July 1, 2025 • 12 mins
This week: Universal Destinations & Experiences Announces Horror Unleashed Chicago; Halloween Horror Nights Orlando Announced 5 Original Haunts; La Llorona, La Muelona, and La Siguanaba Come to Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood; Haunts Return to the Las Vegas Adventuredome with "Fear Dome"; Screams Halloween Theme Park Announces Closure; "Graveyard Games" Now Casting Horror Superfans; Spirit Halloween is Hiring 50,000 Retail Associates; Re more here.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
Coming up your weekly roundup of news from around the
haunt industry. Welcome to the show. I'm Philip on the
HN Show. We bring you the haunt news, information, and
education you need to prepare for Halloween. On Tuesdays, we
bring you a roundup of news from haunts worldwide. Read
(00:28):
more about these stories and so much more in our
free weekly newsletter. Subscribe at the link in the show notes.
And as always for the news roundup, I'm passing it.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Off to Darryl. Universal announces Horror Unleashed Chicago. Universal Destinations
and Experiences is bringing its year round Horror Unleashed concept
is Chicago, Illinois, marking its second location before the first
even opens in Las Vegas this August. The new venue
will feature haunted houses, themed bars, food, and retail, but
(00:57):
it is entering a market already packed with high quality
haunts and lacking the built in foot traffic of Vegas's
Area fifteen. With no confirmed ip lineup and a harsh
winter climate to contend with, it is unclear if this
concept will gain traction with locals outside of the Halloween season.
The timing suggests the move may be more about investor
sentiment than guest demand Comcast lost one hundred and ninety
(01:20):
nine thousand broadband subscribers the last quarter, and with streaming
accelerating Calable's decline, the company is leaning hard into experiential
entertainment to diversify. Announcing a second Horror and Leag location,
despite the Vegas version still untested, helps Comcast project momentum
ahead of its July thirty first earnings call, but without
(01:40):
localized storytelling, strong intellectual property, and seasonal flexibility, the Chicago
expansion may struggle to deliver on its promise a modern
Halloween event with gaming ips immersion at three hundred and
fifty dollars previews. In this week's episode of Green Tagged,
Philippin Scott discussed the parallel strategies of US universals Halloween
(02:01):
Horror Nights and Winchester Mystery Houses Festival Fright Nights. Universal
is doubling down on pop culture firepower with the enomously
popular gaming ips of Fallout and five Nights at Freddy's.
They are also charging superfans three hundred and fifty dollars
for Premium Scream Night, a ticketed dress rehearsal with massive
ips and super fans willing to pay premium prices just
(02:23):
to attend a dress rehearsal. How can smaller attractions compete?
Thirteenth four in Winchester Mystery House might have an answer
With the Festival Fright Nights. The event will transform the
labyrinthine Winchester Mystery House into a Hellave into a Halloween
event with three haunted houses and entertainment. The key is
the immersive storyline, which sets the event in nineteen twenty
(02:44):
four and utilizes the mansion's backdrop in history, showing that
smaller venues can out maneuver giant budgets by weaponizing authenticity
and location. Philip and Scott will unpack with these strategies
signal about Helloween's next arm race, premium previews, ip one upmanship,
and how regional haunts can lean into their unique asset
ahead of chasing billion dollar licenses. Halloween Horror Nites Orlando
(03:07):
is announcing five original haunts. Halloween Horrorites at Universal Orlando
Resort in Orlando, Florida has taken to social media to
announce five new original mazes for this year's event. L Artista,
a Spanish haunting in nineteenth century Spain, A tortured artist
moves into an isolated country manner for inspiration, but the
(03:29):
art comes alive and possesses him Hatchet in chains, demon
bounty hunters. In this old West town, all hell is
breaking loose. Red hot lava demons are trying to possess everyone,
melting everything in their path. Dolls, let's play dead. You're
about to become doll sized and be hunted by toys
that have been burnt, melted, and stitched together by a
(03:49):
twisted little girl. Grave of Flesh. Welcome to your funeral,
where things are about to go from bad to worse.
