Recently, several creative leads behind Halloween Horror Nights sat down with The Hollywood Reporter to discuss this year’s event, including the highly anticipated Five Nights at Freddy’s house at both Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood.
Halloween Horror Nights
John Murdy, creative director for Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood, explained that 10 years ago, it might have been impossible to do a Five Nights at Freddy’s house. However, fans have been asking for this and other intellectual properties for years, so he and other members of the team decided to “straight up curate this year with what [the] fans’ greatest desires are.”
Murdy shared that the concept for this year’s house began with Hollywood’s Blumhouse: Behind the Screams experience in 2023. The event highlighted eight-foot-tall animatronics from the film that took the Jim Henson Creature Shop 15 months to build. Realizing that Universal Creative could not complete such a project without the Jim Henson Creature Shop, both Orlando and Hollywood teams brainstormed before presenting blueprints and getting confirmation that it could be done.
As described by Murdy, “the only possible way to do this is with Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.”
Murdy also confirmed that Hollywood took the lead on creating what he calls “the most complicated animatronic figure that [they’ve] ever done” for Halloween Horror Nights 2025.
Murdy and Lora Sauls, assistant director of creative development and entertainment for Universal Orlando Resort, claims guests will “see a fully animated Freddy Fazbear performing like he would in the movie or the video game,” in a space that mirrors “the textures, tones, the carpet, the pizzeria booths” of the film.
In addition to the dilapidated showroom, she teases walking through the pizzeria’s kitchen, janitor’s closet, and security room where there’s “a complete one-for-one replica.”
In regard to the advanced tech and the classic nature of HHN houses, Murdy shared that “they haven’t forgotten the human element essential to delivering the jump scares with a little more gore.” He added,
It’s also in the films, but it’s the kids who live inside the animatronics. So there is a thread going on in the house of the ghost kids showing up, and there are all those guys who broke into trash the place. You get quick shots in the film of Carl when his face has been ripped off by that horrible torture chair, but I wanted to know what happened to all of them and to bring that level of scare to the experience as well.
The article goes on to mention that while the animatronic figure will be a highlight, the characters will also appear as “fully animatronic, some that are puppeteered, and some that will move in a way that you think they’re costumes.”
When the house was announced, Universal shared the following description:
You wouldn’t last one night at Freddy’s, let alone five. You’re about to start the night watch at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria, where nothing is what it seems. You’ll be hunted by the deadly animatronics Freddy, Bonnie, Chica and Foxy as you flee through creepy, abandoned hallways. You’ll even encounter the ghosts in the machines.
Five Nights at Freddy’s originated as a video game in 2014 from creator Scott Cawthon. Since then, the game has received multiple sequels, merchandise collections, and a 2023 film from Blumhouse. A sequel is now in post-production.
Halloween Horror Nights 34 runs on select nights from August 29 through November 2 at Universal Studios Florida. Halloween Horror Nights 2025 runs on select nights from September 4 through November 2 at Universal Studios Hollywood.
For more Universal Studios news from around the world, follow Universal Parks News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. For Disney Parks news, visit WDWNT.