These New Universal Monsters Animatronics Are Awesome

Across the generations, we’ve seen the likes of Frankenstein, Dracula, the Wolf Man, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon brought to life in virtually every medium. We’ve seen them in movies, on TV, as toys, and you’ve probably even seen them in theme parks too. So, when creating a whole new theme park area dedicated to those legendary monsters, the team at Epic Universe had to figure out an important question: how do you make characters everyone knows somehow seem new and fresh? Well, you bring them to life right in front of our eyes.

Universal just released a first look at the animatronic monsters from the ride “Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment,” which is located inside the Dark Universe section of Epic Universe in Orlando, Florida. It’s the brand new, IP-heavy theme park coming to Universal Studios Orlando in May and from these videos and images, it sure seems like the bar has been raised for these monsters. Check it out.

The video hints at how these designs hit a nice sweet spot, and we tend to agree. They’re all instantly recognizable as the iconic characters, but they’re also slightly updated and still, somehow, a little bit menacing. To be fair though, that last bit will rely heavily on how each of these are used in the ride itself which remains a bit of a mystery.

Universal reveals the ride has 14 animatronics in all—which, we’re assuming, include multiples of each of these characters as well as a few surprises. The ride itself is described as such: “’Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment’ will take guests deep into the catacombs of Frankenstein Manor, where Dr. Victoria Frankenstein—the great-great-granddaughter of the infamous Henry Frankenstein—conducts her twisted and misguided experiments. In a vain display of her genius, she invites guests to witness a demonstration of her ability to control monsters—but her plans go awry when a horde of enraged monsters are unleashed. Guests then embark on a terrifying ride through the darkness as they try to evade Dracula, the Wolf Man, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and more.”

Here are a few more images.

If the line is too long for the ride, apparently versions of the monsters will also be walking around the theme park as well as a few other characters. “Guests not yet ready to brave ‘Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment’ will still have the opportunity to meet, greet, and take photos with legendary Monsters and characters as they explore Dark Universe—including Dr. Victoria Frankenstein’s Monster and the alluring Bride of Frankenstein,” the press release reads. “Guests will also encounter other unusual inhabitants roaming the eerie village, including Dr. Victoria Frankenstein’s assistant, Ygor, the Invisible Man, an eccentric monster hunter, and a talented musician who regales guests with songs and tales.”

And, of course, Dark Universe is just one of five areas at Epic Universe, so it’s sure to be a very busy day.

Tickets for the park are now on sale though it’s a little complicated. Read our write up about it here and head to the official site for more.

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