Halloween Horror Nights 2023 (USH) - Speculation & Rumors

[Brian G.]

This thread is dedicated to all Speculation & Rumors for this year's Halloween Horror Nights 2023 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

 

[chris.g]

Im going to throw my hat into the ring.

I have to believe Scream is coming. It's time. They have to work something out right? My inner gut is just telling me that it's on its way. Please! lol

 

[Brian G.]

Might as well throw this out there, too.

The Road to Halloween Horror Nights 2023: Unlikely Properties

The door has closed on another year of Horror Nights, and with that comes the start of the frenzy of speculation for the following year. In an unprecedented move, Universal has already announced the first bit of news as Halloween Horror Nights 2022 was set to end - as they revealed Chucky will be

www.insideuniversal.net

 

[Jerroddragon]

Scream and Evil Dead would be cool and make sense

They wont but Resident Evil 4 remake comes out next year.....and yeah that maze would be amazing if they can finally get the rights over here in the west.

I sadly also bet M3GAN is a maze. Honestly would not mind a M3GAN maze is if was M3GAN vs Chucky but.....bet they will both just have separate mazes

 

[Viator]

So I tackled this into the aspect of News and Info...but man do I wonder what's going to happen to Jabba. If they stay in a new location, like say Plaza (as some have suggested).

As far as what I think? The Last of Us. I think marketing is going to pull the trigger on it. The HBO Show is focusing entirely with the original game & Left Behind; meaning you have a lot of materials that can easily justify being present within Halloween Horror Nights, and a lot of creatures that feel billboard promiment.

Imagine, a billboard featuring Regan from The Exorcist (Which I also think is happening; it's a Blumhouse movie being solely distributed by Universal), Chucky, a Clicker, and Abel in the old man makeup. That feels like a genuine win in so many ways, and feels like heavy hitters.

 

[salismetho]

Oh boy this’ll be fun

My current bets are on DawnFM, at least one Blumhouse property (maybe the new Exorcist?), and another Hollywood take on an Orlando original. I’m sure FNAF will come up a lot but that makes more sense for 2024 imo since the movie will likely already be out by then. I also have a feeling that Evil Dead Rise is dead and isn’t gonna come back. Also think with the Chucky announcement we can assume M3GEN won’t be coming as the two would be pretty redundant.

Most curious about what the plans are for replacing show capacity and expanding event offerings (higher maze count?)

 

[Jerroddragon]

So I tackled this into the aspect of News and Info...but man do I wonder what's going to happen to Jabba. If they stay in a new location, like say Plaza (as some have suggested).

As far as what I think? The Last of Us. I think marketing is going to pull the trigger on it. The HBO Show is focusing entirely with the original game & Left Behind; meaning you have a lot of materials that can easily justify being present within Halloween Horror Nights, and a lot of creatures that feel billboard promiment.

Imagine, a billboard featuring Regan from The Exorcist (Which I also think is happening; it's a Blumhouse movie being solely distributed by Universal), Chucky, a Clicker, and Abel in the old man makeup. That feels like a genuine win in so many ways, and feels like heavy hitters.

Don't give me hope.

God...a last of Us maze would be SOOOOO big next year that game is known by none gamers already and the show unless it sucks will get soooo many people into that series. Plus the Online should be out by next fall at the latest so perfect time for a maze

 

[Viator]

Don't give me hope.

God...a last of Us maze would be SOOOOO big next year that game is known by none gamers already and the show unless it sucks will get soooo many people into that series. Plus the Online should be out by next fall at the latest so perfect time for a maze

The Last of Us feels like the natural pick if they wish to do an apocalyptic IP again. The stars align in this moment with the Factions MMO, TLOU HBO, the Remake coming to PC in 2023, and the likely release of Part 2 sometime around 2023. This feels, like the safest thing for me when I consider something undead oriented that would bring a large amount of people, be fresh for the creative teams, and pose a challenge of scale/scope.

