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In a surprise announcement on day three of the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con, creative forces behind Halloween Horror Nights at both Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando grabbed the attention of thousands of attendees by announcing the popular video game and film series “Silent Hill’ will be turned into a pair of haunted houses at Halloween Horror Nights 2012.
The big Hall H Comic-Con panel focused on the upcoming film sequel “Silent Hill: Revelation 3D,” due out in theaters on October 26, 2012. But the surprise moment came when John Murdy of Universal Studios Hollywood and Patrick Braillard of Universal Orlando took the stage to make the Halloween Horror Nights announcement, much to the crowd’s delight.
Murdy and Universal Orlando’s Jon Timon co-announced the “Silent Hill” haunted mazes in a video released online later in the day.
Video: “Silent Hill” haunted house online announcement
It’s been a longtime fan request to bring the video game-turned-film franchise to Horror Nights, often appearing on surveys polling fan interest in various horror properties. The “Silent Hill” series has followed a variety of main characters over the years but the constant is its unique settings and creatures, taking place in a world split between a foggy “real” world and a rusty, metal, demented version. While the former is creepy due to its lack of visibility, the latter truly lets loose gruesome creatures, most famously including faceless but somehow still sexy nurses and the infamous Pyramid Head.
In partnership with the Konami, Universal displayed a standee of one of the nurses on the Comic-Con show floor after the announcement was made, encouraging fans to tweet a message to win tickets to the Halloween event.
It’s not the first time Universal has featured the same haunted house theme on both coasts, most recently doing so with “The Thing” in 2011’s event. But it is the first time such a maze will revolve around a video game theme, and such as beloved one at that. Fans can soon expect to see many of the most iconic characters and places from the game series come to life.
UPDATE:
Not familiar with “Silent Hill” and its iconic nurses? Check out the trailer and a sneak peek scene from the upcoming sequel “Silent Hill: Revelation 3D” to quickly become acquainted:
Video: “Silent Hill: Revelation 3D” Trailer
Video: “Silent Hill: Revelation 3D” Nurses scene
(Warning: Some strong language and mild violence – obviously.)
The “Silent Hill” haunted house logo treatment and nurse image is similar but not identical between variations released by Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando. The Hollywood version is accurate to the nurse character’s look from the video game series, featuring an extremely low-cut top (also seen on the standee above). But the Orlando version of the nurse has been made to be a bit more modest, covering up her chest. The Hollywood version of the logo reads “Welcome to Silent Hill” with the title words appearing rusty, whereas the Orlando logo simply reads “Silent Hill,” in an off-white color with printed words embedded in each letter.
“Silent Hill” nurse and logo from Universal Studios Hollywood
“Silent Hill” nurse and logo from Universal Orlando Resort
Over the years Halloween Horror Nights has been offered on both coasts, Hollywood’s version has often been more risqué, featuring far more scantily-clad women wearing far less clothing, particularly at the event’s entrance, flanked by the always-popular go-go cage dancers. Perhaps this year’s dancers will be these very nurses…
Though today’s announcement confirms years of rumors that “Silent Hill” would make its way to Horror Nights, it still leaves the remainder of this year’s haunted houses to be announced. Despite strong indications that “The Walking Dead” will be part of Halloween Horror Nights, no such announcement or confirmation was made during that show’s Hall H panel yesterday. Universal generally reveals their full line-up of mazes in August.
Halloween Horror Nights 2012 will scream into action on September 21 at both Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood.