Halloween Horror Nights loves chainsaws. In fact, it has been tradition to close every night of the event with a lineup of maniacs who line up military style, then, on cue, crank on their chainsaws and helpfully guide (ergo, chase) any stragglers to the exits. So, it’s fitting that Leatherface, the most famous chainsaw killing maniac of them all, will be featured at this year’s Halloween Horror Nights.
““The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Saw is The Law,” recreates scenes from the genre breaking 1974 horror film in one of the theme park’s terror filled mazes. Universal reps tell us, “Guests will be invited to enter a blood-soaked slaughterhouse maze where they will be taunted with the unmistakable roar of a chainsaw coming to life and, of course, have a terrifying run-in with the infamous masked murderer himself.”
“The story of Leatherface and his demented family is as shocking today as when the film was first released,” said creative director John Murdy in a press release. “As designers of ‘Halloween Horror Nights,’ the film exemplifies what we need to create a truly terrifying experience. From the iconic characters to the disturbing sets, props and audio design, we’re excited to bring Tobe Hooper’s horrific vision to life for ‘Halloween Horror Nights fans.’”
Universal adds that the maze will have:
…gruesome and blood-soaked scenes from the controversial classic will terrorize guests as they experience a labyrinth that will captivate all senses and render them defenseless when met with nightmarish images of mutilated bodies on bloody meat hooks; become paralyzed by putrid odors of decomposed corpses; navigate their way through human bones and animal pelts suspended from the ceiling; and run from the unmistakable roaring sound of a chainsaw revving to life when Leatherface lunges from the darkness in search of victims.
This isn’t the first time “TCM” has been featured at Horror Nights – in 2007 and 2008, “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Back in Business” was one maze in a lineup that also featured “Nightmare On Elm Street” and “Friday the 13th.” Marketing materials for these two years boasted the collaboration of the three biggest names in horror – Leatherface, Freddy Krueger, and Jason Voorhees, respectively.
UPDATE: On Twitter, John Murdy (@horrornights) notes that the previous mazes were based on the “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” remake, not the original 1974 film: “To me, that was the scariest maze we’ve ever done at HHN… The maze we just announced is based on Tobe Hooper’s 1974 film, the original…been wanting to do that one for years. Now we’re doing it… If you know the original, then you know The Sawyer family. Leatherface, Old Man, The Hitchhiker, Grandpa…you’ll meet them all…”
This year, Leatherface and the “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” gang will be joined at Halloween Horror Nighst by zombies from “The Walking Dead,” all sorts of creatures from the mind and music of Alice Cooper, the wailing cries of La Llorona, and a fusion of dubstep and classic Universal Monsters, such as Frankenstein’s monster, Dracula, and the Wolfman.
Halloween Horror Nights opens Friday, September 21st. Keep an eye here on CreepyLA for updates – and feel free to check out our dedicated Halloween Horror Nights page for dates and info about the additional mazes.
Full press release below:
‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Saw is the Law,’ Based on the
Original Horror Film Classic, Slices Through Universal Studios Hollywood
as the Newest Maze Addition to the Halloween Horror Nights Lineup
Universal City, California – The tragic and demented account of Leatherface™ and his deranged family of cannibals set the stage for this year’s new maze, “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Saw is The Law,” based on filmmaker Tobe Hooper’s notoriously unsettling 1974 horror film classic at “Halloween Horror Nights®” at Universal Studios Hollywood, Southern California’s premier Halloween event.
This original American horror film tells the story of five young friends who unsuspectingly fall victim to the ghastly terrors and torment of a depraved and cannibalistic Texas clan. The film, hailed among the most influential horror movies in cinematic history, will now be meticulously recreated into a disturbingly gruesome “Halloween Horror Nights” maze.
“‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ is one of those films that helped define the horror film genre,” said John Murdy, Creative Director at Universal Studios Hollywood. “The story of Leatherface™ and his demented family is as shocking today as when the film was first released. As designers of ‘Halloween Horror Nights,’ the film exemplifies what we need to create a truly terrifying experience. From the iconic characters to the disturbing sets, props and audio design, we’re excited to bring Tobe Hooper’s horrific vision to life for ‘Halloween Horror Nights fans.’”
