Latest news with #UniversalHorrorUnleashed
Thrill Geek
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Thrill Geek
Leatherface Is Coming to Vegas: Texas Chainsaw Massacre Haunted House Joins Universal Horror Unleashed -
Grab your courage and brace for the buzz, 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' is officially joining Universal Horror Unleashed, the year-round horror experience opening August 14 at AREA15 in Las Vegas. For the first time ever, guests will step through the 1974 horror classic in chronological order, from the eerie Texas cemetery and grimy gas station to the deranged family home. Every step leads you deeper into madness as you encounter Leatherface, his unsettling kin, and the unforgettable sound of revving chainsaws. But the terror doesn't stop there. The haunted house connects to Kill Vault, one of four immersive horror zones. Expect back-alley surgeons, stalkers, and slashers interacting up-close as you explore dim corners filled with rusty tools and haunted stories. Hungry for more? 'Rough Cuts' will serve chainsaw-carved small plates—just don't ask what's in the barbecue. Universal Horror Unleashed will feature four haunted houses, including: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Universal Monsters Blumhouse's The Exorcist: Believer Scarecrow: The Reaping Plus, expect themed bars, creepy cocktails, exclusive merchandise, and more immersive horror than ever before. Tickets are now on sale at Follow @ThrillGeek on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for more terrifying updates as opening night draws near.
Business Mayor
12-05-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
Will Universal's Epic keep the ride going for US theme parks?
Universal is betting billions of dollars that thrill seekers and holidaymakers will be queueing in their thousands this month to ride rollercoasters at its latest theme park, which boasts Harry Potter's Ministry of Magic and a Super Nintendo World. But real life outside the gates of Epic Universe, and the market for theme parks, are both very different to 2019, when Universal's parent company, Comcast, started planning the massive new site in Orlando, Florida. Industry executives and analysts have begun to fear that the trade and culture wars sparked by the arrival of Donald Trump in the White House could hit demand among visitors to Florida this year. One executive expressed concern that the White House's actions could deter overseas visitors, as well as risk an economic slowdown that could sap appetite among domestic visitors for daily tickets that will be priced at more than $100. Epic Universe, which opens this month, is not the only US investment that Comcast is making in the sector. The group is also opening Universal Horror Unleashed, the first permanent year-round horror 'entertainment experience' in Las Vegas in August; and, in 2026, its first Universal Kids Resort in Frisco, Texas, marketed to families with younger children. Epic Universe is the largest ever investment by Comcast in its theme park business © Felix Mizioznikov/Alamy Rival Disney's parks and experiences business is also expanding in the US and abroad, with $60bn of investment planned over the next decade. Disney has more expansion projects around the world than at any time in its history, including new 'lands' and attractions at domestic parks in Florida and California. This week, the group revealed plans for a new theme park resort on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, albeit funded by local entertainment company Miral. Theme parks have been a crucial engine for growth for both groups, with cash flow helping support Disney's investments in other areas, such as streaming and movies. Parks and experiences is the largest source of operating income for Disney, and the second-largest revenue driver after its entertainment division. Comcast president Mike Cavanagh, meanwhile, explained last month about the importance of its theme-park business given — unlike its television arm — it is 'not at all exposed to the shift in time on screens . . . park experiences have been thrilling to people, and we think we lean into that'. Epic will be the largest ever investment by Comcast in its theme park business. The site — Comcast's fourth in Orlando — includes five different themed areas, including the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and How to Train Your Dragon. Its opening will enable the media group to offer week-long vacation destinations for tourists across its Orlando sites. But the opening of the park — the biggest in Florida for more than two decades — comes after a tougher time for the sector over the past year. Both Comcast and Disney enjoyed strong growth in 2022 and 2023 following the end of the pandemic, which sparked a boom in demand for experiences