You'll enter your grave and then the underworld, where flesh
eaters who feed on the dead will hunt you for
all eternity and Galkan monsters of the North. In a
remote northern village, a wicked being rises from the dead,
bringing a horde of monsters and demons from the Fjords
(04:10):
to wreak havoc on the townspeople. You'll face icy, horned, winged,
and wolfish fiends that gradually merge into one giant horror.
Then you'll try to escape the belly of the beast.
Halloween Horror Nites Orlando runs select dates August twenty ninth,
through November two. Follow the links in our show notes
to learn more via the comprehensive guide we've created. The
(04:31):
third installment of Monstrous announced for the HHN Hollywood Monstrous three,
The Ghosts of Latin America, is coming to Halloween Horrorites
at Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City, California. Monstrous was
always intended to be a trilogy sat Universal Studios Halloween
Horrnites Creative creative director John Murdy. The direction I give
(04:52):
my production designer every year for the facade is it's
like we're panning the camera to focus on a different
part of the cemetery each year. You can see the
new part of the cemetery coming together. Now. This third
installment of Latin America Folklore will feature three female figures,
La Yourona, La Muelona, and Las Sigunaba. Halloween Horrnites runs
(05:14):
select dates September fourth through November two. The Fear Dome
Comes to Las Vegas. A brand new haunted attraction is
opening in the Adventure Dome inside the Circus Circus Casino
and Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, this fall. Fear Dome
running seventeen select date September twenty sixth through October thirty first.
The attraction promises a fresh take on the previous Freight Dome,
(05:36):
which ran for fifteen years until its closure in twenty eighteen.
This isn't a revival, it's a full scale reinvention, said
South of Heaven Productions, the team overseeing the event. We
grew up in Las Vegas. It was important for us
to bring back an iconic attraction at the iconic property
Circus Circus. From the immersive haunted environments and cinematic storylines
(05:56):
to high quality effects and spine chilling thrills, Vegas locals
and tourists alike won't want to miss this memorable experience.
Perdome will feature four haunts, Deep Containment, Bill Billy Hollow,
No Way Out, the Birth of Glass Eyes, and Cotton
Candy Carnage, along with scare Zones, live actors, a signature
dark coaster experience, themed merchandise, food and beverages, and special
(06:19):
guest appearances. More information, including ticket sales, will be available
soon on the event's official website. Screams Halloween Theme Park
is closing. In a June twenty seventh social media post,
Screams Halloween Theme Park and Waxahatchie, Texas announced that it
is closing. The post thanked his loyal Scare actors, vendors,
(06:39):
and fans who have supported them for the past twenty
eight years. No reason was given for the closure yet.
The post teased a new and exciting event coming to
the Scarborough site in October twenty twenty five, but no
further details have been released at this time. The Ohio
Haunters Convention returns May ninth and tenth of twenty twenty six.
The long awaited return of the Ohio Haunters can Invention
(07:00):
has been announced from May ninth to tenth, twenty twenty six,
at the historic Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio. The
convention is open to all members of the Ohio Handres Association,
as well as non member industry professionals, haunt owners, actors, vendors,
and enthusiasts age eighteen and over. The event will feature vendors, seminars,
a costume party, and more. Ticket information and further details
(07:23):
will be posted in the coming months to the event's
official website. Midsummer Screams Haunt Spotlight for twenty twenty five
is coming on Saturday, August sixteenth, Midsummer Scream in Long Beach, California,
will take a look at some of Socal's most anticipated
indie haunts with their Haunt Spotlight twenty twenty five. Panel
panelists include Rix Boker from Fear Farm in Falan, California,
(07:46):
Jesus Chewey Garcia from Eulogy Collective in Anaheunt, California, Christy
Bredvika from the Curse of the Raven in Lamorada, California,
Joey Giuliano from Sombra Cemetery in Santa Clarita, California, Diego
Lenares from the Buena Vista Haunt in Burbank, California, and
Derek Young from Van Oaks Cemetery in Sherman Oaks, California.
