As COVID-19 sweeps the nation, the masses are practicing social distancing in precaution to not spread the virus further, but will these self quarantines affect the upcoming Halloween Horror Nights event at Universal Studios Hollywood. The park closed in March, much to the dismay of fans who had wanted to experience the new Secret Life of Pets attraction within its opening month, as well as to the dismay of Universal, who had to cancel their “Peacock: LIVE!” event, where many speculated we would be given our first maze announcement for Horror Nights. The panel, with all Halloween Horror Nights events creative directors, was seen by many as the perfect time to announce a shared intellectual property based haunted attraction (I’d put my money on “Beetlejuice” and “The Haunting of Hill House”) but was canceled with the event due to a rising number of cases of the coronavirus. Now the question is, how will this virus affect the Halloween season at Universal Studios Hollywood?
I previously believed the event could be canceled, which is still a real possibility, but with new projections of the virus’ spread, it’s safe to say the park will be open, if not in September, then October. While I believe the event will still go on, I expect that there will be, and have been, conflicts created from laid-off workers, closed parks, and a national scare. I suspect that this year will feature returning characters and IPs, due to the cost-effectiveness of reusing props, costuming, and masks. IP mazes, in general, could be in trouble, as some companies may not want to associate with a horror event after real mass deaths due to COVID-19. We’ve speculated that Intellectual Properties have pulled out prior to the event before (the most widely known instance being a house based on “The Conjuring” in Hollywood and a house based off of “Scream” in Orlando), but could we see that happen to multiple properties originally intended to be a part of the event’s lineup? That’s my main horror-nights related question during this incredibly confusing time for everyone.
The Attraction Compaction 