Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood is only a couple weeks away! This year, the spooktacular event has more mazes than ever – created by the sickest minds in horror.

La Llorona – According to legend, La Llorona is a woman doomed to wander the Earth forever consumed with the guilt of drowning her children and then herself. This spine-chilling maze takes you through the remains of a haunted Mexican village – and beware, for those who hear the screams of La Llorona are marked for death!

“Halloween Horror Nights” will take place on select nights beginning September 23 and continue on September 24, 30; October 1,7, 8,9, 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31.

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La Llorona, the fearful story of melancholy and murder that has terrified Mexican and Latin American children for generations, is coming to life at this year’s Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood with its new terror-filled maze La Llorona: Villa De Almas Perdidas, with the help of Mexican-based film star Diego Luna serving as a creative consultant!

The new maze will tell the haunting story of “La Llorona,” doomed to wander the earth forever after drowning her children in a desperate attempt to win a lost love. She then drowns herself when this attempt to win her lost love fails. According to the legend, La Llorona’s dreadful, wailing cries—“My children! Where are my children?”—can be heard eternally piercing the night. La Llorona’s frail, drenched body lurking throughout the dead of night will invariably elicit unwavering dread from the helpless village inhabitants or maze guests as her presence signifies impending death.

Luna is especially excited for this maze because he grew up with the story of La Llorona. He said, “Story-telling is at the heart of all my work and I’m thrilled to have the chance to help present the great La Llorona legend in a different kind of medium at the ‘Halloween Horror Nights’ event.”

The event begins on September 23 and continues on select nights through October 31 at Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood.

Elite Hunting is open for business this September!

Eli Roth’s Hostel: Hunting Season, was just announced as Universal Studios Hollywood’s newest maze at this year’s Halloween Horror Nights. This is the horror auteur and star’s first effort at transforming his screen work into a live theme park experience.

The maze will mirror the film’s dehumanizing torture chambers and send guests on a spiraling journey through the corrupt halls of Elite Hunting’s torture factory. Through the re-imagining of the film, Roth will bring Hostel to life and give both fans of his film and horror fans a scare they could never have imagined. “People will have a chance to experience some exact moments from their favorite Hostel scenes, along with some new surprises,” the multi-talented director said.

Universal City, CA — Eli Roth, the multi-talented director, writer, producer and actor, will adapt his enormously successful “Hostel” film franchise to create “Eli Roth’s Hostel: Hunting Season,” a twisted new Halloween Horror Nights® maze at Universal Studios HollywoodSM. The event begins on September 23 and continues on select nights through October 31.

“Hostel: Hunting Season,” for which Universal will build elaborate sets re-creating locations in Slovakia, will mark the horror auteur and star’s first effort at transforming his screen work into a live theme park experience. The maze will re-imagine the film’s dehumanizing torture chambers and send guests on a spiraling journey through the corrupt halls of Elite Hunting’s torture factory. Elite Hunting, a secret society that tortures and kills American youth for sport in exchange for large sums of money, will prowl the factory and prey on its many maze visitors.

Eli Roth, said: “Creating a maze for ‘Halloween Horror Nights’ is a horror fan’s dream come true. I’ve been visiting ‘Halloween Horror Nights’ for years, and still remember the heart-pounding terror of going through the mazes for the first time. For me it was like going inside the world of a movie and experiencing it in a visceral environment that simply cannot be replicated, and in subsequent years I’ve found I’m just as scared as I was the first time.

“I am so happy to join forces with the creative team at Universal. Our collaborative vision to bring ‘Hostel’ to life will give both fans of my movie and horror fans a scare they could never have imagined. People will have a chance to experience some exact moments from their favorite ‘Hostel’ scenes, along with some new surprises.

“ I was honored to receive an Eyegore Award at last year’s ‘Halloween Horror Nights’ event, and began talking to Universal about a ‘Hostel’ maze even then. This is something I’ve dreamed of for years. I may even dress up and appear in the maze one night as a torturer. So when you say ‘I scared you,’ you can literally mean that I scared you!”

