Universal Destinations and Experiences, the division of NBCUniversal responsible for its theme parks in Orlando and California, is pulling back the curtain on its planned year-round horror project in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The venture will be called Universal Horror Unleashed, and will feature four haunted houses, based on well-known intellectual property: Blumhouse’s The Exorcist: Believer, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Universal Monsters, and Scarecrow: The Reaping.
Horror Unleashed will also feature themed immersive areas outside the houses, with horror-themed food and drinks, merchandise, and seasonal events and attractions.
The attraction is a major bet by Universal to expand its live experiences brand beyond its theme parks and into new concepts.
Universal Hollywood and Universal Orlando already host Halloween Horror Nights each year, constructing a slew of haunted houses for guests to walk through. It has become a big business for the company, with Disney, Six Flags and others all also after a slice of the seasonal pie.
But Horror Unleashed is a different beast. It is smaller in scale and located far from a theme park, but as the anchor tenant of the upcoming expansion for the popular AREA15 entertainment district in tourism-friendly Las Vegas, it also seems like a safe bet. Constructing haunted houses meant to be visited year-round could also allow for more immersive experiences, as opposed to the seasonal houses constructed in the parks.
“Universal’s rich history in the creation of the horror genre drove our desire to bring a year-round horror experience to the incredible entertainment offerings in Las Vegas,” said Page Thompson, president of new ventures for UDX. “We’re thrilled to have our award winning Creative and Entertainment teams working tirelessly to bring these terrors to life in 2025.”
Universal also has another new concept opening next year: A smaller, family-friendly theme park called the Universal Kids Resort that is being constructed in the Dallas metropolitan area, and which will feature attractions based on the company’s IP.
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