Fans of Mike Flanagan’s frightening venture into the lives of the Crain family (a family that really needs to sit down together and process their grief) will soon be able to experience the horror in real life. The Haunting of Hill House is headed to Universal Studios for the return of Halloween Horror Nights.
According to Bloody Disgusting, both Universal Studios Orlando and Hollywood will be getting the attraction:
Halloween Horror Nights teases, “Iconic scenes from the Netflix series will be featured throughout the maze, including the omni-powerful Red Room – the heart of Hill House – and the infamous Hall of Statues, where deceptive powers overtake everyone who enters. Apparitions will appear around every corner, from William Hill – The Tall Man, whose towering stature overwhelms everyone he encounters; to The Ghost in the Basement, who feverishly crawls throughout the bowels of the House in search of his next victim; to The Bent-Neck Lady, whose disturbing scream and ghastly appearance invoke a constant state of unnerving dread.”
They go on to reveal that the house will be a maze because the only thing more terrifying than walking through a haunted house is getting lost in one. “The mazes will test even the bravest guests as they attempt to escape the entanglement of the estate’s eternal stranglehold or succumb to the powerful forces of Hill House – leaving them to wander the endless halls forever…alone.”
Um.
Yeah, that sounds great, I say sarcastically, already looking for things to do at Universal Studios that won’t make me react like this:
The Haunting Of Hill House debuted on Netflix back in 2018, and it’s a horror series that’s stuck with me ever since—not just because I’m a loud and proud coward when it comes to the horror genre, but because it was a compelling look at all of the layers of grief we process. What I really loved about the series is that while the horror elements were there, underneath it all was a family that had gone through some REALLY hard times and hadn’t really processed, or healed from it, nor had they been willing to process it until tragedy forced them back together again.
The series also had some amazing ghosts throughout, and I do mean throughout, as fans would notice ghosts just … hanging out in the house in scenes. As much as I am a certified pillow hugger when watching horror, I am still in awe of the Where’s Waldo vibes where, yes, that was a ghost by the stairs, minding their own business, as the family went about their day. That, coupled with some iconic reveals (The Bent-Neck Lady is STILL one of the best twists in horror), made for an incredible series.
That we can now experience in real life.
Because it’s going to be turned into a maze.
That I’m sure will remember to sneak some random ghosts in as you come face to face with the series’ mainstays.
Hope to see you there! https://t.co/Dpax0s9GHB
— Mike Flanagan (@flanaganfilm) July 8, 2021
Um.
Real talk, since Halloween Horror Nights didn’t happen last year, this is a hell of a way for it to return. Also, as someone who loves Halloween and set design in general, I very much love seeing the amount of work being put into this. If there’s any house in recent horror that should be able to be trekked through, it’s Hill House, even if I will very much be waiting in the car, in the parking lot, far away from anything that’ll make it difficult for me to sleep for weeks.
Until my wife lays out the puppy dog eye trap card and I begrudgingly make my way inside.
The Halloween Horror Nights events begin on September 3 in Orlando and September 9 in Hollywood. The events run on select nights leading up to, of course, October 31. You can get more details and purchase tickets over at the Halloween Horror Nights website.
Never go alone.
(image: Netflix/Universal Studios)
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