(08:09):
These haunt creators will share their stories and discuss their
upcoming seasons. Taking place August fifteenth through seventeen at the
Long Beach Convention Center, Midsummer Scream features three hundred plus exhibitors,
all of Shadows, mini Haunts, live entertainment panels, and more.
Tickets for this year's events are on sale now. Graveyard
Games is now casting horror super fans. Are you a
(08:32):
horror superfan? Do you know your slashers, classic spooky cartoons,
horror video games, and urban legends. Like the back of
your Hand, Do you wait an excited anticipation for the
next true crime podcast or documentary? If so, Black Light
Entertainment Co. Is looking for you. Graveyard Games, a new
Halloween game show, is now casting big personality pop culture
(08:53):
horror fans aged eighteen and over for its inaugural season.
Influencers and horror super fans will battle through puzzles and
strategy based challenges to prove who knows the most about
this frightening genre. Filming takes place in Los Angeles area
July twenty four through twenty six. The series is set
to premiere in October. First learn more or apply via
(09:14):
the show's online application form. Spirit Helloween is hiring fifty
thousand retail associates As the Halloween season creeps closer. Spirit
Helloween announced is hiring more than fifty thousand sales associates
and store managers to support more than fifteen hundred retail
locations this year. With the anticipation for Helloween in an
all time high, we are committed to creating the same
(09:37):
immersive experience that keeps our fans coming back a year
after year, said Steven Silverstein, CEO Spirit Helloween. The talent
and enthusiasm of our associates is the driving force that
brings Halloween to life each year, and we look forward
to wel to welcoming new and returning faces for another
killer season. Employees receive frightfully fun perks, including competitive salaries,
(09:59):
flexible scheduling, a premium pay increase, program, seasonal retention bonuses
for returning store managers, and a thirty percent discount on
Spirit Halloween purchases. Search for available positions and location on
spirits official hiring site call for Haunted attractions and sponsors.
The Haunted Attraction Network's annual Hauntathon is back for its
(10:19):
eleventh year, and your haunt could be part of it.
Running from September first through October thirty first, hanted On
twenty twenty five will once again celebrate the haunted attraction
industry with daily videos, podcasts, and short form content spotlighting
the best haunts across the globe. Whether you're a mega
haunt or a passionate home haunter, this is your chance
(10:39):
to be seen by millions of Halloween fans. The Hauntathon
is now accepting applications from Haunted attractions and sponsors. Our
sponsorship opportunities include haunt features, podcast advertising, vertical video ad integration,
and newsletter features in the publication you are listening to now.
In twenty twenty four, the Haunted Attraction Network delivered forty
point two million video views across YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok,
(11:03):
thirty three thousand podcast downloads from horror focused listeners, thirteen
thousand monthly website views, and forty five hundred engaged email subscribers,
national media features on outlets like NBC's California Live and
NPR's Marketplace. With a social media reach of over five
hundred and fifty thousand followers, Hantathon offers unmatched exposure for
(11:24):
Haunted attractions looking to build long term visibility and connected
with an engaged Halloween audience. To inquire about sponsorship packages,
contact Philip directly at Philip at Haunted Attraction Network. Some
upcoming events this June through August include Texas Haunters Convention
in Dallas, Texas. July twenty sixth and twenty seventh, Haunters
(11:45):
Against Hate the Event three in Louisville, Kentucky, August eight
through ten, and Midsummer Scream in Long Beach, California, August
fifteenth through seventeen.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
And that's all for the news this week. Today's episode
was produced by me Philip Fernandez, with reporting by Darryl
Plunky post production by David Swope. This Haunt News Update
is a production of the Haunted Attraction Network and you
can sign up to our weekly newsletter at Hanta Attractionnetwork
dot com. Support for this episode comes from Gantum Lighting
and Controls. Until next time, Haunters Stay Scary. This is
(12:22):
a Haunted Attraction Network production.
