UNIVERSAL PICTURES’ UPCOMING THRILLER “THE THING” TO BECOME HAUNTED HOUSE EXPERIENCE AT UNIVERSAL ORLANDO’S HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS

Guests Will Experience the Fear of the Film at the “Country’s Best Halloween Event” Before “The Thing” Hits Theatres

ORLANDO, Fla. (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 haunted house inspired by Universal Pictures’ upcoming thriller, at Universal Orlando Resort’s Halloween Horror Nights 21.  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” haunted house 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” haunted house 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 Orlando has 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 film. Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights event will also offer a haunted house based on the thriller.

“Having recreated well known horror films in the past, the same level of attention to detail has gone into creating a house experience that will completely immerse guests into the storyline and environment of ‘The Thing,’ said Jim Timon, Senior Vice President of Entertainment at Universal Orlando.

Eric Newman added: “We want people to live the film and experience the same terror that affects the film’s characters. 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.”

To see the movie trailer, click here.

At Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights 21, luck will run out as guests discover their fate. Starting September 23, guests will be consumed by the “country’s best Halloween event” (Amusement Today) for 25 select nights through October 31. For more information visit HalloweenHorrorNights.com/Orlando.