Seasoned Halloween Horror Nights fans know that Universal Monsters are always ready to bring the screams. Universal Monsters returned to Halloween Horror Nights this year in the brand-new haunted house Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines and Universal’s Art and Design team have truly taken classic tales to the next level. Join me as we explore Universal’s legacy of horror films and discover how they appear this season in Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood.
Universal Monsters in Theme Park History
The legacy of Universal horror films that started with founder Carl Laemmle has left a lasting impression in cinematic history and the history of Universal Destinations and Experiences. Think of the amazing list of classic monsters we have already featured at Halloween Horror Nights – Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, The Mummy, and many, many more. (Looking for a quick reference of Monsters featured at HHN? Check out The Halloween Horror Nights Fan Guide to Universal Classic Monsters!) These incredible characters have been featured in our theme parks since the beginning and connect us with their original horror films. In fact, Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines also has a special historical connection in Universal Studios Hollywood. This year, for the first time, the Universal Monsters house is located in historic Soundstage 12 on the Universal lot.
Built in the 1920s, this soundstage is the very one that housed Frankenstein’s laboratory for the original 1931 film. “That is where the ‘it’s alive!’ scene was shot and similarly, that’s where Dracula’s castle was built for the 1931 film, ‘Dracula.’ It’s pretty cool that for the first time ever, one of our Universal Monsters houses is going to be located literally, where the American horror movie was born,” explains John Murdy, creative director and executive producer of Universal Studios Hollywood’s Entertainment team.
Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines – Connections to the Past
When the all-new haunted house, Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines, was announced for HHN 2024 this year, the first thing I noticed was the all-female cast of characters. The Bride of Frankenstein has made many appearances at HHN, but this year she is featured among a group of her strongest peers. Dracula’s daughter, She-Wolf, Anck-su-namun, and the HHN original heroine, Saskia Van Helsing, are going to take us on a life-or-death adventure to capture the Amun-Ra and enact revenge for family members lost. But what inspired this groundbreaking new storyline? I was able to talk with the Art and Design teams for Universal Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood to learn more.
Having a female-driven house for HHN 2024 was inspired by the success of the Bride of Frankenstein Lives haunted house of 2021. Lora Sauls, assistant director of Universal Orlando’s Art and Design team, indicated that the excitement of the scareactors from this house really delivered a special storytelling experience. “We know they were passionate about their roles, so we really wanted to be able to find that passion again,” she says.
John also shared his excitement about elevating Universal Monsters in this year’s house that are lesser known by fans. We saw this work fantastically well in 2023’s Universal Monsters: Unmasked haunted house that featured the rare characters Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the Phantom of the Opera, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and the Invisible Man. The featured characters this year are going to pull back another layer of the storied history of Universal Monsters.
In addition to these connections with past Universal Monsters haunted houses, I found that there is a strong connection this year to the storyline of 2022’s Universal Monsters: Legends Collide haunted house. The action in Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines begins when HHN-original character Saskia Van Helsing (read more about her here!), the last descendent of famous monster hunter Abraham Van Helsing, takes up her family’s mission to obtain the Amun Ra, currently in the possession of Anck-su-namun, and prevent it from falling into the hands of Dracula’s daughter and She-Wolf. HHN fans may remember the glowing red Amun-Ra amulet. “If you go back to Universal Monsters: Legends Collide, this is what they were fighting for to help rid Larry Talbot [the Wolf Man] of his werewolf state and allow Dracula to walk during the daylight,” Kelly Malik, show director on Universal Orlando Resort’s Art and Design team, reminds us.
On her journey, Saskia meets the Bride of Frankenstein just as she discovers that She-Wolf has mortally injured her recently-reanimated mate, Frankenstein’s Monster. In Orlando, witnessing this event allows us to witness the impromptu team-up of the unlikely duo. As Lora explains, “the Bride of Frankenstein is not happy with the She-Wolf and Saskia Van Helsing is now going after the She-Wolf too [for her own reasons]. It’s not a friendship.” Kelly continues, “I think it’s just a partnership out of necessity.” The pair battle it out with Dracula’s daughter, She-Wolf and Anck-su-namun, starting in Saskia’s ancestral homeland of Amsterdam and leading them right into Dracula’s daughter’s lair in Transylvania, and we get to be in the middle of the action!
The Look and Sound of 2024’s Monsters
One of my favorite things about Universal Monster appearances at Halloween Horror Nights is the creative new vision the Art and Design teams can take with the classic monster characters. I asked the team what they are excited for with this year’s new character designs. “They were all drawn by our artist here in Hollywood, Lucas Culshaw,” John shares. “But then certain characters were then further illustrated by Crash McCreery, who is a legendary monster creator.” McCreery not only has experience redesigning the looks of classic Universal Monsters for HHN and other uses, but also has created art for some of our most important stories, like the “Jurassic Park” franchise and “Kong: Skull Island.” His distinct style will drive the look of the characters in this year’s haunted house.
When considering their design, John mentions that historically in horror films, there was not a lot of strong female representation. This is why “we really wanted to work together to create a character that isn’t a victim, but is a warrior,” he explains. Kelly adds “each of these individual characters that we have in the house this year, they all have their own form of empowerment and what really defines who they are as a character. We really wanted to lean into that individually for all of them.”
Adding to the ambiance of empowerment for our cast, Hollywood and Orlando have enlisted composers to develop unique soundtracks for each coast. In Orlando, the team was excited to work with Sara Barone for the design of this year’s music. In Hollywood, SLASH — the iconic, GRAMMY Award-winning, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, guitarist and songwriter — continues his partnership with Universal Monsters by creating another fantastic original score for this all-new house. These unique compositions will propel us through the story and enhance the emotional connection we have with this incredible cast of characters.
Prepare Yourself to Step Into the Story
I can’t wait to experience this year’s Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines house. The story sounds so inspired and allows us meet incredible new characters from the world of the Universal Monsters. If you want to prepare yourself to step into this horrifying new adventure, check out The Guide to Halloween Horror Nights (HHN) at Universal Studios Hollywood, The Guide to Halloween Horror Nights (HHN) at Universal Orlando Resort, and The Halloween Horror Nights Fan Guide to Universal Classic Monsters. They will give you all of the tips, tricks, and background information you need to fully immerse yourself in this new monstrous experience.
Are you ready to be swept up in this all-female monster battle to the death? Click here to purchase your ticket to HHN in Orlando or Hollywood!
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