Coming up your weekly roundup of news from around the
haunt industry. Welcome to the show. I'm Philip on the
HN Show. We bring you the haunt news, information, and
education you need to prepare for Halloween. On Tuesdays, we
bring you a roundup of news from haunts worldwide. Read
(00:28):
more about these stories and so much more in our
free weekly newsletter. Subscribe at the link in the show notes.
And as always for the news roundup, I'm passing it.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Off to Darryl. Universal announces Horror Unleashed Chicago. Universal Destinations
and Experiences is bringing its year round Horror Unleashed concept
is Chicago, Illinois, marking its second location before the first
even opens in Las Vegas this August. The new venue
will feature haunted houses, themed bars, food, and retail, but
(00:57):
it is entering a market already packed with high quality
haunts and lacking the built in foot traffic of Vegas's
Area fifteen. With no confirmed ip lineup and a harsh
winter climate to contend with, it is unclear if this
concept will gain traction with locals outside of the Halloween season.
The timing suggests the move may be more about investor
sentiment than guest demand Comcast lost one hundred and ninety
(01:20):
nine thousand broadband subscribers the last quarter, and with streaming
accelerating Calable's decline, the company is leaning hard into experiential
entertainment to diversify. Announcing a second Horror and Leag location,
despite the Vegas version still untested, helps Comcast project momentum
ahead of its July thirty first earnings call, but without
(01:40):
localized storytelling, strong intellectual property, and seasonal flexibility, the Chicago
expansion may struggle to deliver on its promise a modern
Halloween event with gaming ips immersion at three hundred and
fifty dollars previews. In this week's episode of Green Tagged,
Philippin Scott discussed the parallel strategies of US universals Halloween
(02:01):
Horror Nights and Winchester Mystery Houses Festival Fright Nights. Universal
is doubling down on pop culture firepower with the enomously
popular gaming ips of Fallout and five Nights at Freddy's.
They are also charging superfans three hundred and fifty dollars
for Premium Scream Night, a ticketed dress rehearsal with massive
ips and super fans willing to pay premium prices just
(02:23):
to attend a dress rehearsal. How can smaller attractions compete?
Thirteenth four in Winchester Mystery House might have an answer
With the Festival Fright Nights. The event will transform the
labyrinthine Winchester Mystery House into a Hellave into a Halloween
event with three haunted houses and entertainment. The key is
the immersive storyline, which sets the event in nineteen twenty
(02:44):
four and utilizes the mansion's backdrop in history, showing that
smaller venues can out maneuver giant budgets by weaponizing authenticity
and location. Philip and Scott will unpack with these strategies
signal about Helloween's next arm race, premium previews, ip one upmanship,
and how regional haunts can lean into their unique asset
ahead of chasing billion dollar licenses. Halloween Horror Nites Orlando
(03:07):
is announcing five original haunts. Halloween Horrorites at Universal Orlando
Resort in Orlando, Florida has taken to social media to
announce five new original mazes for this year's event. L Artista,
a Spanish haunting in nineteenth century Spain, A tortured artist
moves into an isolated country manner for inspiration, but the
(03:29):
art comes alive and possesses him Hatchet in chains, demon
bounty hunters. In this old West town, all hell is
breaking loose. Red hot lava demons are trying to possess everyone,
melting everything in their path. Dolls, let's play dead. You're
about to become doll sized and be hunted by toys
that have been burnt, melted, and stitched together by a
(03:49):
twisted little girl. Grave of Flesh. Welcome to your funeral,
where things are about to go from bad to worse.
