Halloween Horror Nights 2025 (USH) - Speculation & Rumors

[mccgavin]

Unless I've missed something, there's currently no reason to think there won't be a UCM house on both coasts. Dark Universe is a separate thing, and IMO, including UCM in Vegas is a sign that the company is doubling down on these characters, not the opposite.

The IP wars have never been more intense. Universal is not going to pull the plug on one of their most lucrative horror properties just because of Horror Unleashed and Epic Universe. Again, they're clearly doing the exact opposite by featuring the IP in more places.

The thing is, the IP has lost its value to the event by being featured every single year, making it kind of stale. The first couple of houses they did were a big deal, and had a lot of work and dedication put in to execute them well. Over the last few years, each successive house feels like it has had less effort put into it than the last, and they don't seem to have gotten a big response from the general audience. I think most perceive them to be an obligatory IP filler spot at this point.

Even if next year is not the time that we go without a Universal Monsters house, it will have to eventually take a break like Walking Dead before it. Taking two or three years off from Universal Monsters, and then coming back with a phenomenal house is the best thing they could do to reinvigorate interest. There does not need to be a Monsters house every single year, and the event has shown in the past that it can be successful without that IP being featured all the time.

 

[viking_wizard_eyes]

The thing is, the IP has lost its value to the event by being featured every single year, making it kind of stale. The first couple of houses they did were a big deal, and had a lot of work and dedication put in to execute them well. Over the last few years, each successive house feels like it has had less effort put into it than the last, and they don't seem to have gotten a big response from the general audience. I think most perceive them to be an obligatory IP filler spot at this point.

Even if next year is not the time that we go without a Universal Monsters house, it will have to eventually take a break like Walking Dead before it. Taking two or three years off from Universal Monsters, and then coming back with a phenomenal house is the best thing they could do to reinvigorate interest. There does not need to be a Monsters house every single year, and the event has shown in the past that it can be successful without that IP being featured all the time.

I don't agree that it's lost value -- considering it's a free-of-charge IP for this company, the value is kind of limitless. I do agree that each has house has been weaker than the last, but I'd need to see some kind of hard data on the GP's opinion before I'd believe that including a UCM house would somehow be detrimental to the event. Were that the case, I don't think you'd see Universal putting all these UCM eggs (Dark Universe, Horror Unleashed -- especially Horror Unleashed) into their haunted attraction basket. Logically, that line of thinking just does not scan.

Maybe it's obligatory filler, but is there a theme park haunt even out there that doesn't have obligatory filler? KSF is essentially the exact same event each year; OBB is what -- 95% obligatory IP filler? There's clearly an advantage to having a familiar brand as part of these events. UCM fits that bill, alongside Blumhouse and now Monstruos, as well. All three will be back next year.

 

[Brian G.]

Logically, that line of thinking just does not scan.

I mean, it scans. It's just a matter of speculation at this point.

The only thing that I can say ATM is that there hasn't been any chatter about Monsters in the line-up so far this year, and it's usually one of the first things that gets "confirmed".

 

[viking_wizard_eyes]

I mean, it scans. It's just a matter of speculation at this point.

It doesn't, even though it is just speculation.

"Bad news, team. The general public is starting to sour on our UCM houses at the seasonal haunt event. What's our next move?"

"I know! Let's include a UCM house in our permanent, year-round haunt event that we're using as lead gen to get visitors to our parks!"

The only thing that I can say ATM is that there hasn't been any chatter about Monsters in the line-up so far this year, and it's usually one of the first things that gets "confirmed".

I'll be shocked if it holds true.

 

[chris.g]

I don’t think the Monsters are coming at all next year.

 

[Brian G.]

It doesn't, even though it is just speculation.

"Bad news, team. The general public is starting to sour on our UCM houses at the seasonal haunt event. What's our next move?"

"I know! Let's include a UCM house in our permanent, year-round haunt event that we're using as lead gen to get visitors to our parks!"


I'll be shocked if it holds true.

They are targeting different audiences, however. Either way, you have drawn your line in the sand, and we can go in circles until something tangible emerges. We will just have to accept each other's positions until then.

 

[mccgavin]

It's also worth considering that even if UM doesn't get a house, it very well could still have a presence at the event. Chucky is also one of their top in-house horror IPs, and they've done a lot of different things with him throughout the years.

 

[saint.piss]

It's also worth considering that even if UM doesn't get a house, it very well could still have a presence at the event. Chucky is also one of their top in-house horror IPs, and they've done a lot of different things with him throughout the years.

A Universal Monsters themed show inside DreamWorks Theater could work.

 

[Brian G.]

A Universal Monsters themed show inside DreamWorks Theater could work.

Keep cookin…

 

[viking_wizard_eyes]

It's also worth considering that even if UM doesn't get a house, it very well could still have a presence at the event. Chucky is also one of their top in-house horror IPs, and they've done a lot of different things with him throughout the years.

One of the reasons we don’t have more Chucky houses is because doing them the right way — or at least the way the team would prefer to do it — is a pretty big lift. That’s not the case with UCM. It’s actually the exact opposite.

Only way we don’t get UCM is if the IP lineup is so strong that it gets bumped or they opt to do a brand new, non-Orlando original, which they admittedly haven’t done in a while. Otherwise, I see it as a lock.

 

[Rideguy70]

As much as I love Universal Monsters mazes, I agree that they were getting less and less strong... like a copy of a copy of a copy. Also, it was in danger of becoming the new Walking Dead maze, in that it was just happening for year after year after year, and each time with diminishing returns.

 

[TheHaunter]

I personally would not mind if Murdy wanted to take a break from Universal Monsters for HHN 2025 in order to focus on making the 2026 monsters maze a strong maze compared to last year's maze and the unmasked. Also we need more monsters movies that may be the only way to add new fresh monsters into the collection of the already existing original monsters.

 

[Jake S]

I think we have a fundamental misunderstanding of why the monsters mazes have diminished in quality in Hollywood. My sense is that it has much more to do with budget allocation than it does with Universal's ability to dream up interesting, creative ideas. The latest maze was obviously a miss from the early stages of design, but "Unmasked" suffered because it's the IP that will get the least blowback from cut corners.

My point being that taking a couple years off to "recharge the batteries" won't change that it's the IP most vulnerable to cuts.

 

[rageofthegods]

Which is why we should hope James Wan's Creature$$$ from the Black Lagoon is a massive hit so that the people will demand to see them done justice in a maze with no black walls.

 

[Lucky Planet]

Which is why we should hope James Wan's Creature$$$ from the Black Lagoon is a massive hit so that the people will demand to see them done justice in a maze with no black walls.

blue walls like water