The Walking Dead Attraction Coming to Universal Studios Hollywood

AMC's hit series will become a permanent staple at the theme park this summer

By Francesca Bacardi Mar 14, 2016 12:53 PMTags
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Zombies are no longer a seasonal attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood.

The flesh-eating walkers of The Walking Dead, usually a Halloween staple, will become a full-time installment beginning this summer. Originally part of the Halloween Horror Nights maze, the new TWD attraction will now be a stand-alone addition at the Southern California theme park.

The news was revealed on the hit AMC series' talk show Talking Dead, which airs after the post-apocalyptic drama.

Universal Studios Hollywood told USA Today the new attraction will outdo its previous Halloween efforts, adding "authentic walker makeup effects, sophisticated animatronic walkers, substantially more detailed set design and costuming, and highly recognizable props replicated from the series.

Executive producer Greg Nicotero and the special effects makeup team will help make the attraction's walkers appear similar to the AMC show's walkers, but such scary features mean only children older than 13 will be able to participate in the walk through. Nicotero told the newspaper that it will focus more on the zombies than the real-life characters.

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"There are moments from the television show that we'll get a chance to recreate much more faithfully than we would in a maze," said Nicotero, who is working with the theme park's team to bring the project to life. "You'll get some great opportunities to see things from Season 1 and some stuff from Seasons 3 and 4. It's a little bit of a walk down memory lane for us."

Other attractions at Universal Studios Hollywood include The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, The Simpsons and one that celebrates The Fast and the Furious franchise.

"I love it," Nicotero said of having TWD join such mainstream attractions. "I think it says a lot that we're getting an opportunity to be part of a Walking Dead experience that's 365 days a year."

(E! and Universal Studios Hollywood are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)