Creative Director
@HorrorNights
Hollywood. Father, husband, singer/songwriter of Blueroom, lover of Monsters and the Last Carny! All opinions are my own.
Hey Boils & Ghouls. Hope you’re excited about today’s announcement. I’m honored to be working with Abel and his team to bring his vision for After Hours to life! It’s been a really great collaboration and we’re thrilled to be bringing it to life at HHN…
Finally got to see this bad boy in action tonight! OMG!!! He towers over everything! Credit to Pat Magee at Magee FX for creating this beautiful creature! He still needs a name though…any ideas?
Psst…don’t tell anyone but the tent for the first house at HHN 2023 at USH is up. I suggest you immediately purchase a ticket to the park, ride the Studio Tour and crane your neck very far to the left before you enter the unload station to photograph it and put it online…
Finished the treatment for House
#3
at HHN 2023 at Universal Studios Hollywood and in a total break from tradition, I’m gonna actually tell you what I’m working on…it’s Chucky!!!! There! Now you can update you’re freakin’ speculation map before Christmas! You’re welcome.
It’s impossible to explain to you everything that goes into HHN production…the endless hours, the millions of moving parts and pieces and towering obstacles to overcome. I’m lucky to be working with so many talented men & woman who give everything to make this event happen.
Halloween Horror Nights is back with a vengeance, including a terrifying maze featuring Netflix’s supernatural masterpiece, The Haunting of Hill House.
The screaming starts select nights Sept 9 - Oct 31!
Try to Survive The Last of Us.
Enter the overgrown and perilous world of
@Naughty_Dog
's video game in real life, as you fight to survive and navigate your way through an abandoned Pittsburgh with Joel and Ellie.
#HHN
#UniversalHHN
@PlayStation
Heading off to super secret location for a super secret meeting with a super secret person about a super secret property for 2024…sorry, I would tell you more but…it’s super secret.
Finished writing (and pitching) the last treatment today for HHN 2024 at USH. Been writing for over six months so now have to flip over to production mode with multiple houses in construction, masks being sculpted, special effects being created, etc. It’s coming Boils & Ghouls!
I was given 12 HHN friendship bracelets last night!
Just wanted to thank everyone who came out to opening night! We are so lucky to have such loyal, dedicated fans. It’s truly an honor to get to do this for you!
And it kicks back in tonight!
This is a sad day for everyone who creates, produces, operates and performs HHN on both coasts. It’s also a sad day for the fans and sad times for everyone who works in the haunt industry. We are all essentially the same people. We are all brothers and sisters of Horror...
Almost dark…time to work on lighting…just another Friday night at HHN! You can see this from the Curious George parking structure….if you were here right now!
I know everyone wants to know about the opening scareamony. We’re gonna do something a little different this year. It will be a moment that happens in the NY set area of the top deck, starting about 7:45 and happening several times through out the night.
Hey Boils & Ghouls. Wanted to pay tribute to Luis Peña, a longtime HHN fan who passed away earlier this year. His brother Junior asked me if there was some way we could honor him so keeping that promise. HHN is a family and that includes the fans who support us. Thank you Luis!
A little behind the scenes for “Universal Monsters: Unmasked.” Mr Hyde! Designed with the help of legendary creature creator Crash McCreery. Brought to life by Magee FX (and our scareactors). Oversized sculpt with performer vision through the mouth.
Hey Boils and Ghouls. Another night of late meetings…busy…busy…busy. I’ll try to answer your main questions for USH. TLOU is being constructed adjacent to Revenge of the Mummy (Monsters location last year). Chucky is in what we call H-Lot where Halloween was in 2022.
Little sneak peak at El Cadejo for Monstruos Dos! His eyes light up when he’s angry! By the way, the construction wall is down so you can see the props and dressing being installed for the facade.
Well Boils & Ghouls, this is it. We’ve made it to opening night of HHN 2023 at USH. It would have made a great reality TV show to follow us around for the last week but no camera crew would have survived that. I think I cracked 100 hrs this past week…
Tech walks tonight for Chucky and Universal Monsters. Basically go cue to cue for the whole house to make sure it’s all there and working. Monstrous and Evil Dead Rise tech was earlier in the week and went great but Chucky is…ummm…really complicated so knocking on wood!