Those who dare to step into the inner workings of a slaughterhouse maze will be gripped with vivid telltale signs of imminent doom. Gruesome and blood-soaked scenes from the controversial classic will terrorize guests as they experience a labyrinth that will captivate all senses and render them defenseless when met with nightmarish images of mutilated bodies on bloody meat hooks; become paralyzed by putrid odors of decomposed corpses; navigate their way through human bones and animal pelts suspended from the ceiling; and run from the unmistakable roaring sound of a chainsaw revving to life when Leatherface™ lunges from the darkness in search of victims.
This year’s “Halloween Horror Nights” at Universal Studios Hollywood brings together the sickest minds in horror to immerse guests in the living, breathing, three-dimensional world of the most notorious and terrifying creatures. Featuring a slate of unrivaled film production quality mazes, terror-filled Scare Zones and a fully reimagined “Terror Tram” experience,uniquely themed to today’s most definitive horror properties, “Halloween Horror Nights” will taunt, terrorize and torment guests with incomparable spellbinding and spine-chilling haunted attractions.
“Halloween Horror Nights” experiences will include an immersive new maze, “The Walking Dead: Dead Inside,” based on AMC’s critically-acclaimed, Golden Globe®-nominated and Emmy® Award-winning TV series; “Welcome to Silent Hill,” based on the popular video games and film franchise; a new maze by legendary shock rocker, “Alice Cooper Goes to Hell 3D,” a reimagined “La Llorona: Cazadora de Niños” maze, based on the terrifying Mexican and Latin American legend that has terrified children for centuries; and “Universal Monsters Remix,” an all-new terrifying experience that recreates the classic horror icons of yesteryear for the 21st century with pulse-pounding electronica-inspired dance music. An all new “Terror Tram: Invaded by The Walking Dead” attraction, also inspired by the TV series, will invite guests to navigate the haunted environs of the world-famous movie and television studio backlot and come face to face with hordes of flesh-eating, blood-drooling and groaning “walkers.”
The theme park’s favorite thrill-ride attractions will also remain open during “Halloween Horror Nights,” including the popular “Transformers™: The Ride—3D,” “The Simpsons Ride®,” “Revenge of the MummySM – The Ride” and “Jurassic Park® In the Dark.”
Details on “Halloween Horror Nights” are available at Halloween Horror Nights, onFacebook at: “Halloween Horror Nights – Hollywood” and on Instagram @HorrorNightsHollywood or #UniversalHHN. Twitter updates from Creative Director John Murdy can be found at: Twitter.com/HorrorNights, as he reveals a running chronicle of exclusive information. “Halloween Horror Nights” maze announcement videos can be seen atUniversal Studios Hollywood’s YouTube Channel.
“Halloween Horror Nights” kicks off on Friday, September 21, 2012 and continues on select nights through Wednesday, October 31. Event dates are: September 21, 22, 28, 29 and October 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27, 28 and 31.
About Texas Chainsaw Massacre: It has been called “grisly,” “sick” and “perverse,” as well as “raw,” “unshakeable” and “the movie that redefined horror.” It was attacked by churches, banned by governments and acclaimed by only the bravest of critics. It stunned audiences worldwide and set a new standard in movie terror forever. In 1974, director Tobe Hooper unleashed this dark, visionary tale about a group of five young friends who face a nightmare of torment at the hands of a depraved Texas clan. Today it remains unequaled as a landmark of outlaw filmmaking and unparalleled in its impact as perhaps the most frightening motion picture ever made.
Universal Studios Hollywood SM, The Entertainment Capital of L.A.SM, includes a full-day, movie-based theme park and Studio Tour; the CityWalk entertainment, shopping and dining complex, the Universal CityWalk Cinemas, the “5 Towers” state-of-the-art outdoor concert venue, and the Gibson Amphitheatre concert and special event arena. World-class rides and attractions include the critically-acclaimed mega-attraction, “Transformers™: The Ride—3D,” the intense, award-winning ride, “King Kong 360 3-D” on the famed behind-the-scenes Studio Tour, “The Simpsons RideTM,” “Revenge of the MummySM —The Ride” indoor roller coaster and “Jurassic Park® —The Ride.”
