Author: Jonathan Green

A couple of weeks ago, Inside Universal got an an exclusive look at two mazes with Halloween Horror Nights Creative Director, John Murdy – seeing the set installations of The Shining and Insidious. Heads up! In the article we will be mentioning plot points to a future film release and to the mazes themselves. We will not discuss everything we saw inside the mazes to leave some surprise for those who will be going to Halloween Horror Nights this year. The first maze we toured was Insidious: Beyond the Further. The maze is located inside the Jurassic Park extended queue…

We’re back for this month’s Universal Studios Hollywood photo update. We’ll be taking a look at the CityWalk transformation, DreamWorks Theatre, Halloween Horror Nights and much more. Without further ado, Let’s begin! Park Update Index » CityWalk Hollywood » New Animation Studio Store » Dreamworks Theater » Halloween Horror Nights » Starway » Fire Station 51 » Soundstages 22-25 and 28 » New Production Facilities » A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That CityWalk Hollywood The CityWalk transformation continues as Upstart Crow – one of the last original stores in CityWalk – closed just last week,…

Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando has announced that the production company Blumhouse will have its very own maze at this year’s Halloween Horror Nights – called “Horrors of Blumhouse”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA1MkdW-YFE The maze will serve as a “best-of” compilation, featuring some of the most popular, horrific scenes from the Blumhouse catalog, but will be somewhat different for each coast. For Universal Orlando, the haunted house will feature Sinister, the Insidious franchise – including the upcoming 4th film, and The Purge. Over in Hollywood, the maze will feature Sinister, the upcoming film Happy Death Day, and The Purge. Founded by Jason Blum, Blumhouse Productions has released…

Universal Studios Hollywood has announced that Insidious will be coming back to Halloween Horror Nights in an all-new maze – “Insidious: Beyond the Further”. The new maze is inspired by the upcoming 4th film – Insidious: Chapter 4, but will feature scenes from all 4 films. This will be the third time the franchise has made its way to the event. The maze will be located in the Jurassic Park extended queue. The franchise centers around families that are haunted by demons from the “Further” – an astral plane where the malevolent spirits reside – and attempt to return to the…

Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando announced all-new scare zones and the return of a fan favorite show. The Festival of the Deadliest will bring to life some of the most terrifying creatures and horrors as guests will have to endure the torment when “this ghastly collection of madmen and monsters from beyond the veil (as they) have joined together to revel in firelight and create the ultimate afterlife of fright.” The cult classic horror film Trick ‘r Treat will be making its debut as a scare zone. Fans for years have longed for Universal to bring this iconic film to…

Knott’s Berry Farm has officially announced their 2018 ride HangTime. The new steel rollercoaster will be the only dive coaster on the west coast. Manufactured by Gertslauer Amusement Rides, HangTime will feature a 150-foot vertical drop that will send guests down the first drop at 96-degree angle.  “HangTime’s disappearing track creates a memorable illusion of the unknown as riders feel like they are hanging over a cliff, staring at the ground in nervous anticipation,” said Jon Storbeck, vice president and general manager, Knott’s Berry Farm. The ride will also feature three trains that will carry sixteen guests per train. With…

August 13, 2017, after 14 years of entertaining guests, Shrek 4D has officially closed its doors at Universal Studios Hollywood. On May 23, 2003, Shrek 4D opened for the general public to experience the continuing story of the Shrek and his friends. While the show building itself hasn’t changed much during its tenure, the queue had gone under major modifications over the years, with the most significant queue remodel in 2013 when construction began with the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Shrek 4D was not the only closure over the weekend. The New York Street façade – including the Sweet…

Universal Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood has announced that a maze based on the film series Saw, including the upcoming Jigsaw film, will be featured at this year’s Halloween Horror Nights. In this all-new maze guests will come face-to-face with the work of master craftsman “Jigsaw” and a collection of his most infamous traps from the SAW film series and upcoming eighth installment JIGSAW. The premise of the films put individuals through a series of demented games that tests perseverance and the desire to live. This year will see a quasi-reboot/sequel with release of Jigsaw in October. The 8th film…

This is part 2 of our look at the history of Shrek 4D and its predecessors. To check out part 1 of our feature, please click here. While Shrek 4D has been a mainstay at the park for over a decade, many may not know that the theater has been home to seven shows over the course of nearly 40 years. So as Shrek 4D prepares to close on August 13, let us take a walk through Universal’s history and see how the venue has changed over the years. The Flintstones Show To coincide with the release of The Flintstones…

Another Universal attraction is set to join the great attraction line-up in the sky. Shrek 4D at Universal Studios Hollywood has been entertaining guests for 14 years; but on August 13, the attraction doors will close as the theater undergoes a transformation to become the all-new DreamWorks Theatre featuring Kung Fu Panda. While Shrek 4D has been a mainstay at the park for over a decade, many may not know that the theater has been home to seven shows over the course of nearly 40 years. So as Shrek 4D prepares to close, let us take a walk through Universal’s…