Halloween Horror Nights 2025 (USH) - Speculation & Rumors

[DTH]

I think the whole marketing and "too niche" aspect was thrown out the window years ago and now sounds like an excuse. We've had Trick r Treat. Killer Klowns from Outer Space. Creepshow TV show, as if anyone watched that! Random mazes sponsored by "Figure" and Diego Luna. Original mazes called Dead Exposure to cater to the...Orlando crowd...I guess? There's a way to make it work with everything now. Even "popular" mazes sometimes turn out to be low draws. This last year had some heavy hitters and the event was still low attendance. Either people go or they ain't. The Ring and The Grudge were freakin HUGE at the time of release. It literally doesn't matter how long ago it was, BOTH of those will still be popular, they are engrained into pop culture. Either of those are bigger than Evil Dead Rise or something lame sounding like "Curse of Pandora's Box."

 

[Jake S]

It literally doesn't matter how long ago it was, BOTH of those will still be popular, they are engrained into pop culture. Either of those are bigger than Evil Dead Rise or something lame sounding like "Curse of Pandora's Box."

it literally does matter, though? curse of pandora’s box was free. if they can negotiate a good deal to acquire the rights for the ring, i imagine they’d be happy to bring it. its absence suggests, to me, that such a deal has not presented itself.

 

[rageofthegods]

I would also point out that oftentimes, the "niche" IP that gets brought over to HHN usually come whenever there's some kind of related media or merchandising push by the rights holder (e.g. KKFOS coinciding with Amazon pushing MGM properties, Creepshow coming when they made the TV show), so the rights holders are motivated to make a deal with HHN work.

This is also why I think a Lost Boys house is happening sooner rather than later - WB is *really* pushing that one.

 

[Wesker69]

The Lost Boys Musical - Broadway 2026

So there's that push

 

[rageofthegods]

The Lost Boys Musical - Broadway 2026

So there's that push

You're joking but that's exactly what I'm referring to, as well as a general influx of new merch items.

Also, food for thought:

Beetlejuice musical: premiered on Broadway in 2019

Beetlejuice HHN house: intended to happen at HHN 2020.

 

[Wesker69]

You're joking

Who says? I'm annoyed the California based movie turned musical isn't debuting on the West Coast.

House + Chinese takeout food booth.
"They're just noodles Michael"

 

[saint.piss]

All the IPs are locked in (that's me he replied to lol)

 

[Wesker69]

They may be locked in now, but IPs can always hit a snag before summer.

 

[Ridesandstuff]

I literally just want good scary movies as mazes, man, give me Freddy for the 15th time at this point. Man I miss old HHN.

like what are we doing lmao

 

[Wishmaster]

What’s the guesses on the IPs?

 

[AlexanderMBush]

I'm gonna be honest, as much as it hurts me to say I think it's time us old-timers accept HHN of old will be just that - a fixture of the past.

I think it's actually still there--but the way they do it has changed when in comparison. I also think at a certain point it wears off of us as part of our times with the event. The seeing of the constant use of the same tricks.

Not necessarily a bad thing; but it is a "old timers" problem more than anything else.

They may be locked in now, but IPs can always hit a snag before summer.

yeah at this point if they were going to have the IP's on lock--it would be done by the middle of last month (As I believe that was when Weeknd was secured because of Murdy's air flight to LA then for the 2024 season).

Hopefully we don't fall into a situation where we have a IP snag like with 2024 and 2022, really hoping things go as they can.

 

[viking_wizard_eyes]

I think the whole marketing and "too niche" aspect was thrown out the window years ago and now sounds like an excuse. We've had Trick r Treat. Killer Klowns from Outer Space. Creepshow TV show, as if anyone watched that! Random mazes sponsored by "Figure" and Diego Luna. Original mazes called Dead Exposure to cater to the...Orlando crowd...I guess? There's a way to make it work with everything now. Even "popular" mazes sometimes turn out to be low draws. This last year had some heavy hitters and the event was still low attendance. Either people go or they ain't. The Ring and The Grudge were freakin HUGE at the time of release. It literally doesn't matter how long ago it was, BOTH of those will still be popular, they are engrained into pop culture. Either of those are bigger than Evil Dead Rise or something lame sounding like "Curse of Pandora's Box."

