Universal Monsters: Unmasked (HHN 2023)

[Brian G.]

Universal Monsters: Unmasked
The dank Catacombs of Paris house a much darker secret sixty feet beneath the bustling streets, as the all-new haunted house “Universal Monsters: Unmasked” takes guests down into the infamous burial grounds where every corner and crevice overflows with millions of skeletal remains and even more sinister secrets. Deep within the Catacombs, Universal’s most notorious creatures – The Phantom of the Opera, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Dr. Jekyll and his deranged alternate personality Mr. Hyde, and Dr. Jack Griffin, aka The Invisible Man – lie in wait as they bide their time and seek vengeance against guests after the opening of the Catacombs to public visitation. These desperate and dangerous fiends have become filled with a rage toward guests navigating the twisted tunnels of their underground labyrinth home.

 

[Jerroddragon]

As much as the classic Monsters are more Iconic

It's nice to see them using these guys at USH, I'm sure they have been at a HNN here before but I can't remember the last time

 

[rageofthegods]

Universal is pushing hard for Jekyll as a classic monster even though they technically don't own the most iconic depiction (from 1931). Fun bit of trivia, they would've owned it too, since it was a Paramount movie and Uni owns the pre-1949 library, if it weren't for a maneuver where MGM bought the rights prior to 1949 to make their own remake.

Invisible Man is fun but Hunchback and Phantom should be the stars here. Hope we get some fun stuff at the Opera House.

 

[Clive]

I'm really puzzled that Invisible Man is involved at all. I see they also ditched the "silent film" angle, which is fine, I guess, this still sounds excellent.

 

[PerceptiveCoot]

Universal is pushing hard for Jekyll as a classic monster even though they technically don't own the most iconic depiction (from 1931). Fun bit of trivia, they would've owned it too, since it was a Paramount movie and Uni owns the pre-1949 library, if it weren't for a maneuver where MGM bought the rights prior to 1949 to make their own remake.

Invisible Man is fun but Hunchback and Phantom should be the stars here. Hope we get some fun stuff at the Opera House.

They've been doing this for a while, pretty much every attempt by Universal to modernize their Monsters franchise has included him in some way, whether that's Van Hesling or The Mummy (2017).

I'm really puzzled that Invisible Man is involved at all. I see they also ditched the "silent film" angle, which is fine, I guess, this still sounds excellent.

Maybe they felt that they still needed someone who was more of a core Classic Monster.

 

[Spookies n' Stuff]

Universal Monsters: Unmasked
The dank Catacombs of Paris house a much darker secret sixty feet beneath the bustling streets, as the all-new haunted house “Universal Monsters: Unmasked” takes guests down into the infamous burial grounds where every corner and crevice overflows with millions of skeletal remains and even more sinister secrets. Deep within the Catacombs, Universal’s most notorious creatures – The Phantom of the Opera, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Dr. Jekyll and his deranged alternate personality Mr. Hyde, and Dr. Jack Griffin, aka The Invisible Man – lie in wait as they bide their time and seek vengeance against guests after the opening of the Catacombs to public visitation. These desperate and dangerous fiends have become filled with a rage toward guests navigating the twisted tunnels of their underground labyrinth home.

Even though I was kinda banking on it just being Phantom and Hunchback for the true Parisian focused Lon Chaney Sr tribute, this might be my most anticipated house of the year.
A Paris-based monsters maze featuring all the more obscure headliners of the 20s and 30s is something I've been hoping for ever since the beginning in 2018. In my mind, this is the closest thing we've really had to a true sequel to that maze's monster mash spirit, not counting Bride even though it was a literal sequel and great in its own right. This maze alone really crushes me that I can't make it out to Orlando as well this year to see what they'll do with this concept.

 

[Jaden]

Can’t wait to see more Phantom and the Invisible Man!

 

[rageofthegods]

I'm really puzzled that Invisible Man is involved at all. I see they also ditched the "silent film" angle, which is fine, I guess, this still sounds excellent.

I really hope Murdy eventually gets to do his german expressionist maze because it really seems like he's been pushing for some kind of silent film rep for a while.

Maybe Nosferatu next year will let him scratch that itch a little.

 

[AlexanderMBush]

Just got the sake of bringing up: but Slash was confirmed via PR to be doing the scoring for the western version!

 

[ParksandSights]

Since they're including Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, is it worth watching the 1913 Universal production? Reviews aren't great

 

[Jake S]

Since they're including Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, is it worth watching the 1913 Universal production? Reviews aren't great

as a piece of cinematic history, sure. but of the monsters featured in the house, it's by far the worst film [imo]. the invisible man, on the other hand, absolutely slaps and if y'all haven't seen it ... you should.

 

[rageofthegods]

Should be noted also that it's, like, less than 30 minutes long. You won't feel like your time is wasted at least.

If you want a proper black and white Jekyll and Hyde though, yeah you're probably best off seeking the Paramount version from 1931.

 

[Ridesandstuff]

I'm really puzzled that Invisible Man is involved at all. I see they also ditched the "silent film" angle, which is fine, I guess, this still sounds excellent.

What was the angle? No dialogue in the maze?

 

[darkridelover]

The name "Unmasked" doesn't make sense. Like whats the Phantom or Invisible Man without a mask? They'll still have a mask. They could have found a better name.

 

[MikePat]

The name "Unmasked" doesn't make sense. Like whats the Phantom or Invisible Man without a mask? They'll still have a mask. They could have found a better name.

Unmasked is a fun name that thematically ties all these Monsters together as we unmask these characters' true identities (and the fact that we are unmasking the horrors within Paris). One of the most iconic moments in The Universal Monsters film catalog is when the Phantom unmasked himself to reveal his face. The Invisible Man unmasked is, well, invisible.

 

[Spookies n' Stuff]

What was the angle? No dialogue in the maze?

I think they just mean when the speculation was solely Phantom and Quasi, making it a kinda tribute to the silent film founders of the monsters as a franchise, which Jekyll also falls into, but Invisible Man firmly breaks that trend.

Throw Frankenstein and Dracula in there too we could've had the comprehensive literature-based monsters cast.

 

[saint.piss]

 

[deadbydawn]

Excited to see how they pull this one off!

 

[Crypt Keeper]

The name "Unmasked" doesn't make sense. Like whats the Phantom or Invisible Man without a mask? They'll still have a mask. They could have found a better name.

Unmasked is a fun name that thematically ties all these Monsters together as we unmask these characters' true identities (and the fact that we are unmasking the horrors within Paris). One of the most iconic moments in The Universal Monsters film catalog is when the Phantom unmasked himself to reveal his face. The Invisible Man unmasked is, well, invisible.

I think they just mean when the speculation was solely Phantom and Quasi, making it a kinda tribute to the silent film founders of the monsters as a franchise, which Jekyll also falls into, but Invisible Man firmly breaks that trend.

Throw Frankenstein and Dracula in there too we could've had the comprehensive literature-based monsters cast.

If it didn't involve Invisible Man, I would've named it Universal Monsters: Silent Abominations. But given what @MikePat said about the subtitle "Unmasked", it's pretty good.

 

[saint.piss]