Universal FINALLY announced all the missing things coming to their 2022 Halloween event! With five scare zones, ten haunted houses, two live shows, festival-favorite food, merchandise and a ton of attractions open, this event is shaping up to be one of the best in the company’s history!
To celebrate, I have ranked each of the announced haunted houses on the level to which I’m PERSONALLY excited to experience them. All of the following information is official from Universal, with just a few rumors sprinkled in. I appreciate the art of surprise, so I haven’t been following any “confirmed” leaks. These Haunted Houses are the anchors of a successful Halloween event, and this year is shaping to follow Universal’s trend of improvement. I should note that I am truly excited to experience each one, just some more than others!
HAUNTED HOUSES
“Step inside a new double-feature of Blumhouse horror. Your scream squad will find yourselves trapped between a frantic teen and the ruthless serial killer she’s swapped bodies with in Freaky. Then, you’ll try to make a desperate escape from the dark basement of The Grabber before you become his latest victim in the terrifying The Black Phone.”
As stated by Universal, this maze will take guests through the worlds of Freaky and The Black Phone… neither of which I have seen. I have added them to my HHN movie prep list, so, like me, be sure to watch them before attending the event! Freaky is a 2020 slasher film pulling themes from Freaky Friday where a high school girl and killer switch bodies. The Black Phone is a 2022 supernatural film that sees a kidnapped boy communicating with his captors’ previous victims. I’m a little cautious on the locations of the latter, as the synopsis doesn’t leave much room for exploration. I’m sure once familiar with the subject material they will climb my excitement list; however, for now, they will only transport me to random movie universes.
“Enter a prison whose savage inmates are monstrous creatures. If they break free from their cells, it’s a death sentence for everyone.”
I’m sure this one will be terrifying, but a jailhouse setting with unnamed monsters seems like filler. I’m expecting repetitive sets and reused costumes to create a ton of jump-scares. The optimistic side of me hope the “monsters” in question will allude to previous houses, giving long-time fans Easter Eggs. I don’t know, I’m excited for the fear factor of this house, but it really feels like a last minute add to get the total to ten. However, one of my friends pointed out other penitentiary tours around the country I’ve done, like Brushy Mountain and Eastern State. Those in themselves are creepy, but the added layer comes from touring the prison yards and cafeteria. Maybe this one will expand upon the rows of cells showing you its’ own rec yards? In a recent tweet, Universal added a line alluding to the guests’ mission to blow up the jail and stop the monsters from destroying humanity. This added layer, along with the rumored cameos may make this the sleeper fan favorite house of the year.
“If you thought one Universal Monster was scary, how about three? Summon your scream squad, ‘cause you’re about to get caught between The Wolf Man, Dracula and The Mummy, together for the first time.”
I do love my monsters, but one of the first houses I went through was the ultimate Universal Monsters house in 2019. I’m really excited to see the sets for all three, from the Mummy’s Egyptian Tomb to the Wolf Man’s forest. In the aforementioned 2019 house, the three characters’ scenes were my personal favorite. I think this house will be one of the most detail rich, realistically transporting guests into their favorite monsters’ realm. Of the three, Universal’s 1932 The Mummy can be seen on Peacock. The 1941 Wolf Man and 1931 Dracula are not on the streaming service, but can be found elsewhere online. While they are all well-known stories, I plan on watching the trilogy to re-acquaint myself with the characters. I do hope they branch away from the 2019 house, utilizing different settings from the three stories. Also, will the three monsters be fighting, or just co-existing? Universal has released cloudy statements confirming both.
“Prepare to enter the macabre mind of The Weeknd in this haunted house as he stalks your squad through the surreal nightmare of his After Hours music. A slasher carving a smile at an otherworldly rave. Bandaged maniacs performing extreme plastic surgery. A grotesque mannequin masquerade. His nightmare is now yours.”
In what could be the most anticipated house of the year, The Weeknd takes center stage with the event’s first house based on a singer’s music catalog! With hits like Blinding Lights, Save Your Tears and In Your Eyes, the inside of the house should be jamming like a nightclub! A lot of the visuals will be derived from the artist’s music videos. I really like his music, but I haven’t seen many of his videos. I believe most of the event will focus on his 2020 album, After Hours, so I will definitely be binging his videos. I was cautious about the “fear factor” in this one, but after watching ‘Blinding Lights” video, Universal definitely has a lot of room to work with the horror.