In addition to the “Hostel” franchise, Eli Roth is well-known to film audiences as the writer-director-producer of “Cabin Fever” and as the baseball bat-wielding co-star of Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglorious Basterds,” for which he won a Screen Actor’s Guild Award. As a producer, his film “The Last Exorcism” was a box office smash and he is currently in post-production on the “Clown” and “The Man With the Iron Fists,” both of which are slated for release in the coming months.

Eli Roth is the first star to be announced as a collaborator in this year’s Halloween Horror Nights event and will be a key member of a Hollywood horror “dream team” assembled by Universal Studios Hollywood to create the ultimate “live” Halloween nightmare. He is also serving as a judge in Universal Studios Hollywood’s annual “Halloween Horror Nights” short film competition, which will culminate in a presentation to a winning filmmaker during the “Eyegore Awards” on the event’s opening night, September 23. “The Thing: Assimilation,” a new maze inspired by Universal Pictures’ upcoming thriller, has also been announced and will add to the Hollywood horror clout.

“Halloween Horror Nights” 2011 will bring unprecedented star power to an array of unrivaled, film production quality mazes uniquely themed to today’s most definitive horror properties and deliver the most compelling, spine-chilling, haunted attractions. All-new terror filled “scare zones,” original shows and the popular “Terror Tram” will be among the ““Halloween Horror Nights” offerings. Additional new content for the 2011 “Halloween Horror Nights” mazes and attractions will be announced shortly.

The theme park’s favorite thrill-ride attractions will also remain open for “Halloween Horror Nights” as well, many with menacing twists. Favorites include “The Simpsons Ride®,” “Revenge of the MummySM – The Ride” and “Jurassic Park® In the Dark.”

Updates on “Halloween Horror Nights” are available at Halloween Horror Nights.com and also on Twitter and Facebook, as Creative Director John Murdy reveals a running chronicle of exclusive information. Fans are invited to follow John Murdy on Twitter at: Twitter.com/HorrorNights or via Facebook at: “Halloween Horror Nights – Hollywood (Official).”

Universal Studios Hollywood is a unit of the Universal Parks & Resorts division of NBCUniversal. NBCUniversal is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. Comcast Corporation owns a controlling 51% interest in NBCUniversal, with GE holding a 49% stake.

The Thing paranoia is spreading to Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights this year in an all-new horror maze inspired by Universal Pictures’ upcoming thriller THE THING, in theaters October 14th!

Guests at both Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood will experience the fear of the film in an abandoned scientific research facility in the midst of a vast and frozen Antarctica. The shape-shifting alien creature will come face-to-face with guests as they weave through the film’s Antarctic Thule station, which features elaborately designed and disturbingly real alien creatures and sets.

Halloween Horror Nights begins on September 23rd and continues on select nights through October 31st.

ORLANDO, Fla., UNIVERSAL CITY, Ca. (July 19, 2011) — An abandoned scientific research facility in the midst of a vast and frozen Antarctica will set the stage for “The Thing,” an all-new horror maze inspired by Universal Pictures’ upcoming film, at both Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights events, which begins on September 23 and continues on select nights through October 31. In the thriller “The Thing,” paranoia spreads like an epidemic among a group of researchers as they’re infected, one by one, by a mystery from another planet.

The new haunted house will offer guests an unprecedented first-hand preview of the much-anticipated thriller in advance of its October 14 release. Guests will find themselves in a series of face-to-face encounters with “The Thing,” an alien creature that can transform itself into an exact replica of any living being. “The Thing” maze will recreate the spine-chilling suspense from the film, confronting guests with the paranoia and fear that comes from being trapped inside the film’s Antarctic Thule station. The shape-shifting alien could be anywhere or anything. Will they survive?

Eerily authentic, “The Thing” maze will feature elaborately designed and disturbingly real alien creatures and sets. They will match the film’s terrifying intensity and provoke both a memorable and disturbing experience. Universal’s theme parks have partnered with the film’s producers, Strike Entertainment’s Marc Abraham and Eric Newman (Dawn of the Dead) to create an experience that is authentic to the film. The sets, audio, musical score, creature and character references are all based on the thriller.

