Earlier this year, Universal Studios announced an all-new Universal Monsters-themed maze for Halloween Horror Nights called Universal Monsters: Legends Collide. The haunted house, which will be featured at both Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort, brings together the classic Universal Monsters, The Wolf Man, Dracula, and The Mummy, for the first time ever. This past Saturday, John Murdy, Creative Director and Executive Producer of Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood, shared further details about the house during a Halloween Horror Nights presentation at Midsummer Scream.
With the creative teams at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort collaborating on the project, Murdy shared that the story of Universal Monsters: Legends Collide is split into two parts across the two parks. The haunted house coming to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando Resort tells part one of the story, and the house at Universal Studios Hollywood will tell part two, with the first part of the story set in Egypt and the second part set in the Limehouse District in London.
This bi-coastal experience will transport guests to the 19th century with the trio of monsters seeking one thing: The Amulet of Amun-Ra. Each monster believes this ancient relic contains the power to lift their dreaded curse.
The amulet will be worn by the Mummy in the house and is both a special effect and a costume piece. The amulet uses LED technology so that the fire opal in the center of the amulet pulses with the mummy’s heartbeat.
During the presentation Murdy brought out Grammy Award-winning musician, Slash who again collaborated with Universal Studios Hollywood with an original composition for their haunted house. The new composition, titled, “Immortal Curses,” was previewed during the presentation and you can hear it below:
Murdy also shared 13 easter eggs that appear in the maze. The first of the easter eggs appears on the house’s facade, which can already be seen in the park. The name of the shipping warehouse is Alucard Trading Co., Alucard, of course, being Dracula spelled backward and a nod to its use in the film “Son of Dracula.”
The second easter egg in the maze is a bit more subtle and appears in the London docks portion of the maze. Here you’ll find several crates and boxes, some of which will be stamped with the seal of Amun-Ra.
Here you’ll also find the dead dockworkers from the film “Dracula,” which is the third easter egg in the house. Everyone will be dead here, except for Renfield, Dracula’s deranged servant and familiar who happens to be the fourth easter egg and the character you’ll find behind the shipping and receiving desk.
The fifth easter egg, or should we say, easter eggs, appear in one of the largest rooms in the house, “The Holding Room.” Here, a number of film-used props from “The Mummy” franchise and “The Scorpion King” will be on display as set pieces. This scene is also home to the sixth easter egg, which is a glowing chest that contains the heart of The Mummy, and you can still hear it beating.
In another scene called, “The Storage Racks,” you’ll come across the seventh easter egg, the High Priest of Karnak. The high priest appeared in all of the sequels to the 1932 film “The Mummy” and will be a character in the maze.
The eighth easter egg in the maze will appear in “The Graveyard” scene. Murdy shared that one of the crypts will feature the name Browning, a tribute to Tod Browning who directed the original “Dracula,” however he hinted that other familiar names might also appear. The graveyard scene will also house the ninth easter egg shared by Murdy. Much like Highgate Cemetery in London, a portion of the graveyard will take on an Egyptian feel. Here you’ll find a secret passageway leading you into the museum’s curator’s office.
You’ll find the tenth easter egg in the curator’s office, a museum poster announcing the Egyptian exhibit. One portion of the poster reads, “Short Address by S. Hudson on ‘Egyptian Music.'” The name S. Hudson is a nod to musician Slash, whose real name is Saul Hudson.
The eleventh easter egg unveiled by Murdy was that the vampire brides who appeared in past Universal Monsters houses would make a cameo in Universal Monsters: Legends Collide as part of Dracula’s attempt to create an army of vampires.
In one of the final scenes of the maze, the High Priest of Karnak will be found holding The Mummy’s heart, which was contained in the chest, in an attempt to revive all of the mummy’s in the museum. The heart will have a special LED lighting effect and beat like it did in the chest.
But Murdy saved probably the best easter egg for last. The thirteenth easter egg revealed has to do with the Anubis. Part of the inspiration for the maze stemmed from actual recent research around Anubis. Once thought to be a jackal-headed god, it is now believed to be a wolf. “So Anubis…is a wolf…man,” teased Murdy before unveiling an all-new monster that will appear at the end of the house, the Anubis Werewolf. The character will be a stiltwalker, and from the concept art and mask sculpt, it looks like it will be terrifying.
Halloween Horror Nights begins on Friday, September 2 in Orlando with 10 terrifying haunted houses and Thursday, September 8 in Hollywood with eight frightening haunted houses. Both events will run on select nights through Monday, October 31. Tickets to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood are now on sale.