I still feel like people downplay Universal's efforts to procure IP. You can't just snap your fingers and get one in 2025, even for something "niche" like the Grudge or the Ring. In fact, it's often harder to get those than it is to get something bigger. And KKFOS and Trick R Treat aren't even fair comparisons because the rights-holders pass out those licenses like candy -- there's merch of pretty every much every variety, everywhere. That's less true for something like The Ring, or whatever property matches the criteria you have here.

You also hear people talk a lot about Six Flags, like "how were they able to get Stranger Things, Universal already had that deal" or like "Why not get NOES again, Universal already had that deal," and boom, you just answered your own question in the asking -- they already had that deal. None of these things are in perpetuity, for starters, and there are also what basically amount to competition clauses in a lot of these agreements. It does not behoove a rights-holder to work with the same third-party over and over again.

TL;DR, this process is a lot more complicated than people understand and I don't think it has anything to do with HHN changing how they operate. It's the other way around.

 

[Clive]

I still feel like people downplay Universal's efforts to procure IP. You can't just snap your fingers and get one in 2025, even for something "niche" like the Grudge or the Ring. In fact, it's often harder to get those than it is to get something bigger. And KKFOS and Trick R Treat aren't even fair comparisons because the rights-holders pass out those licenses like candy -- there's merch of pretty every much every variety, everywhere. That's less true for something like The Ring, or whatever property matches the criteria you have here.

You also hear people talk a lot about Six Flags, like "how were they able to get Stranger Things, Universal already had that deal" or like "Why not get NOES again, Universal already had that deal," and boom, you just answered your own question in the asking -- they already had that deal. None of these things are in perpetuity, for starters, and there are also what basically amount to competition clauses in a lot of these agreements. It does not behoove a rights-holder to work with the same third-party over and over again.

TL;DR, this process is a lot more complicated than people understand and I don't think it has anything to do with HHN changing how they operate. It's the other way around.

Bingo. Media landscape is changing, not necessarily how Horror Nights operates (though there have been some shifts here and there, too).

 

[Jerroddragon]

I still feel like people downplay Universal's efforts to procure IP. You can't just snap your fingers and get one in 2025, even for something "niche" like the Grudge or the Ring. In fact, it's often harder to get those than it is to get something bigger. And KKFOS and Trick R Treat aren't even fair comparisons because the rights-holders pass out those licenses like candy -- there's merch of pretty every much every variety, everywhere. That's less true for something like The Ring, or whatever property matches the criteria you have here.

You also hear people talk a lot about Six Flags, like "how were they able to get Stranger Things, Universal already had that deal" or like "Why not get NOES again, Universal already had that deal," and boom, you just answered your own question in the asking -- they already had that deal. None of these things are in perpetuity, for starters, and there are also what basically amount to competition clauses in a lot of these agreements. It does not behoove a rights-holder to work with the same third-party over and over again.

TL;DR, this process is a lot more complicated than people understand and I don't think it has anything to do with HHN changing how they operate. It's the other way around.

This makes a lot of sense and I assume HHN team would not like this but maybe if they want more IPS wants want you have to start booking them 3+ years in advance instead of just starting a year before

If the process is changing then,, Ii think what some fans are asking for is the HHN team to evolve to match what needs to happen to make certain IPS come back.

This year to me will show if it needs to be done or not, if its as slow as last year and we only have like 1 or 2 IPs people really care about, I hope they look at how to address that and change. because I do not want HHN to start having to budget even more then it is now

 

[DTH]

I deal with entertainment law all the time. Only thing that matters is money. And Six Flags ain't shelling out more. They literally don't have the budget, that much is apparent. Nothing is enticing about what they have to offer whether it's in regards to fan outreach, tourist outreach, merchandise sales, commercial showcasing, repeat business, new fan conversion, international market, or literally anything -- they do not have the fanbase loyalty or numbers to sustain or make any declarations bigger than Universal's, whether that's here in Six Flags' Valencia, Texas, or New Jersey. Any and every IP will go where the most money is being offered, even if it meant staying there for freakin' 10 years - Walking Dead is a prime example of that. It also worked out major deals to be in multiple places at the same time because they were a big enough entity to do so -- it literally is that simple. Work with the big dogs or don't, even if exclusivity isn't on the table.

