, on the subject of Nope. For me that's a wait and see what the content of the film is. If the content is a bit more charged like GET OUT, then that would be a literal NOPE. However if it's more general horror like US, then it's a YUP.

 

[Brian G.]

Genuinely curious for those who want Squid Game, how to make it work? There is absolutely no Horror in the show at all.

The Pink Soldiers are useless until a player loses and there's no way to simulate "playing the game" in a maze setting. I think people see the cool costumes and settings and just jump to "HORROR NIGHTS MAZE" without thinking of the actual substance of the show.

 

[Lucky Planet]

squid game would kinda be like a waste golf a house but I guess it would be similar to RUN: Blood, Sweat and Fears

 

[JawsVictim]

I can’t imagine how to do Fear Street - perhaps a megahouse similar to AHS? Although it starts and ends with 1994. Idk I just don’t see it from a design point of view of 9 rooms unless they do each individually in 2022 - 2024.

 

[londonwerecat]

This thread already turned into a wishlist thread lol

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Genuinely curious for those who want Squid Game, how to make it work? There is absolutely no Horror in the show at all.

The Pink Soldiers are useless until a player loses and there's no way to simulate "playing the game" in a maze setting. I think people see the cool costumes and settings and just jump to "HORROR NIGHTS MAZE" without thinking of the actual substance of the show.

People want it because it's popular and lots of people dressed up for it this Halloween. Period. It's why I'm happy GoT never got the house it was rumored to have.