As the August 30th start date for this year’s Halloween Horror Nights approaches with the promise of fog-shrouded evenings, we’ve had the pleasure of taking a first look at three original concept houses.
This sneak peek is courtesy of the Halloween Horror Nights Behind-the-Screams: Unmasking the Horror Tour. This daytime “lights on” experience offers an in-depth look at the Halloween Horror Nights houses. With a guide highlighting details easily missed during the night’s frights, it’s an excellent choice for die-hard fans or those who prefer to appreciate the artistry without the scares. Our tour covered three houses, but a six-house option is also available. For more details on this immersive tour, check out our comprehensive guide here.
Dear reader, proceed with caution – spoilers lurk just ahead!
Slaughter Sinema 2
This season, Halloween Horror Nights takes us back to a beloved haunt – The Carey Drive-In. For newcomers or those unfamiliar with its history, this location has been featured multiple times since its debut in a 2015 scare zone, later evolving into the backdrop for two haunted houses. The Carey Drive-In has also permeated other aspects of the event, including food stands and mazes, enhancing its haunted lore. Dive deeper into its story with our Slaughter Sinema 2 announcement here.
A beloved highlight from 2018, Slaughter Sinema, brought to life previews of the latest B movies on the silver screen, setting the stage for adventures into films featuring sacrificial sororities, werewolf bikers, and murderous barbers. Now, with a “2” indicating its sequel status in 2024, we’re eager to see what new horrors Universal has concocted. We are in luck, as today’s tour offered us a first glimpse!
Like its predecessor, guests will be greeted with trailers on an outdoor movie screen, previewing the eight fictional films featured inside the house. Each section, or “flick,” is distinctly marked by a movie poster, signaling a transition in scenery.
Slaughter Sinema 2 kicks off with Mardi Gras Murders, set in an apartment that truly embodies the spirit of “letting the good times roll” a little too far. Amid the chaos of Jell-O shots, scattered liquor bottles, and vomit, the true horror emerges from jesters wearing cap and bells crafted from their own flesh.
Next up in our lineup of frightful film features is “Heavy Metal Hell 3D.” In this picture, a teen plays a record backward, unwittingly opening the gates to a realm that lives up to its name: Heavy Metal Hell. This segment features some 3D effects, so keep in mind that it’s BYO3D – bring your own 3D glasses!
For any diehard Halloween enthusiast, the arrival of the Christmas season might seem like a buzzkill. However, Universal cleverly embraces the holiday twist with its next horror flick, “Killer Kringles.” Here, guests venture through Santa’s twisted workshop, where Kriss Kringle keeps the naughty-list kids in his bag—not for coal, but for Mrs. Claus to feed their elves. As you step into this macabre scene, you’re greeted by the “Killer Kringles” movie poster featuring Mr. and Mrs. Claus portrayed by real-life master Character Designers from Halloween Horror Nights!
In 2022, the Bugs: Eaten Alive house tapped into the widespread fear of insects by featuring creepy crawlies supersized by Bzzzcon. In Slaughter Sinema 2, Bzzzcon unveils fresh terrors in the fictional film “Night of the Undead Clowns.” Here, Bzzzcon’s disposal of contaminated liquid into a clown graveyard reanimates the resting corpses into zombies.
Slaughter Sinema 2 takes a turn to the Wild West with “Hatchet and Chains: Demon Bounty Hunters.” In this thrilling narrative, Chains is a rugged human bounty hunter, and Hatchet is his demonic counterpart. As the action unfolds, you find yourself caught in the midst of their supernatural showdown.
The fabricated film Blood and Chum transports guests to a classic horror backdrop—summer camp. A shark has infiltrated the lake, preying on every camper who dares to take a dip. Despite the chaos, the counselor declares that camp will go on—come rain, shine, or rampant gore. Visitors will be thrilled by the animatronic shark head puppet, nicknamed Megaladoom by HHN designers, featured in this segment of the house.
Slaughter Sinema 2 weaves the tale of “Mummy Strippers Unwrapped.” In this story, Tommy Two Thumbs, a strip club owner, turns a sarcophagus that tumbled out of a truck into a piece of decor for his venue, Mummy’s Room Adult Lounge. Little did they know, this ancient relic would awaken, with the mummies inside beginning to drain the life essences of patrons and allowing Tommy to keep his life in exchange. Additionally, fans of Halloween Horror Nights lore will spot a familiar face: Tim Foyle, known from Case Files Unearthed: Legendary Truth and rumored to have unleashed the horrors of Halloween Horror Nights upon Universal Studios Florida. He’s depicted here as one of the unfortunate victims of Mummy’s Room Adult Lounge.