Just finished the 5th & last house treatment I’m going to write this year for HHN 2024 at USH. Came in at a beefy 132 pages! In the 18 years I’ve been doing HHN (and the 111 house treatments I’ve written), this might be the darkest, most disturbing and potentially scariest one!
Virtually attended the bloody ribbon cutting ceremony today to mark the beginning of construction of the first maze for HHN 2022 at USH. Yeah that’s a real thing. The ribbon was actually construction tape but the oversized scissors were indeed bloody. And so it begins!
I know Halloween is over but for me it never really ends (considering I’m working on the 3rd house for HHN 2024 right now). Over the years, I’ve assembled a Halloween playlist that has grown to over 7 hrs of music now so thought I’d share some lost Halloween classics with you…
And you the fans got the ultimate Halloween “treat” with a HHN 2023 house announcement before the event ended (Chucky). That’s a first! I’ve already written one treatment and outlined a second. The Never Ending Cycle of Horror continues…stay tuned Boils and Ghouls!
And here’s a little something to put in your trick or treat bag for 2023! Thank you all for making HHN 2022 the record breaking event it’s been. Already at work on HHN 2023 but we’ll take time to celebrate HHN 2022 tonight! See you in the fog!
Hey Boils & Ghouls. In the grind of production for HHN 2023 but wanted to let you know there’s still one more announcement to come (in terms of your questions about scare zones, etc). So you’ll have to wait till then to get all the info.
There is one particular scare zone we’re working on this year that is totally wacko..gonzo…nuts. It’s a concept we’ve wanted to do for years. It’s nutty but the costume designs and masks are soooo crazy cool! And this scare zone doesn’t have a “z” in the title…yet
Tonight we rehearse A Quiet Place. This is a gorgeous house, with some amazing set pieces. And the creatures, both animated and puppets, look amazing. Totally different vibe than Monstruos, totally different flavour of horror. Looking forward to getting in there tonight!
Alright Boils and Ghouls. Time to announce the four finalists for HHN 2022 Scareactor/Role of the Year for Universal Studios Hollywood. The first one is a character the fans named “Edgar Allan Crow!”
Quick little HHN 2023 USH update. Working on the treatment for house # 6 right now and construction start for house
#1
. We’re also working on some specialty art pieces (a la Bride of Frank) with our illustrator that’s looking amazing. More than one house gets these this year.
Make a sound and you won’t last long. Monstrous creatures who can hear the slightest noise will hunt you down and silence you for good as the post-apocalyptic world comes to terrifying life. Tickets are now on sale:
#HHN
#UniversalHHN
The Weeknd: Nightmare Trilogy will be in Stage 15 (location of Stranger Things last year). And for those paying attention, this was the “secret trip” I took to LA back in January. Secret meeting, secret location for a secret project that is secret no more.
Join the Fight Against Vecna.
Don’t let Vecna get in your mind as you take on the scariest season of Stranger Things yet. Try to resist his gruesome curse before the ultimate showdown in his blood-red Mind Lair.
@Stranger_Things
@netflix
#HHN
#HHN32
Funny story to share. I showed my 2 daughters
@theweeknd
retweet of my post and they were like “meh.”Then I drive them to summer camp and “Blinding Lights” comes on the radio and they scream, “Turn it up!!!” Moral of the story. The Weeknd is cool, their dad is not!
#HorrorDaddy
his beginning is ur end. step into terrifying moments from the 1978 horror classic Halloween in this haunted house at
#UniversalHHN
, select nights from Sept. 8 – Oct. 31.
🚨 A Haunted House Announcement: A Quiet Place
Silence your screams if you want to survive the terrifying post-apocalyptic world, where creatures hunt down anyone who makes a sound. Tickets are now on sale:
#HHN
#UniversalHHN
Finished my final house treatment for HHN 2023 at Universal Studios Hollywood today. Came in at a crisp 103 pages. Started writing this year while last year’s event was going on. Been 5 straight months of house design/writing. Now on Terror Tram…
Insidious: The Further is located in H-Lot, where Universal Monsters was in 2023. If you’ve been on the tram you might have spied the Red Faced Demon’s Lair, which is the facade statement. I’ve always loved the Insidious franchise and am excited to bring this new chapter to HHN!
