‘Halloween’ And ‘The Purge’ Franchises Return To Halloween Horror Nights

An attraction based on the latest entry in a multimillion-dollar franchise, and a maze inspired by a cult classic, round out the experiences at this year’s Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood.

This year’s event, which kicks off on Thursday, September 9, 2021, sees the return of the Terror Tram, which will bring The Final Purge to life in Terror Tram: The Ultimate Purge.

Guests will be taken on what’s described as a “nightmarish journey” based on the fifth and reportedly final film in the lucrative and popular film series. In the immersive experience on the studio’s backlot, they’ll have to evade the horde who want The Purge to go on forever, and not just one night a year.  

When The Final Purge landed in theaters earlier this year, it grossed $71.3 million at the worldwide box office against an $18 million budget. This is not the first time Blumhouse Production’s The Purge franchise has featured at Halloween Horror Nights, but it will be the first time that it has been the creative focus of the Terror Tram. 

One of the most popular and instantly recognizable titans of horror returns to Los Angeles with the announcement of the year’s final maze addition, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers.

Based on the movie of the same name, the iconic masked killer is back to terrorize Haddonfield with his rampage of revenge as he tries to find his niece, the daughter of Laurie Strode. The 1988 slasher is a direct sequel to Halloween II and saw the return of Donald Pleasence as Myers’ nemesis, Dr. Sam Loomis.

While it didn’t get much love from critics and continues to divide franchise fans, it has become a cult classic. When it landed in theaters, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers grossed $17.8 million at the domestic box office against a $5 million budget.

Also coming back to life is the mothballed The Walking Dead attraction. The return of the experience coincides with the eleventh and final season of the show, which premieres on AMC on Sunday, August 22, 2021. The first episode is already available to stream on AMC+.

Already announced for this year’s event are mazes based on wildly popular horror IPs, including the return of The Exorcist, Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, plus Universal Monsters: The Bride of Frankenstein Lives.  The Curse of Pandora’s Box, a maze that premiered in 2019, will also return.

Tickets for Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood, which runs on select nights in September and October, are now on sale.