August 29, 2013: Universal Plaza Opens In what used to be a dusty street right out of the Old West now stands a symbol of Universal Studios Hollywood. Built in less than year from the ground up, the Universal Plaza has finally opened to the public on August 29, 2013. While the Plaza still has many little finishing touches to come, and is still waiting for the completion of a few more parts, the effect it has had on the flow and feel of the park is unmistakable. Universal Plaza brings new shopping and dining experiences, a water play area,…
Author: Jon Fu
August 29, 2013 – We’re back with another photo update from Universal Studios Hollywood, this time detailing the continuing audio work on WaterWorld, the status of Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem and some brief shots of some mazes from Halloween Horror Nights. Before we get started, let’s acknowledge of the big elephant in the room: Universal Plaza’s debut. We’ve composed a comprehensive look at Universal Plaza in another post, so photos of the new area will be purposely omitted from this update. With that being said, let’s move on to the photos. I know I said I wouldn’t include a photo…
August 27, 2013 – Inside Universal can now confirm that the following attractions will close on September 3: the Adventures of Curious George, Nickelodeon Stuff, the Flintstones Carnival Games, and the Mummy’s Tomb on the Studio Tour. The Gibson Amphitheatre is also expected to close, though no official date has been confirmed (listings for the venue suggest September 6). The Flintstones Carnival Games. The Adventures of Curious George. As Universal Studios Hollywood prepares for Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the Upper Lot complex and the Studio Tour are both expected to undergo major transformations…
August 27, 2013 – As Halloween Horror Nights approaches, Inside Universal was fortunate enough to attend this year’s preview event. Characters from Evil Dead, Insidious, Black Sabbath and The Walking Dead were on display as make-up artists, costume designers and artisans demonstrated techniques used to bring the massive Halloween event to life. We’ve included photos and a video of the event below. Halloween Horror Nights begins on Friday, September 20 and runs on select nights through November 2, 2013. Halloween Horror Nights Preview Event – 2013 …and we’re back! John Murdy – Halloween Horror Night Hollywood’s creative director – gives…
May 27, 2013 – By many accounts, the 1990s and the early 2000s were considered Universal’s golden age. Universal had just finished unraveling WaterWorld – A Live Sea War Spectacular and Terminator 2: 3D – two groundbreaking attractions that pushed the traditional boundaries of theme park entertainment. Universal had also underwent a dramatic push to create a more child-friendly atmosphere with the introduction of Nickelodeon Blast Zone (now the Adventures of Curious George) and Rugrats Magic Adventure! (now Shrek 4D). 2012 subtitle July 2012. July 2012. March 2013 subtitle MAY 2013 JUNE 2013 JULY AUGUST
August 22, 2013 – Horror fans get ready! Universal Studios Hollywood has announced the addition of El Cucuy: The Boogeyman to this year’s Halloween Horror Nights lineup. Narrated by actor Danny Trejo, El Cucuy is the final maze to be announced for the event, rounding out a diverse lineup of mazes and scarezones such as The Walking Dead. Based on the Spanish and Latin American legends, El Cucuy is similar in concept to the European legend of the bogeyman. This new maze can be seen as a sort of spiritual successor to the popular mazes based on the Mexican legend…
Editor’s note: Bruce Babcock is a contributor to Inside Universal’s coverage of Halloween Horror Nights. August 21, 2013 – This year – arguably more than previous years – has been a year full of speculation in regards to Halloween Horror Nights. Due to ongoing construction throughout the park, several maze and scare zone locations have been compromised. As we near the start of the event, I thought this would be a good time to outline the announcements that have been made and to separate fact from speculation. Confirmed Mazes & Scare Zones On the list of confirmations, we have Evil…
August 20, 2013 – As Halloween Horror Nights approaches, we’ve received more news concerning maze locations on the Universal backlot. AMC’s popular television series, The Walking Dead, will be featured prominently on Universal’s Metropolitan sets while Back Sabbath will be hosted in soundstage 747. We’ve included Universal’s press release and video announcement below for reference alongside our own photos of Universal’s Metropolitan sets for context. AMC’s The Walking Dead infests the Universal Studios Backlot ‘Halloween Horror Nights’ at Universal Studios Hollywood Extends Deeper Into Areas of Universal’s Renowned Backlot, As Hordes of Zombies from AMC’s Critically-Acclaimed Blockbuster TV Series ‘The…
August 16, 2013 – Back after popular demand, Universal’s Monsters Remix is returning to this year’s Halloween Horror Nights. Known for its electrifying music, Universal’s Monster Remix fuses dubsetp alongside Universal’s classic movie monsters. We’ve included the full press release below with some photos of last year’s maze. Universal Studios Hollywood Will Feature Music from Dubstep Artist Figure, As Well As New Fan-Generated Monsters Inspired by Two National Competitions in the ‘Universal Monsters Remix: Resurrection’ Maze During This Year’s ‘Halloween Horror Nights’ Event Universal City, California — The addition of all-original monsters inspired by fan-generated character competitions marks the first…
August 15, 2013 – Just announced: The Purge will be coming to Universal Studios Hollywood this September and October for Halloween Horror Nights. The annual horror event will be creating an all new scare zone based on the 2013 thriller directed by James DeMonaco and starring Ethan Hawke. The Purge is set in the not-too-distant future of 2022, where the United States crime rates have reached an all-time low due mostly to the annual “Purge”, a 12 hour period in which all crime is legal, and emergency services are suspended. The film follows the Sandin family and their effort to…