I always know we’re close to finishing when I see blood being added to the houses. Its one of the last things we do because it creates a hell of a mess! It’s strangely comforting to see it..like a light at the end of a very long and dark tunnel.
One more before I head back into the inferno. Test footage of our Mildred Von Horn character rising out of the bathtub for Universal Horror Hotel. This is a manually pupetted effect controlled by performer off set. Did audio mix for that house last night…super creepy!
I’m so excited for you Boils & Ghouls to experience the houses this year. Some amazing environments have been created. Major shifts in tone/style between Victorian London in Universal Monsters to 1930’s Dustbowl in Scarecrow to the world of After Hours for The Weeknd! Magnifique!
Hey Back to the Future fans, did you know this still exists? Visited the Puente Hills Mall today (I worked there when BTTF was being filmed). It’s more like the mall from Dawn of the Dead now but the BTTF sign still exists…no plaque or anything to tell you what it was!
Back in my home in Ireland after a long trip from LA. Before I dive back into HHN 2023 design tomorrow, I wanted to thank all our loyal fans once again for making HHN 2022 the record-breaking success it was. We’re extremely lucky to have such amazing fans. Thanks for your support
Hey Boils & Ghouls. Well it’s begun with today’s announcement for HHN 2024 at USH of “A Quiet Place.” Much more to come. After 11 PM here in Ireland, still in meetings so just going to answer your primary question. This house is going in UBE (former WD attraction). Stay scary 🎃
Well Boils & Ghouls, I’ve only got 3 more nights of HHN before I have to fly back to Ireland (HHN Europe HQ) & begin writing HHN 2024. I’ll be back for the final week in October but need to bang out a couple of treatments between now & then. 1 original and 1 IP. See ya out there
Last night was employee preview (our dress rehearsal) but today/tonight we keep going to dial in everything so it’s ready for opening night tomorrow. Going through every house, every zone, all of Terror Tram etc to make sure it’s good to go. Gonna be a long one and then Showtime!
Thanks to everyone who came out to Midsummer Scream today for the HHN presentation where we announced our new house “Monstruos: The Monsters of Latin America.” Think I missed a few other announcements on Friday (I was flying) so opening the Question Box for the next hour
OK Boils & Ghouls! Monstruos 2, a sequel to our 2023 house, is coming to HHN at USH! Location is Parisian Courtyard (same location as 2023). In fact, if you’re in the park you can see the Cemetery of the Lost taking shape above the construction wall. Here’s some info…
Back in the saddle and deep in “The Grind” for HHN 2023. Started doing lighting last night for Chucky, Universal Monsters and a house to be named later. More lighting walks tonight. A lot of work to be done still but things are looking good.
We just dropped all the HHN Hollywood remaining announcements in one day! I know you probably have questions but I’m on 16 hour days/nights now with production so will try and do some Q&A later when I come up for air!
#HorrorNeverSleeps
🚨 A Haunted House Announcement: Dead Exposure: Death Valley.
A secret lab’s attempts to create super soldiers takes a turn for the worse, creating radioactive zombies who escape just as you arrive! Tickets are now on sale:
I just wrote what might be one of the grossest scenes I’ve ever written for HHN. I apologise in advance. It’s not me, it’s the viruses fault. It made me write it.
Today is the final curtain for two long running shows, Universal Animal Actors and Special Effects Stage. I just wanted to say thank you to all the cast and crew past and present who have been part of these productions, both of which have roots back to the earliest days of USH
A veritable sh
#load
of Good Guy dolls arrived today. They were supposed to be shipped to our offsite facility but ended up arriving at the theme park. Would have loved to have been there when they received the order. Imagine their horror when they opened the boxes! Mwa Ha Ha!
The La Lechuza figure was the first large scale animatronic created for HHN at USH. Magee FX handled the aesthetics and the rest was created in house by our special effects team working with a talented group of mechanical engineers from our Technical Services dept.
