Halloween Horror Nights 2026 (USH) - Speculation & Rumors

[Brian G.]

This thread is dedicated to all Speculation & Rumors for this year's Halloween Horror Nights 2026 event at Universal Studios Hollywood.

As always, we ask that all speculation come from realistic expectations and adds to the discussion. Please keep discussions about wishful thinking/dream properties to the HHN Wish List threads. Official news will be shared on the News & Info thread.

We will be monitoring this thread very closely. We understand the appeal of a new speculation season and everyone is antsy to start talking about what's next. At the same time, we don't want the threads to devolve into chaos. We kindly ask you to please respect the guidelines of discussion so we can avoid locking discussions.

Thanks.

DISCLAIMER: This thread contains discussion centered around rumors and sometimes could include baseless speculation, and should be treated as such. Posts are not confirmations. Any official announcements for HHN will be shared on our main site, InsideUniversal.net

 

[ladiesman217]

Oh boy here we go.

Personally, here's what I'm thinking.

It's the 20th anniversary since the revival, his return has already been teased, I think we are getting Hollywood Harry in his own house along with Jack the Clown also paying a visit to Hollywood in some form. I'd LOVE for it to be a House of Horrors mini recreation but have it be taken over by Harry and Jack. But realistically, I don't know if they'd want to just make it a clown maze instead.

FNAF 2 is a no-brainer. Enough said on that.

With Monstruos now done, I wonder if we may end up getting a Japanese original. A Spirits and Demons of the East inspired maze would go hard but really, that original of ours for next year (if they're planning on giving us another original) could be ANYTHING.

Scream would be absolutely massive if they're able to get the rights for it. It'd fill the slasher role at the event and, as someone had mentioned in these forums before, could even become the new walk-around character. The only thing is, which Scream film would they be able to use? I'd hope its the original but if its one of the sequel films then that'd be a shame. Either way, the GP would show up to anything Scream related.

Stranger Things 5 is shaping up to be pretty big and we know that Netflix is not working with Six Flags anymore so the IP is possibly back on the table for Universal to use. The only thing is, I wonder which maze, FNAF or Stranger Things, would end up using SS15 since that is THE headliner spot and all. Either way, should be interesting to see if we get this property back at the event for one final time.

I know Hellraiser has been talked about but with how early those rumors came out, I think that was either a dud or the rights holders may have actually pulled out due to the leak that early on. Either way, I really don't have a lot of faith in that property coming to the event but hopefully I'm wrong and it does make its way over here!

Maybe, juuuuuust maybe, with this being a big milestone year, we can possibly get The Thing. But if FNAF is coming back, I'm not getting my hopes up as all the big puppet money would be going to that maze. Thing would also need a LOT of good scenic in order to work well and I really don't want to see a half-arsed house based off this property so I don't know, kind of perplexed on this for next year.

Also throwing out my wishful thinking, hopefully we get Halloween: Hell Comes to Haddonfield from 2016 as our returning maze (since we know they love using that trend nowadays). That maze was definitely one of the greatest media: maze translations ever made and the ending of it brings a tear every time I watch a video of it.

Probably the biggest question I have is, how is Terror Tram going to work next year? With WOTW being presumably demolished soon, I wonder if they'd end up rerouting the Tram or just not offering it at all and maybe using the garage for two more mazes like 2019. Should be interesting to see how it goes but if we do get the Tram back, I want to see the one original idea that, surprisingly, hasn't been done yet, 'Invasion!'. I think having an alien themed Terror Tram would be a lot of fun!

Also GIVE US AN EXTERMINATORZ HOUSE MURDY.

 

[bdubsCEO]

SPEC SEASON IS HERE, E’RYBODY CHEERRR

Stranger Things 5 is guaranteed. I don’t want it, I haven’t enjoyed the show since 2019 and Netflix as a brand generally annoys me with how corporate and forced it feels now. I’m sure they’ll do the best they can to make this cool, but I don’t see it being a favorite no matter how well they sell it.

I strongly disagree with everyone saying we should just get a FNAF repeat. We NEED a FNAF 2 house. Mangle, the Toy and Withered animatronics, the Puppet and Golden Freddy all have genuinely INSANE potential for a house. Like, oh my god. Imagine a Mangle puppet hanging from the ceiling, with the individual limbs moving. Also, the FNAF 2 pizzeria looks perfect for a house with the abandoned boat ride. This would make a Fazillion dollars.

I really want Scream. Ghostface is one of my favorite horror villains easily with his cocky and snappy mannerisms as he chases his prey. I know they’ve been trying to get this for years and this feels like a solid opportunity to start in terms of making this an even crazier event than 2025.

Also, Ghostface as the follow-up to roaming Art with an actual voice changer. PLEASE.