Six Flags snagged those properties up cheaper than they usually are because Universal offered them nothing. Universal is trying to expand, I totally get that, but the product is so much weaker now. It has nothing to do with "oh we've been going a long time and I'm used to it" -- Knotts is over there getting BETTER recently and I've been going there for 25 years. There's a major decline and even the GP is starting to notice it. It's time to start hitting some panic buttons and shelving out big bucks for some crazy big draws that'll stop people from saying "oh that sounds cool" and back to "oh that sounds scary."

Let's not forget the fact that one single person has been spearheading this thing for almost two decades now. With all due respect, new blood is needed to throw some fresh freakin' ideas onto the table. I'm not saying Murdy needs to quit, step aside, or even be just a consultant -- but he needs to share this process with multiple other people in order for this to work. How many times is he typing into his treatments, "and then uh...he rips off the face of his victim and...shows the guests running by! YEAH, that's it!" We all KNOW there's so much more HHN can be doing, even with their rules, regulations, and standards they have set, even with the guilds in place, but we're just ignoring it because "uh, yeah, The Last of US, cool! Weeknd, alright!" Far and wide, the haunt industry is growing and this event itself is growing, but it is using the same techniques over and over again -- REFUSING to grow not because it can't, but because it all stems from ONE person's imagination!

 

[Wesker69]

Eh.. I say it's Universal's higher-ups reluctance to increase the budget for the event that brings in triple what they spent to bring it to life.

I wouldn't say Knotts has gotten better than HHN since they only deal with 1-2 new houses each year compared to the 8 new ones HHN has to create every year.

Day-ops (and evolving park construction) has hindered thematic SZs too. The lack of Halloween feel in general is missing from the park, minus the few characters that get Halloween costumes.

 

[Jake S]

I deal with entertainment law all the time. Only thing that matters is money. And Six Flags ain't shelling out more. They literally don't have the budget, that much is apparent. Nothing is enticing about what they have to offer whether it's in regards to fan outreach, tourist outreach, merchandise sales, commercial showcasing, repeat business, new fan conversion, international market, or literally anything -- they do not have the fanbase loyalty or numbers to sustain or make any declarations bigger than Universal's, whether that's here in Six Flags' Valencia, Texas, or New Jersey. Any and every IP will go where the most money is being offered, even if it meant staying there for freakin' 10 years - Walking Dead is a prime example of that. It also worked out major deals to be in multiple places at the same time because they were a big enough entity to do so -- it literally is that simple. Work with the big dogs or don't, even if exclusivity isn't on the table.

i'm sorry, help me understand this. it's all about money and six flags contracted a handful of high value IPs ... but that's not about money?

Six Flags snagged those properties up cheaper than they usually are because Universal offered them nothing. Universal is trying to expand, I totally get that, but the product is so much weaker now. It has nothing to do with "oh we've been going a long time and I'm used to it" -- Knotts is over there getting BETTER recently and I've been going there for 25 years. There's a major decline and even the GP is starting to notice it. It's time to start hitting some panic buttons and shelving out big bucks for some crazy big draws that'll stop people from saying "oh that sounds cool" and back to "oh that sounds scary."

i don't agree that scary farm has gotten better over the past five years, but even if you do believe that it has to be believed within the context of knott's being the incumbent for nearly 50 years. and even within that, universal has obviously been more popular in the post-covid era. if you want to talk about quality, which is subjective, go nuts. i think you're wrong — knott's has only gotten worse in the past decade, not better imo — but where's the evidence it's caught up to or surpassed horror nights in popularity?

