Sinners, original IP lead the way at Horror Nights Hollywood
If I may start my review of Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood 2026 with a mea culpa. For years, I’ve been adamant that what makes Horror Nights Hollywood is its impressive lineup of haunted houses based on movies, TV shows and music you love. This commitment to intellectual property (IP) helped Horror Nights stand out in a market dominated by Knott’s Scary Farm.
And there’s still something special, even magical, about what Horror Nights Hollywood pulled off with Sinners, the haunted house recreating Ryan Coogler’s Oscar-winning masterpiece. But in 2026, Horror Nights Hollywood showed it can make magic happen without any IP at all; Dead, Deader, Deadest might be my favorite house of the year, and the Latin American monsters house of the year, Killceañera, is very strong.
So uh, maybe Horror Nights Hollywood should do more non-IP houses if these are the results. We’ve moved past the era of black wall transitions that haunted Horror Nights Hollywood for years. But in its place, the slate of IP houses has grown increasingly stale. Killer Klownz From Outer Space is back for the third time in recent memory and Stranger Things returns less as a recap of Season 5 (thank god) and more of an ode to demogorgons and Vecna.
Vecna in the Stranger Things 5 house. All photos by Noelle Sundstrom
But let’s circle back to Sinners, which is a signature achievement for Horror Nights Hollywood. Located in the former year-round Walking Dead Attraction space, Sinners makes full use of its permanent environment beginning with a spectacular show scene inside Club Juke. Horror Nights cleverly leaves one more set of switchbacks for us to navigate in this room, allowing all guests to see Smoke and Stack welcome us to their club.
Naturally, things go horribly wrong from there. Horror Nights brought Sinners’ vampires to life, complete with glowing eyes, while hitting many of the action beats from the film. It’s no replacement for watching the movie, of course, but it’s the type of visceral excitement that you can only get from live theater.
How about Dead, Deader, Deadest? The setting is simple: You enter a mortuary where something sinister is taking place. This is a beautifully dressed house, especially the foyer that serves as the entryway. You can watch the full walkthrough if you’d like spoilers, but I was particularly impressed by how the park conveyed your walk into the freezer and the incinerator.
Killceañera uses a unique hook and framing to reintroduce familiar monsters. Yes, this is basically “Latin American Carrie,” but that works at an event like Horror Nights. She conjures up a roster of monsters that will be familiar, perhaps too familiar, to regular Horror Nights attendees. What I can say is that despite that familiarity, Killceañera feels fresh.
The Terror Tram features Art the Clown following his tremendously successful debut at the 2025 event. Horror Nights borrows the Christmas motifs from the second film to great success to bring to life the ideal version of Terror Tram. Without the confined spaces to truly be scary, this is an attraction that relies on the personality of its villains and the energy of its performers. Lucky for us, Art the Clown and the performers who portray him have brought plenty of both. [Watch video]
Art the Clown stars in the Terror Tram scare zone
There’s not much new to report from either Killer Klownz nor Stranger Things, though I should note the cast for Klownz was really bringing it on Thursday night. So let’s move on to the other major IP house for 2026, Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness. This house, thanks in large part to the music, is a lot of fun and features some neat environments. But it doesn’t feel as fully realized as the best Horror Nights houses do. [Watch video]
Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness
Hellraiser and Evil Dead Burn round out the haunted houses. Hellraiser has a lot of great moments that will take fans back into the trilogy of horror films. But let’s be real: We’re here to see Pinhead and his merry band of sadomasochists monologue at us before jumping out from behind doors, windows and severed heads. The house delivers on that promise. [Watch video]
I imagine Evil Dead Burn has a plot, but I can’t tell you what it is. How much that matters is a matter of taste; suffice to say this is a cursed house chock full of deadites. That will almost certainly get the job done for most Horror Nights attendees. [Watch video]
The Purge: Dangerous Waters returns as the only show, taking over the Waterworld stage for a stunt show that is virtually unchanged from previous editions. Fast and Furious: Hollywood Drift was running, but only for guests with special tickets (VIP tours, some Express pass holders) so I did not get my first chance to get on the new roller coaster. Ah well.
Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights runs until November 1. Tickets start at $75: Universal Studios Hollywood tickets.
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Replies (2)
Can't stress this enough: if you're going to either Orlando or Hollywood's HHN this year, get either Stay and Scream or Early Entry! (if you aren't getting Express)
If done correctly, it'll ensure you get all houses done!
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It looks like Hollywood beat Orlando on Sinners, and vice versa on Ozzy. And each coast served up two great original houses. A good year for HHN. Thanks for the coverage Jake!