This isn’t spec, but I desperately want a full-budget Evil Dead Trilogy house. Or maybe just the first two if it’s too hard to incorporate the tonal whiplash from AOD.

Terror Tram, I’m really hoping they move away from Blumhouse. I liked the last two years but you can only do that concept so many times. I also hope they change up the route a little bit.

I’m 100% with Ladiesman. Latin America was sick, but it’s been like five straight years with no breaks. A yo-kai house is literally my number one most wanted house now that FNAF has been realized.

 

[rageofthegods]

Blumhouse, Black Phone 2 + Other Mommy. Other Mommy is based on a book called Incidents Around the House that's pretty HHN friendly. That could combine with Black Phone 2 for a strong maze/tram.

FNAF 2 next year would be striking while the iron's not as hot but that hardly matters when the iron's this hot to start with.

 Hellraiser has been referenced as a possibility. Same rightsholders as Scream fwiw.

Then there's the Warner Bros properties:

 Weapons was a standout horror this year and Aunt Gladys was huge this Halloween. Would be a big get for next year.

 Sinners. Extra factor with this one is I feel like Murdy would go extra hard for it. He'd probably salivate for a chance to do that Irish dancing scene.

The Conjuring, obviously been a white whale for a while.

Evil Dead Burn is coming out next year as well.

Beyond that:

Legacy has mentioned  Ozzy as a possibility, which would of course be wonderful.

 

[Viator]

(Reposting this here as it goes both ways)

• "Whenever The Clowns not on the screen, one should ask WHERE'S THE CLOWNS?"​

With next year being the 35th Anniversary for Orlando, and the 20th Anniversary for Hollywood, the immediate thing that comes to mind is the return of Jack, and the return of Oddfellow and Hollywood Harry for both coasts respectively.

I've been on the suspicion and process for a while, even before MidSummer Scream, that HHN35 and HHN'20 respectively will see Jack be a "Shared" Icon, with both Hollywood Harry and Oddfellow alongside the main man for both coasts. Narratively, both makes sense in the context (with Oddfellow and Jack having beef, and Hollywood Harry potentially seeing Jack as an "Invader" considering he's on the Hollywood hillside).

Does that mean other Clowns, like Art The Clown or the Killer Klowns from Outer Space could be featured? Doubtful, but I do think if at the very least, Jack, Oddfellow, and Harry are back for merchandising purposes.

• The Door for More​

One of the prevalent rumors early on with HHN34 was the potential of an increase in house content, and I wonder if with hindsight, Universal might be realizing that they finally need to address this on both coasts.

With Five Nights at Freddy's being the first venue in Hollywood to use the indoor queue of Transformers, and with how jumping both FNAF and Terrifier was for Orlando, the logic feels prevalent to finally make the jump from 8 houses to 9 for Hollywood, and from 10 houses to 11 for Orlando. If it happens, Mind wonders if it could be helped if they could get something that'd be an American Werewolf in London scenario, to help pad out the lineup while not eating into it.

• No Stranger Things​

I've been kind of mulling the element of what exactly would make sense in the context of next year. And while instinctually, one could think that Stranger Things would unironically be the IP that'd work well as a "Fallout". Stranger Things will be celebrating their 10th Year Anniversary, they will be wrapping up on the main show (and there doesn't seem to be plans for a spin-off or sequel), and merchandising it makes sense.

...but, does it make sense, to work with Netflix again? While you'd say "if it's sensical", but I have remembered more properly and more directly that Netflix has been rather notorious to work with, and that their expectations don't often gel in a way that makes the houses viable. While I might be a outlier amongst other individuals, my suspicion is that they'd rather spend the money and invest into other Horror IP's, especially...

• Five Nights at Freddy's 2​

For Universal to have a "Tentpole" IP, it has to be a specific kind of IP that warrants it getting top billing and being treated as the "Headliner" among headliners. Five Nights at Freddys, and by extension FNAF2, seems to be a massive undertaking for Blumhouse as a studio. With a more robust, expanded cast of colorful and murderous animatronics, amongst exploring and expanding what is possible with the IP as it is.

On a internet level, the inclusion of FNAF with Horror Nights unlocked a new audience gap similar to what happened with Stranger Things in 2018, American Horror Story in 2016, and The Walking Dead in 2012. And this is a unique element to where the demand is outpouring and outgrossing, with merchandise consistently flying off shelves, with food overlays bustling and requiring extra elements.

It's my belief, that FNAF2 will get the bigger deal in comparison to ST, because it is the closest thing to having full control of a modern tentpole, in a while...

• My Little Prayer Circle​

So, let me get people up to speed. In the past I've actually been doing little Prayer Circles, IP's that I believe will happen and give citated reasons for what makes them ideal for the sake of the event. I have had good luck for the past two years, with Weeknd in 2024, and Chainsaw Man for 2025; and I intend to do it again. My little prayer circles are meant to be for fun, and not actual rumors, but speculation based on logic and rhyme. Part of me was inspired by Dr. Jimmy back in the day on these.