I could even see Murdy having a field day on how to handle to seasonal transitions, as it'd fit right in with the black wall sequences actually having meaning: to break apart the moments.

 

[MikePat]

So I tackled this into the aspect of News and Info...but man do I wonder what's going to happen to Jabba. If they stay in a new location, like say Plaza (as some have suggested).

This is the part of HHN Hollywood I am most interested in for next season. This past year it felt like it was constantly clogged up by the show venue, especially when Jabba let out. Curious to see if it will be better or worse. I, too, wonder if they will use Plaza because it might take away from Universal's recent success in the area to have a Halloween food and wine festival unless they find another location to conduct those festivities.

Additionally, with locations, I feel some things might be switched around in the lower lot due to SNW being officially open.

 

[Viator]

Additionally, with locations, I feel some things might be switched around in the lower lot due to SNW being officially open.

Honestly I'm betting SNW is open. Will help with the capacity, and it's going to earn money no matter what.

Doesn't matter if it's locked behind 2PM D/N, or with the event itself, it's a high capacity dark ride that could be really beneficial during the event hours.

 

[Ridesandstuff]

My early predictions

-Scarecrow and The Weeknd potentially return
-Candyman or Jordan Peele original (that last part could possibly be a Terror Tram theme ending with the same US+Nope mash up)
-El Pueblo del Terror house

Another thing Im thinking about is further synergy with Peacock. We already see that happening with the new Chucky maze and the free months subscription from buying a ticket. I think the films that are available to watch through the service could be a good indicator of whats to come to the event later. I think this could manifest in a number of ways.

-Campy movie replacement for KKFOS that is available on Peacock (Toxic Avenger, Phantasm, Gremlins, Elvira etc)
-Peacock House of Horrors (less likely and not very catchy lol)

Peacock is also producing the Crystal Lake show with A24. I don't think that will be out by next years event but I think that working relationship could lead us to finally getting some A24 ips at the event.

 

[rageofthegods]

I don't think people are prepared for how big M3gan is gonna be, tracking seems through the roof. There's going to be demand for it when the movie drops. If they go the compilation route, though, it's hard to think of what they'll pair it with. Insidious 5 is Sony this year, so I imagine they'll want to avoid that. One potential route is to pair it with a Blumhouse TV series, like their anthologies for Epix or Amazon or maybe their Battersea Poltergeist series for Peacock if that gets off the ground in time.

Another potential house is Renfield. Action-horror-comedy that's fully-owned by Universal, from the director of Lego Batman and a writer on Rick and Morty, with Nicolas Cage starring as Dracula. It would fill the comedy house niche this year.

Obviously also there's going to be Monsters. I feel like they're gonna want to keep expanding out from the big three this year, so I'm wondering who they're gonna choose for this round. Phantom vs Mummy?

 

[Freak]

Alright let’s gooooo! Another year of speculation! Crazy we already have a confirmed house.

Okay, here’s my initial speculation:

Chupacabra: Knowing how much of a market HHNH has for Hispanic folklore houses, you think they would’ve done this already. With LL winning house of the year, seems like the most obvious choice for an original next year.

Monsters: There’s for sure going to be another Monsters house, which I’m down for! Question is, what will the theme be? Will they do Hunchback and/or Phantom? Or will they finally give the Creature his long-awaited representation? Give the creature his due!

Another Orlando original port: I’m sure Scarecrow was also rated very highly on the GSATs. All of the die hards I know of agree that this should’ve been HOTY. Because of this, I think doing another Orlando original makes sense. If I had to wager I would say Seeds of Extinction seems like the logical choice for the next original. I mean, it’s mostly scareactors in camo netting suits and hand puppets, so this would be a very simple theme to do. Plus Murdy can reuse that crashed helicopter from TWD houses if it’s still around. If they do end up doing TLOU then I’m going to guess they’ll do Graveyard Games or maybe Bugs.

The Last of Us: Didn’t they try to get this IP last year? I think they’ll give this another go. I think it’ll happen.