You'll enter your grave and then the underworld, where flesh
eaters who feed on the dead will hunt you for
all eternity and Galkan monsters of the North. In a
remote northern village, a wicked being rises from the dead,
bringing a horde of monsters and demons from the Fjords
(04:10):
to wreak havoc on the townspeople. You'll face icy, horned, winged,
and wolfish fiends that gradually merge into one giant horror.
Then you'll try to escape the belly of the beast.
Halloween Horror Nites Orlando runs select dates August twenty ninth,
through November two. Follow the links in our show notes
to learn more via the comprehensive guide we've created. The
(04:31):
third installment of Monstrous announced for the HHN Hollywood Monstrous three,
The Ghosts of Latin America, is coming to Halloween Horrorites
at Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City, California. Monstrous was
always intended to be a trilogy sat Universal Studios Halloween
Horrnites Creative creative director John Murdy. The direction I give
(04:52):
my production designer every year for the facade is it's
like we're panning the camera to focus on a different
part of the cemetery each year. You can see the
new part of the cemetery coming together. Now. This third
installment of Latin America Folklore will feature three female figures,
La Yourona, La Muelona, and Las Sigunaba. Halloween Horrnites runs
(05:14):
select dates September fourth through November two. The Fear Dome
Comes to Las Vegas. A brand new haunted attraction is
opening in the Adventure Dome inside the Circus Circus Casino
and Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, this fall. Fear Dome
running seventeen select date September twenty sixth through October thirty first.
The attraction promises a fresh take on the previous Freight Dome,
(05:36):
which ran for fifteen years until its closure in twenty eighteen.
This isn't a revival, it's a full scale reinvention, said
South of Heaven Productions, the team overseeing the event. We
grew up in Las Vegas. It was important for us
to bring back an iconic attraction at the iconic property
Circus Circus. From the immersive haunted environments and cinematic storylines
(05:56):
to high quality effects and spine chilling thrills, Vegas locals
and tourists alike won't want to miss this memorable experience.
Perdome will feature four haunts, Deep Containment, Bill Billy Hollow,
No Way Out, the Birth of Glass Eyes, and Cotton
Candy Carnage, along with scare Zones, live actors, a signature
dark coaster experience, themed merchandise, food and beverages, and special
(06:19):
guest appearances. More information, including ticket sales, will be available
soon on the event's official website. Screams Halloween Theme Park
is closing. In a June twenty seventh social media post,
Screams Halloween Theme Park and Waxahatchie, Texas announced that it
is closing. The post thanked his loyal Scare actors, vendors,
(06:39):
and fans who have supported them for the past twenty
eight years. No reason was given for the closure yet.
The post teased a new and exciting event coming to
the Scarborough site in October twenty twenty five, but no
further details have been released at this time. The Ohio
Haunters Convention returns May ninth and tenth of twenty twenty six.
The long awaited return of the Ohio Haunters can Invention
(07:00):
has been announced from May ninth to tenth, twenty twenty six,
at the historic Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio. The
convention is open to all members of the Ohio Handres Association,
as well as non member industry professionals, haunt owners, actors, vendors,
and enthusiasts age eighteen and over. The event will feature vendors, seminars,
a costume party, and more. Ticket information and further details
(07:23):
will be posted in the coming months to the event's
official website. Midsummer Screams Haunt Spotlight for twenty twenty five
is coming on Saturday, August sixteenth, Midsummer Scream in Long Beach, California,
will take a look at some of Socal's most anticipated
indie haunts with their Haunt Spotlight twenty twenty five. Panel
panelists include Rix Boker from Fear Farm in Falan, California,
(07:46):
Jesus Chewey Garcia from Eulogy Collective in Anaheunt, California, Christy
Bredvika from the Curse of the Raven in Lamorada, California,
Joey Giuliano from Sombra Cemetery in Santa Clarita, California, Diego
Lenares from the Buena Vista Haunt in Burbank, California, and
Derek Young from Van Oaks Cemetery in Sherman Oaks, California.