“We want people to live the film and experience the same terror that affects the film’s characters,” said Newman. “Our collaboration with Universal’s creative teams brought the vision of the film to life. We’re excited for Halloween Horror Nights guests to experience ‘The Thing’ in this frighteningly real way.”

Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood starts on September 23 and runs on select nights through October 31. More information is available at www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com.

THE THING – Trailer

Sink your teeth into the first Halloween Horror Nights news for 2011… Universal Studios Hollywood announced today its annual “Halloween Horror Nights” short film competition! Contest entries will be accepted from June 27th through August 1st and will be judged by a panel of industry insiders, including horror film auteur Eli Roth, Daily Variety senior writer Marc Graser and “Halloween Horror Nights” Creative Director John Murdy.

The winning film will be awarded a premiere showing on Chiller, a posting on Syfy.com, a cash prize of $1,000, and a trip for two to “Halloween Horror Nights’” opening night “Eyegore Awards” at Universal Studios Hollywood.

Universal City, Ca -–Universal Studios Hollywood invites aspiring filmmakers to compete in its annual “Halloween Horror Nights” short film competition, offering budding directors an opportunity to have their most disturbing horror short films judged by a panel of industry insiders, including horror film auteur Eli Roth, Daily Variety senior writer, Marc Graser and “Halloween Horror Nights” Creative Director John Murdy. The winning film will be awarded a premiere showing on Chiller, a posting on Syfy.com, a cash prize of $1,000, and a trip for two to “Halloween Horror Nights’” opening night “Eyegore Awards” at Universal Studios Hollywood.

Contest entries will be accepted from June 27 through August 1, 2011. Prospective filmmakers can submit short films from 90 seconds to three minutes in length on DVD (two copies of each film must be submitted). Films will be judged based on storytelling skill, originality and scare factor. The top 10 horror shorts, as determined by the panel, will be posted online at HalloweenHorrorNights.com from August 22 to September 9, 2011 for public voting. The winning film will be announced on September 12, 2011.

Eyegore Award recipient and horror filmmaker, Eli Roth said: “As a producer I’m always looking for new talent, and happy to help a first time director get their big break. New blood, so to speak, is vital for the continuation and growth of our beloved genre, and programs like this one can help deserving people get noticed. I am excited to see the competing films, and whoever makes me lose the most sleep will win.”

Returning film contest judge, Marc Graser, Daily Variety, said: “As a studio known for bringing the horror film genre to life, it’s a thrill to help Universal Studios identify the next generation of filmmakers that will scare audiences. I can’t wait to see who steps forward with their creepy visions this year.”

John Murdy, Creative Director, Universal Studios Hollywood, said: “Just as ’Halloween Horror Nights’ interprets horror filmmakers’ visions into living horror movies for the most ardent fans, our film competition provides a platform for future horror film directors to showcase their work to an audience of influential entertainment industry professionals.”

Entries must be sent to: “Halloween Horror Nights” Short Film Competition, 100 Universal City Plaza, Building 5511-5, Universal City, CA 91608. Additional information on the contest, including a complete list of rules and regulations, is available online at the Halloween Horror Nights website.

Last year’s “Halloween Horror Nights” Eyegore Award recipient, Eli Roth is a renowned award-winning, horror-genre filmmaker and actor. His credits include “Cabin Fever,” “Hostel,” “Grindhouse,” “The Last Exorcism” and “Inglorious Basterds.” For the past 10 years, Marc Graser has been a reporter at Daily Variety covering the entertainment industry. John Murdy, Universal Studios Hollywood’s Creative Director, oversees the theme park’s attractions, including its very intense annual “Halloween Horror Nights” event.

Universal Studios Hollywood hosts the Eyegore Awards annually on opening night of the theme park’s popular “Halloween Horror Nights” event to honor individuals for their significant contributions to the horror film genre.

Universal Studios Hollywood is a unit of the Universal Parks & Resorts division of NBCUniversal. NBCUniversal is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. Comcast Corporation owns a controlling 51% interest in NBCUniversal, with GE holding a 49% stake.