Scream: This is kinda more out of wishful thinking than spec at this point but please for the love of all that is good and right make it happen! It’s time! Work something out! PLEASE!

Insidious: I would be kinda surprised if they didn’t revisit this. GP would love it, I believe Uni owns this, and it’s one of the few IPs they could get away with using black wallz. Either this or Exorcist again, but I would rather they do this again than Exorcist. Man that house sucked last year.

It or Conjuring: I know these IPs are a long shot, but since Horror Made Here is dead, I could see WB being willing to work with HHN again. Conjuring will have its ten year anniversary next year and It is having a new series coming out(?). Sounds like the ideal time to tackle these two IPs.

That’s all I’ve got for the spec ring. I’ve given up on Hellraiser at this point. I don’t see The Weeknd coming back especially considering they already used some
Dawn FM songs for the House. We all know Chucky will be coming. Now for operations:

-I think we’ll see more nights this year. They’re probably going to push hard for Wednesdays throughout October (Which I hope so!)

-Eight houses plus tram once again. I don’t see them adding anymore houses especially considering how chaotic the construction schedule is going to be

-Show venue will be in Uni Plaza in abcense of SES. Jabawockeez will probably be back. They draw a crowd so why fix what isn’t broken?

-Food venue will either be crammed into the CG area or will take over the area in front of Minions or around Super Silly Fun Land.

 

[highdefrex]

With Saw X coming next year, I could definitely see the return of Saw to the event.

And since people have already said it, I don't imagine M3gan getting a house, BUT it'd be a missed opportunity if they don't have her walking around or as some sort of meet and greet. She'd be easy marketing fuel giving people the chance to do the dance with her at the event and put it on social media.

 

[baconwhiskers]

M3gan doll has her own identity and powers if anyone is worried about that in regards to Chucky and Tiff. It's also probably going to be a hit and she's already became a pop culture icon. I see her being in a Blumhouse type of maze or at least somewhere.

 

[HorrorNightsFan13]

Throwing out some from my short list that i think are likely, but most have already been mentioned so nice to see we’re all on the same page
Weeknd Dawn FM: I think it was received well enough on both coasts to warrant a sequel. Guess it just depends if Abel would want to, and given he’s a fan of the event I could see him wanting to continue. I’d love to have it back
Universal Monsters: Think the monsters are here to stay, and I have no complaints there. Just not sure on which monsters. But I would love to see Phantom
Insidious: With the 5th one coming out next year being based on the Lamberts I could see a compilation of 1 2 and 5. Something like Insidious: The Lambert Files. The first 2 insidious houses were really great, not as big a fan of the 3rd one. But would welcome it back
Saw: Not sure I see them passing up a chance to bring back Saw, I’ve only experienced it once and it wasn’t bad. I’m sure they’ve got plenty of props ready to reuse if they wanted
The Exorcist: New Blumhouse movie, well received in 2021, why not take a stab at the new one?
The Last of Us: Game was great, very excited for the show, lots of characters and environments that would fit in well with HHN

In terms of originals I could see Pueblo del terror with how successful La Llorona’s return was
Hopefully another Orlando port (Wicked Growth, Bugs, or Graveyard Games?)

Here’s some wishful thinking, would love to see them but not sure if they’ll happen:
The Thing (1982), IT, The Conjuring, Scream, Beetlejuice

 

[Viator]

To go more technical as I have some time:

The Exorcist - Big IP in general, both the original should be fine and the Blumhouse should be good due to that not having the legal complications Halloween had. Makes complete sense on a marketing angle.
DawnFM - It's It's album I wanted, Weeknd was one of the most popular houses and was in the top 3 for GSATs. With DFM Era continuing into 2023, confident in this one.
Orlando Originals - Going to have a theory on one, but I think it makes sense. The way Murdy respected and made Scarecrow a terrifying house makes me want more.
Universal Monsters - Thinking its Invisible or Creature. Thinking the name of the game should be on experimenting the format, and both have equal and valid reasons.
Blumhouse - The Exorcist is the Blumhouse rep.
Evil Dead Rise - I think this could be a Hollywood exclusive. Solely for the fact that it shouldn't require as much for them to simply keep what's inside TWDA rn, and to go from there. I think bringing it in makes sense, with it expanded to Theatrical, but hoping not.
Scream - We don't know how Paramount operates or wants out of a deal like this, but I think there's potential. With material from Scream (2022) and Scream II (2023), it'd make sense. I'd just want thr original alongside them.

