After recent exciting news about a movie-themed Universal Studios Great Britain theme park potentially being tipped to be constructed in Bedford more trademark applications have been revealed indicating that the park would be looking to bring a Halloween Horror Nights UK event to life!
Recent trademarks have surfaced showing that the names Halloween Horror Nights and Universal Horror Unleashed have been trademarked here in the UK.
For those who don’t know Universal Horror Unleashed is a brand new horror theme park currently being constructed in Vegas and this trademark was registered earlier this year.
It looks to me as though they were considering building that same park right here in the UK before deciding to expand it into a fully functional Universal Studios park.
Now the classes registered in the UK all look to be linked to media and retail merchandise but Universal as a huge company would already own the worldwide intellectual property rights to the name HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS so having this registered in the UK just means they can legally sell these things in this country whether that’s online or at a retail location.
By no means confirmation but it has been a recent registration and not a renewal meaning that they’re planning SOMETHING regarding HHN sales here in the UK.
With Halloween Horror Nights firmly registered as a UK trademark now the exciting prospect of having an American-scale horror event here in the UK is mindblowing.
HHN for short is arguably one of the most detailed and popular Halloween events in the world with an unrivalled level of detail in its mazes and it would be something that the UK has never seen before if it came to fruition.
Stepping into your favourite movies and exploring everything lurking within the shadows makes Universal Halloween Horror Nights an exciting prospect indeed for this country but for those who don’t know, let’s rewind the clocks a bit and give you everything you need to know about this exciting and spooky event!
All You Need to Know about Halloween Horror Nights
Since its inception in 1991 Halloween Horror Nights has been the ultimate destination for horror junkies as this annual event throws you into some spine-tingling scares with street theatre and scare mazes galore!
The event originated at Universal Studios Florida known back then as Fright Nights and after a 3-day affair, the event has expanded into a multi-week celebration of horror capturing millions of guests a year.
Due to the success of the event at the Florida-based park, it was subsequently expanded to Hollywood, Singapore and Japan Universal Parks.
There are lots to see and do at Halloween Horror Nights and it’s much more than just a few scare mazes, it’s a park-wide experience that you absolutely must visit at least once in your life!
You may have been to a local scare attraction or even a handful over here in the UK, take those events and multiply them across an entire theme park as this sensory overload of horror goodness takes over your soul!
Scare Mazes
The hallmark of a Halloween Horror Nights event is the mazes as these meticulously designed walkthrough experiences take guests into the heart of their favourite franchises.
From exploring the upside down in Stranger Things to casually wandering through Michael Myers house these are no walks in the park, you will be up close and personal to your deepest darkest fears and surrounded by familiar sets to make you feel right at home in the heart of your very own horror movie.
It’s not just recognisable IP’s that get turned into mazes as aside from famous films and TV shows Universal craft their own mazes with their own stories that usually end up being more favoured by the general public than the IP mazes!
HHN for me isn’t really that jump-out-of-your-skin event as actors are usually placed at quite some distance away from you to really give you that jumpy unnerved scare maze feeling. The event prides itself on its appearance over jumps as batching during this very busy event usually leads to conga lines through mazes meaning you either miss a scare or have already seen it happen ahead of you.
Unfortunately, batching cannot be done any other way due to the sheer popularity of the event but maybe with UK crowds and restrictions, we may actually be able to have a much more distanced and personalised experience at a Halloween Horror Nights UK event.
Scare Zones
Another key feature of HHN is scare zones as costumed actors will interact with you as you pass by along with set pieces, special effects stages and live entertainment which really pump up the ambience of the entire event.
Many UK parks shy away from having park-wide theming and displays during their Halloween events whereas Universal make sure that every inch of their park is kitted out for horror nights. Just having something like this in the United Kingdom would be unlike anything we have witnessed before, the general public just isn’t ready for what could potentially be coming to our shores!
Themed Merchandise and Food
This Halloween event isn’t just about the scares though as exclusive themed merchandise collection and spooky food indulging have become part and parcel of this spooktacular occasion. I know people who have personally flown over to America just to pick up a T-shirt from the event with more excitement about obtaining the shirt than about the event itself!
With a team of movie set designers and special effects artists on hand to create these events it’s a special event that takes a dedicated team of professionals to accomplish. In the UK these events are usually set up by marketing teams, they’re done on a budget and very little effort goes into the intricacies of how they’re delivered.
It just isn’t the case with Universal as they create an entire movie-like production to make these events happen and the level of detail across the board is just not something we will have ever seen before here in the country.
With its origins rooted in a small-scale celebration, the event has grown into a global phenomenon, offering unparalleled thrills and frights for those seeking an unforgettable Halloween experience.
For fans of horror, immersive entertainment, and adrenaline rushes, Halloween Horror Nights stands as a testament to the art of fear, inviting guests to confront their deepest nightmares in an electrifying atmosphere that’s both terrifying and exhilarating.
Halloween Horror Nights UK
Around 500 acres of space has been purchased by Universal in Bedford (Read the full article here) and with the local council already informed of the project over 12 months ago, land already purchased and letters already sent out to local residents this project feels much more than just a pipe dream.
Trademarks being allocated ahead of time also proves that Universal want to keep it tight-lipped currently. When recently asked about what’s in store for the park they said ‘It’s too early to say’. I think it’s safe to say that they know exactly what they want to bring to the park they just don’t want to discuss it this early in case the project doesn’t go ahead for whatever reason.
Hopefully, ground testing and other factors go in the park’s favour and this can come to fruition as not just HHN but the park as a whole will transform the UK tourism industry and attractions industry simultaneously as other theme parks and attractions will have to step up their game to compete with the big boys.
With the trademark already registered and ready to go it’s with absolute certainty that if this Universal Studios Great Britain project goes ahead we will be having a Halloween Horror Nights UK event to go with it.
Now THAT is something to be excited about!