(08:09):
These haunt creators will share their stories and discuss their
upcoming seasons. Taking place August fifteenth through seventeen at the
Long Beach Convention Center, Midsummer Scream features three hundred plus exhibitors,
all of Shadows, mini Haunts, live entertainment panels, and more.
Tickets for this year's events are on sale now. Graveyard
Games is now casting horror super fans. Are you a
(08:32):
horror superfan? Do you know your slashers, classic spooky cartoons,
horror video games, and urban legends. Like the back of
your Hand, Do you wait an excited anticipation for the
next true crime podcast or documentary? If so, Black Light
Entertainment Co. Is looking for you. Graveyard Games, a new
Halloween game show, is now casting big personality pop culture
(08:53):
horror fans aged eighteen and over for its inaugural season.
Influencers and horror super fans will battle through puzzles and
strategy based challenges to prove who knows the most about
this frightening genre. Filming takes place in Los Angeles area
July twenty four through twenty six. The series is set
to premiere in October. First learn more or apply via
(09:14):
the show's online application form. Spirit Helloween is hiring fifty
thousand retail associates As the Halloween season creeps closer. Spirit
Helloween announced is hiring more than fifty thousand sales associates
and store managers to support more than fifteen hundred retail
locations this year. With the anticipation for Helloween in an
all time high, we are committed to creating the same
(09:37):
immersive experience that keeps our fans coming back a year
after year, said Steven Silverstein, CEO Spirit Helloween. The talent
and enthusiasm of our associates is the driving force that
brings Halloween to life each year, and we look forward
to wel to welcoming new and returning faces for another
killer season. Employees receive frightfully fun perks, including competitive salaries,
(09:59):
flexible scheduling, a premium pay increase, program, seasonal retention bonuses
for returning store managers, and a thirty percent discount on
Spirit Halloween purchases. Search for available positions and location on
spirits official hiring site call for Haunted attractions and sponsors.
The Haunted Attraction Network's annual Hauntathon is back for its
(10:19):
eleventh year, and your haunt could be part of it.
Running from September first through October thirty first, hanted On
twenty twenty five will once again celebrate the haunted attraction
industry with daily videos, podcasts, and short form content spotlighting
the best haunts across the globe. Whether you're a mega
haunt or a passionate home haunter, this is your chance
(10:39):
to be seen by millions of Halloween fans. The Hauntathon
is now accepting applications from Haunted attractions and sponsors. Our
sponsorship opportunities include haunt features, podcast advertising, vertical video ad integration,
and newsletter features in the publication you are listening to now.
In twenty twenty four, the Haunted Attraction Network delivered forty
point two million video views across YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok,
(11:03):
thirty three thousand podcast downloads from horror focused listeners, thirteen
thousand monthly website views, and forty five hundred engaged email subscribers,
national media features on outlets like NBC's California Live and
NPR's Marketplace. With a social media reach of over five
hundred and fifty thousand followers, Hantathon offers unmatched exposure for
(11:24):
Haunted attractions looking to build long term visibility and connected
with an engaged Halloween audience. To inquire about sponsorship packages,
contact Philip directly at Philip at Haunted Attraction Network. Some
upcoming events this June through August include Texas Haunters Convention
in Dallas, Texas. July twenty sixth and twenty seventh, Haunters
(11:45):
Against Hate the Event three in Louisville, Kentucky, August eight
through ten, and Midsummer Scream in Long Beach, California, August
fifteenth through seventeen.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
And that's all for the news this week. Today's episode
was produced by me Philip Fernandez, with reporting by Darryl
Plunky post production by David Swope. This Haunt News Update
is a production of the Haunted Attraction Network and you
can sign up to our weekly newsletter at Hanta Attractionnetwork
dot com. Support for this episode comes from Gantum Lighting
and Controls. Until next time, Haunters Stay Scary. This is
(12:22):
a Haunted Attraction Network production.
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