Universal Studios Hollywood

‘Pandora's Box' to Creak Open at Halloween Horror Nights

What's inside the box? A maze with an original story joins the fright fest's fearsome 2021 line-up, as does an experience inspired by "The Exorcist."

Universal Studios Hollywood

What to Know

  • Universal Studios Hollywood
  • Sept. 9-Oct. 31, 2021 (select nights)
  • Tickets now on sale

The concept of "creaking"?

It's an important one in the shadowy realm of horror films, scary novels, and immersive experiences that make us fully eek-out.

It might be a creaky floorboard, the kind of noise that alerts an otherworldly being that we've entered their space. It could be an old door that creaks, preferably an attic door, the sort of entryway that sounds as eerie as it looks.

But possibly the most creepy creaking of all? It occurs when a certain storage container is opened, unleashing all sorts of scary and villainous forces upon an unsuspecting world.

We are, of course, speaking of Pandora's Box, the mythical holding place of so much that, well, should remain well-held. But that particularly pernicious bin will creak open at Halloween Horror Nights, thanks to a freshly announced maze with an original storyline.

Hades will be in the house, and other memorable figures hailing from Greek mythology.

"The Curse of Pandora's Box" maze was revealed by the Universal Studios Hollywood monster-making team on July 22, along with another experience, one that's bound to shake the beds, er, heads of more than a few fans: "The Exorcist."

A maze inspired by the 1973 hit film appeared at the 2016 event, instantly garnering plenty of buzz on various horror sites.

Both "The Exorcist" and "The Curse of Pandora's Box" join three previously announced mazes on the 2021 line-up: "The Haunting of Hill House," "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," and "Universal Monsters: Bride of Frankenstein Lives."

That last maze, by the by, is the first Halloween Horror Nights attraction to be centered on the iconic Bride.

Tickets are now on sale for Halloween Horror Nights, which will fill out a good (and ghoulish) chunk of the Universal theme park, over several select nights, from Sept. 9 through Oct. 31, 2021.

If you buy your ticket online, here's something worth screaming over: You'll net an early admission, starting at 6 o'clock each night, if you're up for starting your startles before sundown.

Universal Studios and NBC-owned TV stations operate under the same parent company NBCUniversal.

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