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Will ‘The Walking Dead’ invade Halloween Horror Nights 2012? At Universal Orlando, construction points to zombie invasion

in Entertainment, Theme Parks, Universal Orlando

Posted on by Ricky Brigante 24 Comments
Survivors from The Walking Dead, armed and alert, prepare for danger as a grotesque zombie menaces them, recreating the suspenseful scenes of Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights.

Since its television debut on Halloween night 2010, AMC’s “The Walking Dead” has been a smash success for following a tight-knit group fighting to survive amidst a zombie outbreak. The show, which returns for its third season in October, is based on a popular comic book series that began in 2003. And now, for Halloween Horror Nights 2012, early looks at event construction seem to indicate “The Walking Dead” may be heading to Universal Orlando this year.

UPDATE (7/18/12): A haunted house based on “The Walking Dead” has been confirmed for Halloween Horror Nights 2012 at both Universal Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood. Details and video of the announcement are available here.

The notion of “The Walking Dead” potentially being part of Halloween Horror Nights 22 has been around for a few months, since a survey sent out in February included it among a list of possible subjects for the event. But such annual surveys always mention a number of properties just to see what fans are interested in, leaving much doubt as to which (if any) will actually be seen when Halloween rolls around.

Recently-filed county permits mention a handful of scene names for a few of this year’s haunted houses, one including a first scene called “Hospital Hallway” and another called “Roof Top.” Fans of “The Walking Dead” will instantly recognize both of these locations as familiar settings for memorable moments in the show, including its lead character’s introduction in the series’ first episode.

A haunted hospital patient roams a shadowy, ruined corridor filled with debris and graffiti, capturing the spine-tingling vibe of Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights in a scene straight out of The Walking Dead.

Those particular scenes are mentioned in a permit related to the house being constructed in the Disaster attraction queue. And what fan of “The Walking Dead” wouldn’t want to stumble down the very same hallway Rick Grimes did in the show, cautiously approaching a chained door that reads, “DON’T OPEN DEAD INSIDE”? It would certainly be an ominous way to begin a haunted house experience.

Now that the summer months are here, construction has begun at Universal Studios Florida on several of the haunted mazes that will be featured when Halloween Horror Nights 22 kicks off on September 21, 2012. Universal Orlando has not yet revealed, or even hinted at, the themes that will be featured within those mazes, but a few eager park goers have snapped a couple photos around the Disaster queue that further connect the house being built there to “The Walking Dead.”

The iconic beige RV from The Walking Dead is stationed under a metal canopy amid the industrial-themed scare zone at Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights, with rope barriers blocking entry to amp up the post-apocalyptic atmosphere.
(Photo by @DesigningFear)

That is indeed an RV, parked at Universal Studios Florida, in the Disaster queue area. Not only is it an RV, but it’s one that greatly resembles the vehicle prominently featured throughout “The Walking Dead,” as seen below.

Guests are immersed in a Walking Dead-inspired experience at Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights—eight survivors take a stand atop and beside an RV, aiming weapons at hordes of oncoming zombies below.

Earlier today, a peek through a construction wall hole revealed what appears to be a barn being constructed:

Peering through netting at a scare actor preparing inside a haunted house under construction at Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights, with a ladder nearby, capturing the chilling vibe of The Walking Dead maze.
(Photo by @xnothinglasts)

In season two of “The Walking Dead,” a barn played a major role, housing a number of zombies:

A woman strolls along a rustic dirt trail toward a weathered barn, bordered by lush grass and leafy trees beneath a bright sky, capturing the immersive vibe of The Walking Dead attraction.

All signs seem to point to “The Walking Dead” being used as the theme for one of the many mazes that will be featured in Halloween Horror Nights 2012 – but it’s also possible Universal’s creative team is simply taking cues from the show to evoke the same feeling without directly licensing the property. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time the event has featured zombies, most recently with a haunted house called Zombiegeddon and scare zone named Zombie Gras, both in 2010.

Universal Orlando usually begins teasing information surrounding their Halloween Horror Nights event mid-summer, with a full reveal in August, leading up to opening night the next month. Whether it involves “The Walking Dead” or not, Halloween fans have much to look forward to as haunt season rapidly approaches.

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