Universal Studios Hollywood has just revealed that the park’s newest attraction, The Walking Dead Attraction, will open on July 4.
Featuring “landscapes, special effects, props, staging, costumes and makeup,” the year-round attraction will occupy the back half of Universal’s latest expansion space, Universal Boulevard. With authenticity as a key priority, Universal Studios Hollywood Creative Director John Murdy has enlisted the help of Greg Nicotero, executive producer and director of “The Walking Dead”, to help create authentic molds, animatronic walkers, scenes and props specifically dedicated to Universal’s latest endeavor.
Thematically, guests will be transported to the beginning of AMC’s immensely popular television series, featuring a queue based on the famous hospital scene in the show’s pilot episode. Other revealed scenes include the burning cabin, and the infamous “Don’t Open Dead Inside” doors that will serve as a photo opportunity for guests.
Based on the attraction’s development so far, guests will likely enter through the side of Baker Street, though additional details have been scarce. The attraction will also likely feature a helicopter crash scene as its facade, taking advantage of Universal Boulevard and the adjacent Baker Street facade.
Recently, the park has also held auditions for the year-round maze in its Globe Theater.
We’ve included Universal’s announcement video below, alongside the park’s official press release. You may also watch our interview with John Murdy about his latest project here.
Universal Studios Hollywood Unveils a First-Look, Making-of-Video at
“The Walking Dead” Attraction Based on AMC’s Record-Breaking TV Series
and Announces its Official Opening Date of Monday, July 4Universal City, California, May 18, 2016 – Universal Studios Hollywood reveals a behind-the-scenes look into the making of its new permanent walk-through attraction based on AMC’s record-breaking television series, “The Walking Dead,” and announces that the eagerly-awaited experience will debut on Monday, July 4, 2016.
The captivating two-minute video features insightful commentary from Greg Nicotero, executive producer and director of “The Walking Dead” as he tours his LA-based special effects studio, KNB Efx, which is responsible for masterfully creating the show’s—and now the attraction’s—realistic decaying walkers. Please click here for the sneak peek.
“After six years of working on ‘The Walking Dead,’ we have a great opportunity to take ‘The Walking Dead’ out of the studio, off the soundstage and into an attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood where guests can come face-to-face with walkers,” said Greg Nicotero.
He continued, “It’s very exciting to be able to make the attraction as 100 percent authentic as possible. We’re getting the chance to utilize molds that were created specifically for the show and translate them into parts of the attraction. We’re creating animatronic walkers that guests will be able to see…it’s never been done before….it’s one-of-a-kind, state-of-the-art….and I can’t wait.”
Universal Studios Hollywood has worked collaboratively with AMC’s “The Walking Dead” for years as a signature “Halloween Horror Nights” maze. This newly enhanced venture will take the highly sought-after experience from a seasonal, limited time offering to an exciting 365-day opportunity, raising the bar for themed walk-through attractions.
To ensure authenticity of the attraction, Universal Studios Hollywood is partnering with “The Walking Dead’s” creative team, including Greg Nicotero and KNB Efx to develop prosthetics, utilize original molds and painstakingly apply paint and detailing to attraction walkers. The integral involvement of the creative team will not only inspire the emotional connection fans experience, it will be among the attraction’s key distinguishing characteristics that will define it as a living representation of the show.
Coupled with authentic walker make-up effects, sophisticated animatronic walkers, substantially more detailed set design and costuming, and highly recognizable props replicated from the series, “The Walking Dead” attraction will deliver an uncompromised realistic environment that brings guests even further into the most watched show in cable television history.
The “The Walking Dead” attraction will be located within an entirely new, custom built structure, situated within an expansive building complex just inside the theme park’s main entry. Due to the intense nature of this experience, the attraction is not recommended for guests under the age of 13.
The past five years have been a remarkable time for Universal Studios Hollywood as the destination embarked on an unprecedented revitalization that has substantially altered over 75 percent of its familiar footprint to effectively characterize it as an entirely new theme park experience. The introduction of the all-new “The Walking Dead” attraction continues the theme park’s unparalleled investment in its ambitious epic transformation.
AMC’s “The Walking Dead” depicts the story of survivors in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by hordes of terrifying flesh-eating walkers. It is the #1 show on television among adults 18-49 for the last four years and will debut its seventh season this October.
