It’s almost time folks! Universal Studios Hollywood kicks off on Thursday, September 5, and runs through select nights until Sunday, November 3. Yes, Into November! Today we offer you a glimpse inside the all-new A Quiet Place haunted house. Led by Universal Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights Creative Director, John Murdy, a handful of media was led through the walkthrough attraction that was still under construction. What we saw was an impressive showcase of craftsmanship and innovation that we can’t wait to experience in full-show conditions.

We met Universal Studios Hollywood Creative Director, John Murdy, at the entrance of the new haunted house, A Quiet Place on the upper lot. If you are familiar, we are in the same spot occupied by the former Walking Dead attraction and what was Evil Dead Rise at last year’s Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights.

There was a bit of setup that Murdy wanted to give before we were guided in and for good reason. This house is particularly innovative for a number of reasons. Murdy mentions the preshow for the house that includes a video on screens in the queue that sets up the world that we are about to dive into. Without a single spoken word, a deaf member of the cast signs to visitors on how to survive in a world where sound is deadly. It is pointed out that this will be the first time that ASL is used in a haunted house attraction, mirroring writer-director John Krasinski‘s painstaking inclusion of inclusivity in his blockbuster film franchise. Another thing that Murdy and his team explored was the precise use of sound design. The house features carefully hidden, precisely aimed speakers that get as close to visitors as possible to immerse them in the audio-centric soundscape of the film.

We finally enter the building and are suddenly in a forest. A Space Shuttle toy near a gravesite makes a noise and this is said to set off the audio effects of the monsters, aka Death Angels that start to chase guests.

 

 

If you look at the pic of the tree carefully, you can see the seam of a cover that hides the speakers within. From here the noises get within inches of the guests.

We arrive at the Abbot farmhouse as all hell is breaking loose. Father, Lee Abbot, has set up a pathway of sand and a light system that switches from white lights to red to indicate an emergency. This time, the red lights are flashing and we know we need to find safety.

We enter the Abbot house and initially, I look at the floor treatment, thinking that they are still working on a few things. On the contrary, this is a callback to the film in which Lee Abbot has painted the non-squeaky floorboards with a light grey paint so that the family knows how to navigate the house without a sound. The attention to detail and story still impresses after years of covering Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights.

We get our first good look at one of the several creatures featured in the walkthrough. Nestled in a pitch-black nook, a highly detailed alien figure is suspended in the dark. Utilizing what is, essentially a puppet, a scare actor will lunge and thrust this menacing figure at passerby.

The meticulous craftsmanship is something that comes up as a topic of discussion on the tour. It turns out that in the interest of consistency, the creature team at Universal Studios Hollywood created the monsters for both Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort’s iterations of the haunted house. Taking a close look at the gelatinous details, we can’t argue that this was a bad decision.

Yes, we get to visit the basement at the farmhouse including a stop by the command center. This includes that wince-inducing moment where Evelyn steps on a nail coming down the stairs as a Death Angel prowls the house.

 

We even get to experience that unrelenting scene with the baby, in the flooded basement. Here we were asked not to photograph the creature that was still under construction. But this is another scene that includes a water feature on the floor. A basinet floats in the water directly in front of a menacing creature that is ready to attack.

One funny note is that, after years of carefully creating fake fruit to go in various jars over the years, the props team at Universal Hollywood realized that if they just made highly detailed printouts of the jar contents, they read just fine with the right show conditions.

The house continues with the opening train scene from A Quiet Place 2. A giant train car is in ruins as a creature bursts forth from the wreckage to attack.

We even get to visit the claustrophobic scene from part 2 where survivors are trapped in an air-tight furnace as a way of hiding from the Death Angels.

Then, of course, comes the big finish that includes monster attacks from every angle featuring even more impressive creatures.

We cannot wait to see the A Quiet Place house when Halloween Horror Nights kicks off on September 5 at Universal Studios Hollywood. The event will run Thursday, September 5 through Sunday, November 3 on select nights. Visitors will experience eight brand-new haunted houses, numerous chilling scare zones, and the famed Terror Tram.

Other notable experiences include The Purge: Dangerous Waters, set in the WaterWorld venue, and multiple scare zones such as Luchadores Monstruosos, Chainsaw Punkz, Skull Lordz, and Murder of Crowz. Previously announced haunted houses include Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Legacy of Leatherface, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines, Insidious: The Further, Monstruous 2: The Nightmares of Latin America, and Dead Exposure: Death Valley.

A variety of Halloween Horror Nights ticket options are available for purchase to the Universal Studios Hollywood event, including General Admission, Universal Express, After 2 P.M. Day/Night, the Early Access Ticket, which provides access to select haunted houses beginning at 5:30 p.m. (subject to change), in advance of the scheduled 7:00 p.m. event opening time, the premium R.I.P. Tour and popular passes, Frequent Fear and Ultimate Fear, which enable guests to experience the scares again and again. Click here to purchase tickets and for Terms and Conditions.

Stay and scream with a Halloween Horror Nights Vacation Package at Universal Studios Hollywood. Sample package includes one daytime General Admission ticket, one General Admission Halloween Horror Nights event ticket and accommodation at a Universal Partner Hotel. Click here for more information about each ticket type and here for vacation packages, plus Terms and Conditions. Universal Studios Hollywood Vacation Packages are sold by Universal Parks & Resorts Vacations