The fan-favorite original characters will be returning to “wreak havoc together” at this year’s Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando Resort.
Jack The Clown and Dr. Oddfellow Return for HHN 2026
In an announcement made during MEGACON’s Saturday morning panel, “Behind the Screams: Crafting 35 Years of Fear at Universal Halloween Horror Nights,” a team of directors for Universal creative development revealed that the original characters Jack The Clown and Dr. Oddfellow will be returning for Universal Orlando Halloween Horror Nights 2026.
“Infernal Carnival of Nightmares” is the event theme, and it will will look at the history and rivalry of the characters. The duo will be featured in a house named Jack & Oddfellow: Chaos & Control.
“When you go through the haunted house, we are going to hear the narration of Oddfellow telling us the origin story of Jack from his perspective,” said Charles Gray, senior show director. He also mentioned Jack sealed in a box, the Oddverse dimension, portals, torture, power (and narration) shifts, and Easter eggs.
In the final scene, “you will see them taking over the park, taking over this world,” Gray said.
“This is not a partnership. … They aren’t buddies. They are here because they know if they work together, they can inch in more horror and put more fear into the hearts of all of you,” Laura Sauls, assistant director of entertainment — creative development and show direction, said at an HHN panel at Megacon Orlando at the Orange County Convention Center this weekend.
“The overall thematic is going to be taking you within the Infernal Carnival of Nightmares, and it’s within that new vision between Jack and Oddfellow, where all of our content is going to reside this year,” said Mike Aiello, senior director of entertainment — creative development. “So it is going to not only pay respect and involve some of the legacy that Halloween Horror Nights has had over its three and a half decades, but like any good Horror Nights event, we’re going to present all new levels of horror that will invade all aspects of our park in a way that makes it the 35th anniversary.”
A post shared simultaneously from the official Universal Orlando Halloween Horror Nights X account shared a video teaser of the characters’ return:
Jack The Clown and Dr. Oddfellow are two of the best-known original characters in Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights mythology.
Jack Schmidt, better known as Jack the Clown, debuted as the event’s first original in-house icon in 2000 and has since become one of the defining faces of HHN. Jack was a circus clown in Dr. Oddfellow’s traveling show who secretly abducted and murdered children; after his crimes threatened the carnival, Oddfellow killed Jack, but the latter returned as a sadistic, undead clown figure who delights in turning murder into performance.
Jack The Clown and Dr. Oddfellow are returning together for this year’s event, positioning them as a paired offering rather than isolated characters. Based on their history, that suggests Universal is leaning heavily into original HHN lore and the long-running rivalry and shared carnival mythology between the two.
Halloween Horror Nights Panel
The announcement was made during MEGACON Orlando’s panel “Behind the Screams: Crafting 35 Years of Fear at Universal Halloween Horror Nights.” Besides the news about Jack and Oddfellow, the panel discussion featured insights into the popular Halloween event from Universal team members: Mike Aiello, Senior Director of Entertainment Creative Development, Universal Orlando Resort; Lora Sauls, Assistant Director of Entertainment Creative Development & Show Direction, Universal Orlando Resort; and Charles Gray, Senior Show Director of Entertainment Creative Development, Universal Orlando Resort.
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