and travel as people sought to catch up on lost time under enforced lockdowns. But this bounceback faded in 2024, leaving attendance at the Florida parks still well short of 2019 pre-pandemic highs, according to Aecom, which supplies data on the industry. Revenues for Comcast at its parks division fell from $8.9bn in 2023 to $8.6bn in 2024, driven by a fall in park attendance, with earnings down from $3.3bn to $2.9bn. In the first quarter of this year, Comcast's parks division saw revenues fall again, which it blamed on the Hollywood wildfires. Disney's experiences business last year fared better — including cruise vacations — with revenues up 5 per cent to $34.1bn, but still much slower than the 16 per cent growth the year before. A note by Rothschild & Co's Redburn Atlantic analysts in October warned that the Florida theme park market was 'not healthy', with 2023 attendances about 13 per cent below 2019 levels. It blamed over-aggressive pricing strategies that have hit affordability, particularly for foreign visitors. Read More Female artists drive music sales boom in UK 'While Epic could well attract new visitors to Florida,' Redburn Atlantic wrote, 'given how Florida attendance has not recovered to pre-pandemic levels, with affordability in part to blame, we suspect it is more likely to take share from Disney.' Giant park operators like Disney and Comcast — followed by mid-level operators such as SeaWorld and Six Flags — have been pushing up per capita revenue through steep price increases. They have been willing to sacrifice high attendance as a result, said Chris Yoshii, global director of leisure and culture services at Aecom. People walk through the Dark Universe at Epic Universe. Comcast is hoping the park's new attractions will drive consumer demand © Thomas Simonetti/Bloomberg This was in part to give 'a premium experience' for those who can financially afford to visit, he explained, without needing them to wait in line too long. Parks in Orlando and California last summer were supported by wealthy foreign visitors, according to Yoshii. 'It questions whether [a theme park] is really a middle-class activity any more . . . family budgets are stretched and they're really pricing [these consumers] out,' he said. 'They are getting up to a point where this is about as much as they can do in terms of pushing prices. Going forward growing prices and profitability will be challenging in economically uncertain times,' Yoshii added. Analysts are also asking whether Trump's trade war will add to that uncertainty for the US theme parks. Airlines and hotel groups have warned that domestic travel is waning, while overseas visitor numbers could be hit by the threat of tougher, less welcoming border controls. Craig Moffett, an analyst at MoffettNathanson, last month pointed to the 'very significant drops in international travel to the United States . . . and some anti-American sentiment' when asking Comcast's management about its theme park business. But so far, both Comcast and Disney say that US consumer demand remains strong for their amusements. Comcast's Cavanagh said in the analyst call that both advance ticket sales and hotel bookings were 'strong for the overall parks and for Epic'. Sales 'continue to be tracking well' and there was 'continued steadiness in the backdrop for parks', he added, with 'a lot of folks from the US' who do not have to fly to get to Florida. He admitted 'there may be a delayed effect between what the airlines are starting to report on and what we see' but so far 'no real sign of that in our business as we sit here now'. Comcast and Disney are confident that their new parks and experiences will bring in new audiences. Executives claim that one reason for slower growth last year was the lack of any major new attractions, which tend to drive demand. Comcast is hoping that Epic will change that — this year at least. Analysts at JPMorgan forecast that Comcast's slate of new openings should 'tap into new demographics and geographies — capturing latent demand'. Recommended Disney expects its experiences division to be up 6 per cent to 8 per cent on the year, and reported a strong first half of the year. It told analysts this week that bookings at Walt Disney World were up 4 per cent in the third quarter against a year ago, and 7 per cent in the fourth, making the company 'very optimistic' about its prospects in the US. Johnston acknowledged that foreign visitors to US parks were down slightly in a call with analysts, but added that this had been more than offset by growth in US attendees. 'We've seen a bit of an impact, but it's literally like in terms of the mix one to one-and-a-half per cent. And what I would expect going forward is something similar to that. The good news is we're clearly more than making up for it with domestic attendance.'