But what could the mystery Prayer Circle be? Could it be Resident Evil? Could it be Sinners, another Netflix IP, or god forbid Gremlins? That lies where the fun truly comes. The prayer circle I have chosen to be on the hill with, is Michael Jackson.

While I hope @Legacy is right on Ozzy, because of the fun that'd come to honoring the rock legend (especially as it'd be a fun way to repurpose elements from Black Sabbath: 13-3D), Michael Jackson's kind of going to be a hot topic for Universal. MJ will be one of the main "Headliner" films, for Universal Pictures in 2026, with the co-distributed, and marketed by Universal biopic of Michael. And from what it sounds like, the biopic will be mainly keeping it's focus on the rise of the pop star within that of the 1980s.

If I was thinking a music IP, and a music artist, who would be a massive international crowd-pleaser, for his musical songs and his captivating visuals; and the legacy he made within the 80's as a pop artist, Michael would be my pick hands down. Helps that Murdy seems to have interest to go back to older music catalogues.

Michael would be an undertaking of unique proportions. How to finesse and move around not drawing the ire of pushback, but if I was Universal, and if I had the ability to use the marketing powers you have with the Biopic; and the licensing that comes from working with Lionsgate in the process of drawing attention to the film all year long (especially if they go for Oscar buzz), then I think there's a really solid element that MJ would make sense for HHN.

Bonus points if it's something that Murdy could lead on. Be from getting ahold of Giorgio via contacts with Abel TesFaye and Mike Dean (maybe even getting John Landis to give the thumbs up for quality, considering he directed Thriller), be with the times Murdy had shown his family around the event and the park back in the day. I think if Ozzy is not the eye that Murdy wants, MJ might be a unique once-in-a-lifetime shot.

Could my third go with the Prayer Circles be a dud? Probably, if only because of the risks, but I am openly thinking MJ has an increasingly viable shot within HHN this year, for a global level that makes sense for both coasts.

 

[chris.g]

I think FNAF 2 is a safe bet.

I think Hellraiser being a rumor feels likely.

I think Scream still feels like a pipe dream.

Will we see a separate video game inspired IP next year? I think THE LAST OF US returning with Pt. II being the focal point is worth considering. RESIDENT EVIL RE9UIEM taking place in a post-nuked Raccoon City seems RIPE for potential and right up Murdy’s alley. The of course, there’s the ever rumored SILENT HILL which is experiencing a renaissance. Murdy has made it clear he wants to take on it again. The Orlando team has said they felt they didn’t do it justice. If you ask me, this seems likelier, but still not a certainty.

I just want Murdy to take a crack at Graveyard Games, lol.

What’s the possibility WB lets UC get a crack at one of their gold mines? NOES has been rumored before to disappointingly being avoided. Welcome to Derry opens the possibility of Pennywise finally being at the event.

A lot to consider!

 

[bdubsCEO]

I think FNAF 2 is a safe bet.

I think Hellraiser being a rumor feels likely.

I think Scream still feels like a pipe dream.

Will we see a separate video game inspired IP next year? I think THE LAST OF US returning with Pt. II being the focal point is worth considering. RESIDENT EVIL RE9UIEM taking place in a post-nuked Raccoon City seems RIPE for potential and right up Murdy’s alley. The of course, there’s the ever rumored SILENT HILL which is experiencing a renaissance. Murdy has made it clear he wants to take on it again. The Orlando team has said they felt they didn’t do it justice. If you ask me, this seems likelier, but still not a certainty.

I just want Murdy to take a crack at Graveyard Games, lol.

What’s the possibility WB lets UC get a crack at one of their gold mines? NOES has been rumored before to disappointingly being avoided. Welcome to Derry opens the possibility of Pennywise finally being at the event.

A lot to consider!

Silent Hill is another one. It's more than time for a Silent Hill 2 house that faithfully adapts the enviroments and monsters of the actual game, especially now that the amazing remake and F are out and the IP is fully back in terms of quality and cultural relevance. Pyramid Head literally just showed up in Smiling Friends of all places, so I think Konami is willing to play ball. I woud absolutely lose it if they base it off the stupid movie reboot. Like lose it lose it.

 

[Viator]

Resident Evil actually has a lot going for it.

With Resident Evil: Re9uiem, Zach Cregger's Resident Evil releasing in September (bonus points, it's being distributed by Sony), and Resident Evil's 30th Anniversary; the stars are admittedly aligning really well for them to go all out and celebrate RE throughout the year. It makes a lot of sense for both coasts, especially if they base it off of RE2Make/RE3Make.