Happy Monday Boils & Ghouls! Began work today on the first house for HHN 2023 (yeah I know how crazy that sounds but that’s reality). Mainly in the research phase right now. 2 weeks from today have to turn in the first treatment!
#HorrorNeverSleeps
We lost one of our old school HHN Hollywood scareactors, Steven Robles who played the title character in our scarezone “Freakz” along with other roles in his 10 year tenure at HHN. He was a warm, witty, wonderful guy who was much loved by his fellow cast members. RIP Steven.
Happy Friday Boils & Ghouls. Lots going on for HHN 2024 at USH. Scenic is starting in some houses, make up & costumes in full swing, SPFX prototypes being put through their paces. On any 1 day, we bounce back & forth between all these things. Grateful for our amazing team!
This week would have been the opening of HHN. Damn. What do you do when you can’t do the thing you love? I guess you just try and keep entertaining. I hope you’ve been enjoying this peak inside the tent? I’m a carny. I’m shite at everything else. This is all I know how to do.
Random question that I’ve asked before. What would be your dream property to come to the event? Just curious where the fans horror radar is pointing these days. May not be possible, just curious. Have to check in with you Boils & Ghouls from time to time.
OK. Brief break from meetings (they go on till 11PM my time every night) so if you have any questions about today’s announcement, fire away! But let’s start with the basics, this is an original house inspired by Universal Orlando’s “Dead Exposure” series. Location is Mummy queue.
🚨 A Haunted House Announcement: Dead Exposure: Death Valley.
A secret lab’s attempts to create super soldiers takes a turn for the worse, creating radioactive zombies who escape just as you arrive! Tickets are now on sale:
Happy Halloween Boils and Ghouls! Trick or Treat? I’m gonna spend part of the night trick or treating with my girls and then pop into Uni to close out HHN 2022!…”By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.”
The clock is ticking on my time in LA. Flew out in late July for Midsummer Scream, hit the ground running and never stopped. I can count the days off in that time on one hand. Now just 2 more nights at HHN and then back to Ireland to start writing the first treatment for HHN 2023
Just virtually attended the official HHN 2023 “First Swing of the Hammer” ceremony, a fun little tradition our team in Hollywood started a few years back to mark the official start of construction. There was even a bloody ribbon cutting ceremony. Dear God, it’s begun!
Alright. I’ve spent enough time entertaining you Boils & Ghouls! Time to get back into those super-heated black tents and keep pushing this giant bolder we call HHN up the hill! Oh an one last thing…”By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes!”
This captures the final moments of HHN 2022 at USH. Primal screaming amongst a sea of chainsaws! Perfect way to close out an epic, record smashing event! And yes, I was wearing a fez, but at least it had a skull on it!
Hey Boils and Ghouls. Some updates on the opening “moment.” Starts around 7:45 each night and happens every 90 minutes after that. I saw a rehearsal the other night, should be fun. By the way, I also saw our new giant stalk-a-round character rehearse last night, terrifying!
Sorry for the lack of updates. In the grind of HHN production day and night as we race to the finish line. Tonight we start rehearsals for the first of the houses, Monstruos 2: The Nightmares of Latin America. I’m bringing my dog with me…
First time walking the Jupiter’s Claim sets for Nope. I was on the set of the film last summer when they were filming. A trip to see it on the backlot now. Now I have to run over to Halloween to see about securing Michael Myers (ie locking down their positions). So many Michaels!
It’s surreal that I just dropped my daughters off to school here in Ireland and HHN in Hollywood is just wrapping up for the night. Even more surreal that I’m reviewing the first house ground plan for HHN 2024 right now. The Never-Ending Cycle of Horror!
Coming off of the cancellation in 2020, I didn’t know if there would be an HHN in 2021 or if I would ever do this again. But an amazingly SMALL team of dedicated and passionate men and women worked their tails off to make this year happen. Thanks to you all! Amazing job!
People have been asking when our presentation
@MidsummerScream
will be. It’s July 30th at 4:30 PM. Closing out the show. Definitely going to announce a house live…definitely gonna show some behind the scenes stuff no one has seen yet. Definitely won’t leak anything else.
#carny