Halloween Horror Nights Announces The Weeknd: After Hours Nightmare
Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal City, CA
Midsummer Scream kicks off today, marking the unofficial start of the haunting season in Southern California, and to mark the occasion, we’re bringing another Halloween Horror Nights maze (or house) announcement from Universal Studios. This one confirms perhaps one of the oddest rumors around this year’s HHN event—at least at first glance. Indeed, music superstar The Weeknd is collaborating with Halloween Horror Nights Orlando and Hollywood to bring a maze themed to his smash album, After Hours, this fall!
I know what you’re thinking. The Weeknd?? How in the world does that relate to horror? I mean, Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie and Slash are understandable, because they’re rock and metal and have always been associated with dark imagery of some short. But poppy, dance-y, soulful, R&B, artist The Weeknd, who has played Coachella like 27 times? So strange, right?
Well, have you ever watched his music videos and caught unnerving scenes like this?
Or this?
Or maybe even this?
Or how about all of these?
Basically, The Weeknd has a history of horror-inspired imagery in his music videos, and all of that is going into inspiration for The Weeknd: After Hours Nightmare, a new haunted house inspired by songs from the album of the same name. And while many may bash the idea and the announcement, I’ll take a wait-and-see approach. Because something like this won’t be beholden to recreating exact IP movie scenes and mimicking exacting detail, giving the HHN creators more room to apply their creativity to make something more original and less predictable. We’ve seen some successful recent mazes be the more original takes on things, from The Curse of Pandora’s Box to Universal Monsters: Bride of Frankenstein Lives, and this could be another chance to surprise fans who have become used to the HHN’s formulaic boo box jump scare designs.
Of course, the boo boxes will still be there, but may other elements too. And if all else fails, we can at least count on dozens of Tik Tok / Instagram influencers doing the Super Bowl Halftime mirror maze meme this fall!
From the press release:
Global Music Phenomenon and Multi Award-Winning Artist, The Weeknd, Collaborates with Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights to Create All-New Haunted Houses Inspired by His Record-Breaking “After Hours” Album
“The Weeknd: After Hours Nightmare” Will Terrify Guests in an Unprecedented Experience at Universal Orlando Resort Beginning September 2, and at Universal Studios Hollywood Beginning September 8
Universal City, CA & Orlando, FL– For the first time ever, multi award-winning artist The Weeknd joins forces with Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights to inspire all-new, terrifying haunted houses based on his record-breaking “After Hours” album. Beginning September 2 at Universal Orlando Resort and on September 8 at Universal Studios Hollywood, guests will spiral into the twisted mind of this mysterious artist to experience “The Weeknd: After Hours Nightmare.”
(Image courtesy of Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights.)
Global phenomenon, The Weeknd, is renowned for his groundbreaking music that blends daring, provocative lyrics with innovative sounds and ominous undertones. “After Hours” is The Weeknd’s fourth consecutive number one album and has spawned multiple chart-topping hits, including “Too Late,” “Heartless,” “In Your Eyes” and the wildly popular single “Blinding Lights” – which is ranked as the #1 Greatest Hot 100 Hit of All Time by Billboard. This fall, select tracks from the riveting album are being reimagined as a horror movie soundtrack for the outrageously haunting experience at Halloween Horror Nights.
The dark undercurrent behind The Weeknd’s enigmatic persona will permeate the all-new Halloween Horror Nights haunted houses on both coasts. With the eerie sounds of “After Hours” reverberating throughout the experience, guests will step into a surreal living nightmare filled with grotesque characters and themes inspired by The Weeknd’s music and short films. As they’re stalked by slashers, bandaged maniacs, gruesome toad-like creatures and other unfathomable horrors from the mind of the artist, guests will be challenged to survive the night while trapped within the terrifying, unexpected world of “The Weeknd: After Hours Nightmare” – a place that only exists in The Weeknd’s vivid imagination and from which one may never escape.
“I always wanted my own Halloween Horror Nights haunted house as Halloween has always been significant to my music, so this is a total dream come to life. I feel like my music videos have served as a launching pad for a collaboration like this, and I cannot wait for people to experience this madness!” said Abel ‘The Weeknd’ Tesfaye.
“We are thrilled to take guests inside of the mind of The Weeknd, who is a Halloween Horror Nights fan himself,” said John Murdy, Executive Producer of Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood. “This is an unprecedented haunted house that is going to shatter the expectations of our guests and immerse them in an unforgettable experience that is equally unexpected and terrifying,” added Charles Gray, Senior Show Director for Entertainment Creative Development at Universal Orlando Resort.
Architect. Photographer. Disney nerd. Haunt enthusiast. Travel bugged. Concert fiend. Asian.
