August 11, 2014 – On Sunday, Universal announced a new maze based off of Universal Pictures/Polygram Filmed Entertainment/The Guber-Peters Company film An American Werewolf in London to Halloween Horror Nights 2014.
We’ve included Universal’s full press release below.
“Halloween Horror Nights” at Universal Studios Hollywood In An All-New Sinister Maze Inspired By Universal Pictures’ Academy Award Winning Film”
UNIVERSAL CITY, CA (August 11, 2014) – Universal Pictures’ Academy Award®-winning and genre-defining film, An American Werewolf in London, written and directed by John Landis, will be unleashed upon guests at Universal Studios Hollywood in an all-new “Halloween Horror Nights” maze beginning Friday, September 19, 2014. The experience will recreate legendary scenes from the cult favorite using gruesomely convincing props, chillingly authentic music and mind-blowing special effects that will re-awaken the terrorizing shape shifting creature with superhuman strength: the Werewolf.
Guests will begin their horrifying journey as they enter “The Slaughtered Lamb,” the English countryside pub movie fans will instantly recognize, and experience first-hand what the tavern patrons in the film meant when they cautioned, “Stay on the road, keep clear of the Moors and beware the moon.” After stumbling upon the overgrown wasteland known as the “Moors,” maze-goers will be forced to traverse through dense fog amidst sounds of savage growls and unknown peril ahead.
We are extremely excited to bring ‘An American Werewolf in London’ to Universal Studios Hollywood’s ‘Halloween Horror Nights’ for the first time,” said John Murdy, Universal Studios Hollywood Creative Director and Executive Producer of “Halloween Horror Nights.” “John Landis’ iconic horror film and the groundbreaking makeup effects by Academy Award-winner Rick Baker have influenced generations of horror filmmakers and fans, and remains a classic of the genre. Turning such a celebrated film, which has been characterized as one of the greatest films of all time, into a ‘living horror movie’ can be daunting. As the movie studio that invented the horror film genre, we have the expertise to deliver a realistically compelling experience and are up to the challenge.”
Along with “The Slaughtered Lamb” pub and the Yorkshire Moors, guests will recognize other memorable scenes and characters from the film – including the London Underground and gun-wielding demon soldiers. The famous “transformation scene” that inspired the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences to create an Oscar® for achievement in makeup will also be featured in the remarkable maze experience.
“The team at Universal Studios Hollywood has gone to great lengths to recreate the mood and details of the movie,” said John Landis. “The true test for guests will be to see if they are able to endure the scares lurking throughout the maze – rather than screaming from room to room. I want them to really absorb the elaborate sets, make-up and special effects custom designed for this experience.”
An American Werewolf in London not only captured the Academy Award® for “Best Makeup” in 1982 for renowned makeup artist Rick Baker, but was also named Best Horror Film by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films the same year. The film is available on Blu-ray™ and DVD from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.
To learn more about this all-new “Halloween Horror Nights” maze, click here: “An American Werewolf in London.”
“Halloween Horror Nights” 2014 at Universal Studios Hollywood will be “More Dead Than Ever,” as it brings together the sickest minds in horror to immerse guests in the living, breathing, three-dimensional world of the most notorious and terrifying creatures in existence. This year’s event will feature a slate of unrivaled film production quality mazes, terror-filled scare zones and a fully re-imagined “Terror Tram” experience, uniquely themed to today’s most definitive horror properties, including, “The Walking Dead: The End of the Line,” based on AMC’s critically-acclaimed, Golden Globe®-nominated and Emmy® Award-winning television series; “From Dusk Till Dawn,” inspired by Robert Rodriguez’s cult film and El Rey network’s TV series, “Dracula Untold: Reign of Blood,” based on Universal Pictures’ upcoming epic action-adventure; “AVP: Alien vs. Predator,” based on the Twentieth Century Fox film franchise; “Face Off: In the Flesh,” based on Syfy’s hit TV series, and “The Purge: Anarchy,” a new scare zone inspired by Universal Pictures’ blockbuster thriller.
Jonathan Green is the managing editor of Inside Universal.
Jonathan has been going to Universal for over 25 years, developing a deep passion for the theme park and its historic films. His real passion involves Universal Studios Hollywood’s storied past and how it eventually transformed from a movie studio into a theme park.
You may contact Jonathan at jonathan@insideuniversal.net
