As one of the biggest villains in modern horror, it’s only fitting that Stranger Things’ Vecna was featured in this gear’s Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios. Just one year after his debut, the character is making a mark in the Stranger Things house/maze that will surely leave you running up that hill and into the parking lot.
On Vecna’s presence at Halloween Horror Nights, Matt Flood, who served as Universal’s Senior Show Director, recently told IGN, “Stranger Things 4 has such a strong story; we put a lot of focus on understanding how the story was told…The audio effects, score, props, costumes and epic scenes all create the dread of Vecna’s curse, which was so engaging throughout the season. It was important for the Halloween Horror Nights creative teams to understand how those elements were used and then apply them to our haunted house design.”
One of the most notable elements here was the use of “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush, the 1985 song which serves as a key for both Sadie Sink’s Max and the portal to reach Vecna. The song proved to be the perfect choice, as it soon after hit the top of the charts — more than 35 years after its release. One could even argue that her resurgence was much of the reason she got inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year.
Stranger Things has been included at Halloween Horror Nights before but considering that Vecna has proven to be the baddie of the series — the Demogorgon is a straight-up weenie compared to this dude — this season’s display will most definitely be a highlight for attendees. As per Universal’s website, “You must band together with your squad if you want to resist Vecna’s gruesome curse. Take on the scariest season of Stranger Things yet. Like Eleven, now’s your chance to stop him once and for all as you have the ultimate showdown in Vecna’s blood-red mindscape. Every ending has a beginning.” Other haunted houses this season include ones for Chucky, Universal Monsters, The Exorcist: Believer, and more.
Are you attending Halloween Horror Nights this year? What would you expect from the Stranger Things portion?