In the climactic finale of the house, “Zyborgs” unveils a terrifying vision of the future where machines scavenge for human body parts to expand their mechanical army. As you navigate through this movie, beware. It’s a fun play on those classic B-movies featuring hybrid creatures like the “half-man, half-ant.”
And a little insider secret: each of the Halloween Horror Nights haunted houses has a code name before its reveal. Slaughter Sinema 2 was given “Cobbler.” each house will feature its dessert hidden somewhere within its walls, as well as a hidden animal—this year, it’s a snail. Keep your eyes peeled for these Easter eggs!
The Museum: Deadly Exhibits
Are you ready for a night at the museum? Brace yourself for an evening at The Rotting Stone Museum, a place left to decay and crumble, for a guided audio tour. As you travel further into its corridors, the house’s disintegration becomes increasingly apparent, with the rot setting in and your audio guide distorting.
Amid the narrative and jumpscares, keep your eyes peeled for a special cameo. Tucked away among the exhibits, you’ll spot the Mama Bear from Scary Tales: Deadly Ever After, featured in Halloween Horror Nights 2018.
Remember the code names that we mentioned earlier? The Museum: Deadly Exhibits has been codenamed “Baklava.”
Check out some more of The Museum: Deadly Exhibits below!
Triplets of Terror
Misfortune comes in threes, a fitting theme for our next Halloween Horror Nights house on the tour. Triplets of Terror delves into the gruesome Barmy family murders, where the triplets chillingly reenact their family’s demise as a macabre birthday celebration every ten years.
We start off at the scene of the original 1984 crime on the triplets’ ninth birthday, where they infamously slaughtered their family at 3324 Wichita Lane (a nod to 2024 marking the 33rd year of HHN). Fast forward to 2024, and you’re thrust into the midst of a buzzing True Crime community, surrounded by newspaper clippings and the puzzled discussions of podcasters trying to unravel the mystery of the murders. A newly unearthed Super 8 film from the first crime scene emerges as a pivotal piece of evidence.
Adding a twist to the narrative, a familiar thrill-seeker will spot an unexpected connection: Jack the Clown, known in his previous life as Jack Schmidt, appears on an evidence bag as a detective on the case.
Progressing through the house, you enter the kitchen of the Johnson family in Cradleton, Pennsylvania, surrounded by relics from the original murder: cake ingredients, a dog, a bat, and a baseball glove. These items serve as a calling card, with the triplets infamously mirroring the methods of their first crime, though they sometimes slightly alter their tactics. The terror escalates when the triplets target the Johnson family’s dog, previously seen in the 2019 Depths of Fear house.
Next, we follow the triplets to a garage-turned-man cave, where they brutally kill a man to collect the tools needed to recreate their initial crime. The journey continues through an alleyway with the town drunk and a corridor between a butcher and a baker shop. Keep an eye out for a bulletin board listing weekly specials, each a code name for this year’s houses, with Triplets of Terror named “fudge.”
Entering the butcher shop, we witness one triplet has chosen a meat cleaver as their weapon, adding the butcher to their list of victims. The horror culminates in a slaughter party where the triplets unleash their terror, massacring characters introduced earlier in the house.
The mystery of their escape unfolds as we discover a sewer, their suspected route to freedom, while searchlights sweep overhead in a futile search for the elusive murderers.
Learn More About Halloween Horror Nights
This is just the beginning of what’s in store at this year’s Halloween Horror Nights. The three mazes featured are part of an extensive lineup featuring ten haunted houses, including standout themes like Ghostbusters and Insidious, along with five scare zones and showstopping entertainment. Experience these haunts on select nights from August 30 through November 3. Find out everything you need to know about tickets here.
Learn more about Halloween Horror Nights in our insider’s guide, then discuss it all with 170,000+ other Universal die-hard fans in our Orlando Informer Community on Facebook. And be sure to follow Orlando Informer on TikTok, Threads, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest news, tips, and more at Universal Orlando, Walt Disney World, and other Orlando attractions.
