Every year, Midsummer Scream concludes with John Murdy, Creative Director/Executive Producer of Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood, doing a big reveal for Halloween Horror Nights and this year was no different.
During this year’s panel, Murdy announced Texas Chainsaw Massacre will be returning in a “multiverse” haunted house and Luchadores Monstruosos will be one of the scare zones featured at the event.
Known for going over time, Murdy wasted absolutely no time getting to the first of the announcements – The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Legacy of Leatherface.
Murdy acknowledges all the times they’ve done the property before, and gives a little backstory into what each year focused on.
But… this year is the 50th. So they wanted to go big. And how do they do that? Well… get ready for a phrase you may already be tired of. 
It’s an attempt to make a multiverse out of the different iterations of the film, ignoring the “Titans of Terror” maze, of course. This will feature all the different Leatherheads from all the films over the decades.
The inspiration was gleaned from rewatching the films, and much like Six Flags Fright Fest, it draws on new ideas rather than simply recreating known scenes.
The concept that the family “has always been in meat” leads us through the history of slaughterhouses. They were originally located centrally in cities because refrigerated train cars didn’t exist. Once this technology became available, slaughterhouses were moved to more secluded, rural areas to be out of sight and out of mind. Well, as abandoned as they could be, until Leatherface and his family took it over. 
And that’s where we begin with “The Legacy of Leatherface.”
The narration that will play at the front of the house was provided, as well. 
If you notice, the name of the meat processing plant is “Hooper & Henkel” which is named for the creators of the original film. 
Turns out, they would use a zig-zag structure in slaughterhours to keep the animals moving at a steady clip. Straight paths are prone to more traffic jams, just like haunted houses. Consider this information as you will…
Every scene will have some form of Leatherface, and accompanying characters – like Chop Top. 
Once the rooms start looking familiar, you can tell you’re almost at the end, wrapping up in an iconic scene fans should immediately recognize.
The other announcement was about continuing the Universal Monsters branded mazes. These have been very popular in recent years and seem like a great match for the brand – using the licenses they already own to expand the lore without being tied to any specific film.
This time, we meet Saskia Van Helsing, the last surviving member of the Van Helsing bloodline. She battles against Dracula’s daughter, who seeks revenge because the Van Helsings are known for almost wiping out all the vampires.
She’s joined by the Bride of Frankenstein, the breakout character and star of her maze back in 2021 – but she might have some ulterior motives herself. 
Dracula’s daughter isn’t alone in her fight, either. She’s joined by the She-Wolf and Anck-Su-Namun, together forming what is known as “The Unholy Alliance.”
The level of world-building in these mazes is incredible. It has taken years to develop, and it’s something that can only be experienced a few weekends out of the year. This is what I personally find most enthralling about Halloween events in parks: not just the scares, but also becoming a part of a story that is coming to life all around you.
The cherry on top of this is that the maze is taking place in Stage 12. If you recall your tram tour history, that is the one you see on the lot that is always described as being the home to “The Voice”. Well, that is no longer true as it has moved, freeing up this prime location for a maze.
Murdy emphasized the historical significance of this sound stage, as it’s where most classic horror movies were filmed. It’s come full circle. Everything is always changing, so there’s no guarantee that this soundstage will be available in the future. I would definitely make an effort to experience a Universal Monster-themed haunted house in the actual birthplace of Universal Monsters.
Also, crossing something off a long desired wishlist, Murdy finally revealed a vinyl album collecting all the tunes Slash has composed for the mazes over the years. “But now that this finally exists, what else is there to wish for every year?”
Murdy shared with me in an interview that a Holidayz in Hell calendar would probably be a great idea; and that sounds like a fantastic idea to me. Keeping HHN in your home all year long? Yes, please!
To wrap up the series of announcements, he also provided a detailed overview of one of the new scare zones, Luchadores Monstruosos. He mentioned that he had initially been hesitant about the idea, but has since come to fully embrace it along with the lore behind it.
The concept is that all of the characters are wrestlers who resemble famous monsters but with slight differences, similar to amateur wrestling. For example, The Blue Death looks like the devil, but he’s blue instead of red.
The Horror Wolf looks like the Wolfman, but isn’t. 
The Water Demon looks like the Creature from the Black Lagoon, but isn’t. 
So they’re all Mexican Wrestler takes on the existing monster tropes. 
The designs are not only refreshing and unique but also authentic. Murdy made sure to thank the DEI team for helping add authenticity to their costumes, designs, and the rest.
The posters themselves are works of art – and there was no delay in marketing them. They’re already available on Amazon in a wide variety of print-on-demand products from tote bags to t-shirts.
Halloween Horror Nights begins Sept. 5 and runs select nights through November 3rd. Tickets and more info are available at https://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/hhn.