Ops wise:
Wednesdays are added for a large coupling, predominantly October.
SNW opens during the event (with just Mario Kart and Toadstool Cafe open, no interactive games available then)
Lower Lot gets three Soundstage houses. SS29, 15, and 16. Queues are completely overhauled for this area to make way for ADA compliance.

 

[chris.g]

I'll be the first to say it. I don't think The Weeknd will get a sequel maze only because outside of Alice Cooper, those are really freaking rare at the event to get a successor.

But I will echo The Last of Us as a house. That seems like a good bet.

 

[Jaden]

And so it begins…

So far, this pretty much the layout I’m expecting:

- The Slasher: Chucky has already taken this spot, so no need to speculate on that.

- The Classic Monsters: I’m expecting this to be another crossover maze. Frankenstein, Dracula, Wolfman, The Mummy, and The Bride have already been used, so that leaves us with; The Creature, Phantom of The Opera, and The Invisible Man. I’m leaning toward The Creature of The Black Lagoon VS…. as it’s their only monster they have not used yet. I do not have a clue on who could be 2nd monster to be used for, but I’d like to see The Invisible Man include

- The Music Maze: I’m leaning towards The Weeknd: DawnFM being the music maze, After Hours Nightmare was very popular among Horror Nights, and of course DawnFM has lots of horror they can implement in a maze. Additionally, with this being part of a trilogy, I could see HHN taking advantage of that and doing his 3rd album of the trilogy in the future. If thats not the case, then I can see either Lady Gaga or Metallica joining the fray.

- The Orlando Original: Scarecrow has definitely opened up more possibilities on Hollywood using Orlando original mazes. Because Scarecrow was a huge hit Orlando, Im thinking of something like Graveyard Games, or any other popular Orlando maze in the past. Unfortunately I’m no expert on the Orlando side, but I do remember how Graveyard Games was well-received in the past.

- Popular Synergy: I don’t think Stranger Things S4 is happening any time in this event with what’s been going on with USH and Netflix. However I do think HBO’s The Last Of Us is the perfect candidate. With it being regarded as one of the best video games of all time, and getting an upcoming show, it be a huge waste of an opportunity to not try and obtain it, and Neil Druckman has even stated on twitter that he’d be down for TLOU maze at horror nights in the past, so that’s more of a possibility to look out for.

- Blumhouse: Not a huge fan of them personally, but of course they do have some history with HHN, and they always end up in the event whether you like them or not. Either it’s another mashup maze or a single, I’m expecting to see The Exorcist, which would probably be a no-brainer on why they would go with this.

- Hollywood Exclusive: While I have no idea what IP could fit this category, there always tends to be a cult-Classic Hollywood exclusive in the event most of the time.

- Folklore/Mythology Original: With La Llorona becoming a huge hit this year, I’m seeing another Mexican Urban Legend maze possibly happening. Chupacabra (This can also tie in with Orlando original) is what I’m leaning towards the most.

- Terror Tram: Anything but Hollywood Harry again, please. I’m so burnt out of him and clowns. Although curious to know if they’ll ever continue to incorporate NOPE in the event.

And of course it’s not spec season without our annual Scream & The Thing on this list, even if their likely to never happen, it never hurts to pray!

 

[viking_wizard_eyes]

I bet we see 2-3 originals again — whether those are fully fresh or repeats, idk, but I imagine it’ll be around there. M3gan and Scream both seem highly plausible. They could even do an “IP-original” and put the Ghostface character in a new story. (Believe that was rumored at some point?)