“In a New England fishing village, undead fishermen emerge from the waves to seek their revenge. You and your scream squad may have escaped their hooks in the scare zone. Now they’ll reel you in and drag you under.”
New England?! Fishing Village?! Winter!? I’m sold on this! The zombie fisherman aspect of this house leans toward the peculiar side, but the setting should substitute for this. I’m excited to see what they do to recreate winter in the balmy Florida heat, along with the harbor setting the story takes place. Maybe they’ll do a snow effect like was seen in Yeti a few years ago! Maybe they’ll even pump in ocean scents! Only time will tell, but I can only hope for an allusion to the defunct Jaws ride.
“A coven of beautiful flapper witches will lure you into their 1920s speakeasy, reveal their haggish true form and turn your scream squad into a witch’s brew. They’ll be cackling; you’ll be screaming.”
It’s the 1920’s speakeasy that drew me in. If it’s anything like the Kitty Kat Club scene in last year’s Case Files, I’m here for it! I’m excited to see how this maze twists, surely guests won’t just be wandering around a bar the whole time. I’m really hoping for a couple live performers like Case Files, but I fear that could be a reach. Whether or not people will actually be singing, I think this maze will be one of my favorites.
“Silent. Merciless. Relentless. There’s nobody like Michael Myers. And if your scream squad is ready, this year, you can gather together and face the terror of Halloween from the very beginning.”
I almost didn’t believe this house was based on the original Halloween. Actually, I’m still not 100% convinced. The classic Halloween is one of my favorite horror movies of all time, and I can’t wait to be chased by Michael Meyers! I’m already planning a huge party with my friends to rewatch the movie before the start of the event. A lot of my HHN superfan friends were disappointed to hear about this house (according to them Halloween makes very frequent appearances), but I have yet to go through a Halloween house, so I’m pumped! The very least I can hope for is masked Meyers jumping out from behind a tree, slow-motion chasing me deeper into the house. Is that too much to ask?
“Visit a Latin American village where the legend of the creature Chupacabras is celebrated with a colorful fiesta. And the streets are lined with the crimson blood of tourists like you and your amigos.”
I read something from the creative director of this maze, who himself was Latino, saying that this house was created as authentically as possible. A maze through an authentic Latin American village celebration sounds incredible! Coupled with a cryptid unique to the region, but universally known? Amazing! I’ve been reading up on stories about the Chupacabra, including modern accounts of this legend. As a long time fan of cryptids, I remember thinking I saw the Chupacabra early one morning before school. But, six-year-old Jonathan didn’t comprehend the fact that the blood-hungry creature is in Mexico.
“While touring a 1950s home of the future, you’ll be surrounded by the slime of bugs everywhere as hordes of many-legged terrors descend upon you and your scream squad. You’ll be dropping like flies.”
The atmosphere of this house is promising to be pretty cool, when you subtract the bugs! A fifties home of the future seems like something right out of Disneyland’s Tomorrowland. I heard a rumor that this house will feature live bugs, something I’d be interested to see them pull off. Unlike the “extreme haunted houses,” I don’t think Universal would make guests touch/ingest/interact with any live bug, regardless of the fear factor. Even behind display cases, I feel like that could end poorly. I guess only time will tell! Regardless of the animate status of the bugs, this is sure to be a creepy house.
“Careful not to leave any of your scream squad behind as you descend the subway tunnels of a deserted New York. Lurking in the dark are hungry mutants looking to feast on the last remnants of humanity.”
I really don’t know why I’m so excited for this house, but I think it’s just the fact that it takes place in NEW YORK CITY, and in a subway tunnel! This maze could be pulled off incredibly well. Imagine an entry through an iconic green NYC subway staircase then a mess of darkness with creatures around every turn. Throw in the urban legends of the people living in the subway tunnels and you’ve got a hit! The whole concept of this house is insane — an abandoned subway tunnel, hungry mutants, NEW YORK! Ever since their creation, the New York subway tunnels have been source of rumors. Humanoids, lost tribes and alligators are just a few. Even the true lore, such as the City Hall station is fascinating to discover. Even today, a trip through the damp and dark tunnels on the train can easily set your mind wondering, especially when you catch a glimpse of something from the corner of your eye…
So that’s my personal ranking of HHN 31’s Haunted Houses! I will be sure to create a new post reviewing and ranking them all once the event opens on September 2. If these sound like something you’re interested in, be sure to stop by the event this year. Just remember, Never Go Alone >:). (The tagline of the event… im sorry.)
Turquoise Skies 