UNIVERSAL CITY, Ca, ORLANDO, Fla., (July 25, 2013) — Fans with a voracious appetite for AMC's "The Walking Dead" will have a chance to walk in the footsteps of human survivors when Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort debut all new terrifying mazes inspired by Season 3 of the critically-acclaimed, award-winning television series at this year's Halloween Horror Nights events beginning September 20.
The eerily authentic and disturbingly real maze experiences will place "Halloween Horror Nights" guests at the heart of the show's once impenetrable prison, the West Georgia Correctional Facility, now overrun by hordes of flesh-eating walkers. The mazes at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando will send guests cowering through the walker-infested wilderness that surrounds the prison and into the seemingly utopian town of Woodbury where gruesome secrets are concealed.
Universal Orlando is also dedicating its entire "Halloween Horror Nights" street experience to "The Walking Dead" ? making this the first time ever that all of the scare zones throughout the park will be themed after a hit television series. Guests brave enough to walk the streets of Universal Studios Florida will encounter iconic scenes from all three seasons of the hit show – including the perilous city of Atlanta and Hershel's dismal barn – and fleets of blood-thirsty walkers who are hungry for their next victim…
The Golden Globe®-nominated, Emmy® Award-winning series "The Walking Dead" is based on the graphic novel written by Robert Kirkman and published by Image Comics. The series tells the story of the months and years after a zombie apocalypse. It follows a group of survivors, led by sheriff Rick Grimes, who travel in search of a safe and secure home. "The Walking Dead" is the first original cable series ever to end the broadcast TV season as the number-one show for adults 18-49. AMC's "The Walking Dead" returns for season 4 on Sunday, October 13 at 9pm ET/PT.
"What's great about working with a property like 'The Walking Dead' is that each season presents new environments and characters for us to draw inspiration," said John Murdy, Creative Director for Universal Studios Hollywood. "With the prison as the main setting of Season 3, we seized this opportunity to recreate that very environment, down to the last detail, to be as genuine and authentic to the show as possible. Using movie-quality production value, our goal is to make guests feel as if they are mired in the world of blood-thirsty zombies, which is something you can only do at 'Halloween Horror Nights.'"
"Continuing the tradition of working with Universal Studios Orlando and Universal Hollywood I couldn’t be more excited about returning to The Walking Dead Experience," said Greg Nicotero, Executive Producer and Special Effects Makeup Supervisor. It was a great joy to be able to share with fans those scary moments and frightening set pieces from our show. Both creative teams at Halloween Horror Nights in Orlando and Universal will painstakingly re-create several iconic moments from 'The Walking Dead' to give fans a chance to participate in an actual interactive experience. It is something that I’m very, very excited about, collaborating with this team to help to make the experience as authentic as possible. I want it to feel like they’re on the set with us!”
"The goal is always to surround guests with authentic and terrifying experiences," said Michael Aiello, Creative Development Director for Universal Orlando's Entertainment team. "The combination of 'The Walking Dead' themed street experiences and the haunted maze will make it difficult for our guests to escape the hordes of ravenous walkers they've seen on their television. The moment you pass through our gate, you become a survivor fighting for your life."
Universal Studios' "Halloween Horror Nights" events have a more than 20-year history of creating incredibly entertaining, horrifying Halloween experiences that are consistently rated the nation's best. The events on each coast feature highly-themed, disturbingly real, haunted mazes based on everything from film to nightmares — and streets filled with hundreds of specially trained "scareactors."
For more information about "Halloween Horror Nights" at either Universal Orlando Resort or Universal Studios Hollywood, visit www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com. Watch "The Walking Dead" announcement video on Universal Studios Hollywood's YouTube Channel, Universal Orlando Resort's YouTube Channel, or www.amc.com.
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About Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Hollywood, The Entertainment Capital of L.A. 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" and "Jurassic Park® —The Ride."
Updates on "Halloween Horror Nights" at Universal Studios Hollywood are available online at Halloween Horror Nights, on Facebook at: "Halloween Horror Nights ? Hollywood," on Instagram at @HorrorNights and Twitter at @HorrorNights as Creative Director John Murdy reveals a running chronicle of exclusive information. Join the conversation using #UniversalHHN.
About Universal Orlando Resort
There are many ways to enjoy your Orlando vacation, but there is only one place where vacation becomes adventure: Universal Orlando Resort. It is a unique destination featuring two theme parks, three magnificently themed on-site hotels and a nighttime entertainment complex. It's the only Orlando destination where you are not just entertained ? you become part of the most exhilarating entertainment ever created. You can soar above Hogwarts with Harry Potter, swing above the streets with Spider-Man, be transformed into a banana-loving minion in the hilarious and heartwarming Despicable Me Minion Mayhem ride and help Shrek save Princess Fiona in Shrek 4-D. Universal Orlando Resort is an NBCUniversal company.
About AMC
Whether commemorating favorite films from every genre and decade or creating acclaimed original programming, AMC brings to its audience something deeper, something richer, Something More. The network reigns as the only cable network in history ever to win the Emmy® Award for Outstanding Drama Series four years in a row, and boasts the most-watched drama series in basic cable history with "The Walking Dead." AMC's original drama series include "Mad Men," "Breaking Bad," "The Walking Dead," "The Killing" and "Hell on Wheels." Its newest series, "Low Winter Sun," premieres this summer. AMC also explores authentic worlds with bold characters through its slate of unscripted original series like "Comic Book Men," "Small Town Security," "Talking Dead," and "Freakshow." AMC is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc. and its sister networks include IFC, Sundance Channel, and WE tv. AMC is available across all platforms, including on-air, online, on demand and mobile. AMC: Something More.
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