Let's not forget the fact that one single person has been spearheading this thing for almost two decades now. With all due respect, new blood is needed to throw some fresh freakin' ideas onto the table. I'm not saying Murdy needs to quit, step aside, or even be just a consultant -- but he needs to share this process with multiple other people in order for this to work. How many times is he typing into his treatments, "and then uh...he rips off the face of his victim and...shows the guests running by! YEAH, that's it!" We all KNOW there's so much more HHN can be doing, even with their rules, regulations, and standards they have set, even with the guilds in place, but we're just ignoring it because "uh, yeah, The Last of US, cool! Weeknd, alright!" Far and wide, the haunt industry is growing and this event itself is growing, but it is using the same techniques over and over again -- REFUSING to grow not because it can't, but because it all stems from ONE person's imagination!

i dunno man, there's little evidence that murdy is not collaborative. if you want to accuse him of taking up more spotlight than he deserves, i understand that argument. but horror nights has obviously grown over the past 15 years — it just hasn't grown the way you want it to. and that's fine — you're allowed to like or dislike whatever you want. but it's exhausting seeing these posts from people that aren't actually interested in growth or new ideas, but merely want to see the same tired slasher crap we've been seeing our entire lives.

 

[Michael S]

I think the whole marketing and "too niche" aspect was thrown out the window years ago and now sounds like an excuse. We've had Trick r Treat. Killer Klowns from Outer Space. Creepshow TV show, as if anyone watched that! Random mazes sponsored by "Figure" and Diego Luna. Original mazes called Dead Exposure to cater to the...Orlando crowd...I guess? There's a way to make it work with everything now. Even "popular" mazes sometimes turn out to be low draws. This last year had some heavy hitters and the event was still low attendance. Either people go or they ain't. The Ring and The Grudge were freakin HUGE at the time of release. It literally doesn't matter how long ago it was, BOTH of those will still be popular, they are engrained into pop culture. Either of those are bigger than Evil Dead Rise or something lame sounding like "Curse of Pandora's Box."

Look, I get where you’re coming from. I really do. Hollywood had its own little identity for a while (that even gave us clowns and this is the end) but we’re just at a different point in the HHN machine, you know? There are a lot of behind the scenes factors that are guiding these decision and, as fans, we have to live with them. Also don’t forget a lot of people struggled financially (me included) in 2024 and were not able to attend. It’s unfair to say that is because of the lineup, or marketing, or things like that. It comes in waves, really. Some years things just click and they will have an at capacity event every night, and some years they won’t. It’s almost luck of the draw. I would say tying both coasts together may hurt them, in this regard, but I can’t say for certain. The best saving grace HHNH has is that they execute each idea as best they can, and with effects, props and scenic that we can’t find at a local haunt around the country. We are lucky, in that respect. But I don’t disagree that the way they are doing things isn’t exactly creating a lot of buzz, if that makes sense.

 

[Freak]

Look, nobody is going to argue that 2024 was the greatest year ever, but to say that it was a bad year is pretty disingenuous IMO. I really enjoyed it but part of it was the lack of ridiculous crowds last year which helped me to enjoy the event more! Also I thought Dead Exposure, Weeknd, Monstrous 2, and Insidious were solid houses! Quiet Place was “meh” scare wise but at least had some cool scenic and effects.

I don’t agree that the GP “notices” a decline. I think it was just the perfect storm of the economy being crap and not having some real heavy-hitting IPs. I also don’t think it helped that Orlando is opening a new major theme park the following year, which probably influenced the decision to “hold back” on the shared IPs.

The bottom line is if you’re not like us die hards, money is really tight, bills are going up, everything is costing more, and HHN isn’t really advertising anything that makes you really want to go, are you going to skip a couple a meals for a few weeks to scrounge up the general admission ticket to go? On top of that, would you really want to spend that money if the lines are gonna be awful and you won’t even be able to see anything?

 

[Jake S]

The bottom line is if you’re not like us die hards, money is really tight, bills are going up, everything is costing more, and HHN isn’t really advertising anything that makes you really want to go, are you going to skip a couple a meals for a few weeks to scrounge up the general admission ticket to go? On top of that, would you really want to spend that money if the lines are gonna be awful and you won’t even be able to see anything?

I think this is a really good point. It's possible that the past 10 years, certainly the five leading up to covid, are the exception and not the rule. Even when Knott's was at the height of its powers, it never felt as overwhelming or impossible to navigate with a regular ticket as Horror Nights did in the late 2010s.