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
If You Love John Wick, Las Vegas Has The Totally Perfect Place For Fans Until Chapter 5 Comes Out
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Lionsgate I am a massive fan of the John Wick franchise. As somebody who thinks John Wick is the best modern action franchise going today, I'm stoked that we're seeing the universe expand with multiple spinoffs, and even, down the road, a proper John Wick Chapter 5. Even though I thought the ending of Chapter 4 was perfect, if somebody wants to give me more, I am here for it. Unfortunately, that next proper installment is probably a few years away. While we'll have three other movies in the next few years, including the upcoming Ballerina with Ana de Armas, the Donnie Yen-led Caine, and an animated prequel, I have been in desperate need of a John Wick fix of late. Luckily for me, I found just the place to scratch that itch when I checked into The Continental Hotel… in Las Vegas. The Las Vegas Continental Hotel Brings The World Of John Wick To Life Credit: Dirk Libbey Area15 in Las Vegas is an entire immersive entertainment venue. It's where you'll find the mind-bending Omega Mart, as well as later this year, Universal Destinations & Experiences' full-time horror establishment, Universal Horror Unleashed. It's also home to the John Wick Experience. The experience only opened last month, but since I was planning on spending a few days on vacation in Las Vegas anyway recently, I added it to the itinerary. I had to leave the family behind, as I was pretty sure an immersive experience based on a violent movie wasn't going to be the best place for my toddler, but honestly, that just made the whole thing better, as I could focus on the world around me. From the moment I approached the building, the story began. The doorman makes sure you're somebody who belongs before letting you in. Once he does, you're welcomed at the front desk of the Continental Las Vegas. I checked in early, was directed to the bar, and was told I would be texted when my "room" was ready. I honestly could have spent the next hour just sitting in the bar, and you can, as the bar isn't limited to those doing the experience. I had enough time, so I ordered a drink and took a seat in the lounge. The bar alone transports you from the Las Vegas outside to the World of John Wick perfectly. Then my phone buzzed, and I had received a text that my room was ready. Credit: Dirk Libbey You Can Play Along Or Just Watch The Story Unfold I met my party, all strangers to me, and a bellhop at the elevator to be taken up to my room. However, part of the way up, the bellhop received a call that the hotel manager wanted to see us. So, instead, we entered a room that resembled the switchboard area seen in the John Wick sequels. She spoke to us briefly, mostly setting the stage for the story to come. On the wall, we saw the ticker board of current contracts, including one for Mr. John Wick. After the Accountant leaves, a pneumatic tube fired up, and my group had to solve a simple puzzle. Upon doing so, the contract board changed, revealing the names of everybody in the group. I saw my own name now on the board, with a $1.5 million bounty attached to it. Apparently, my night was about to get interesting. I won't go into too much detail from here about the story itself, other than to say it's set somewhere during the events following John Wick: Chapter 2. Our hero has a contract out on him, and I, and the rest of my party, are all guilty of aiding and abetting his escape. As such, the protection of the Continental has been rescinded. We're being given a head start, but people are going to be coming from us. Credit: Dirk Libbey What follows is a combination of role-playing and an escape room. Most of the rooms you enter have an actor playing a role, and some sort of activity to engage in. Interacting with the actors isn't necessary, and playing along isn't required. You can just stand back and watch it all play out. I enjoyed playing my part as a hunted assassin and had some fun exchanges with the Casino Dealer and the Tailor. Though I was the only one who seemed interested in playing along. Fans of escape rooms will likely be disappointed if they go into this looking for puzzles to solve. There are only a couple of times that anything resembling that is required, and both are exceedingly easy. This is by design, both to keep the pace of the game going and to keep the players moving, as there are only about 10-20 minutes between groups, so things will stall for latter groups if those in front move too slowly. Eventually, you'll escape from the Continental and find yourself at a second bar, with a second cocktail menu, while the first bar is formal and classy, the second feels a bit rougher, which, as the beverage above shows, goes for the drinks as well. Credit: Dirk Libbey There Was Only One Thing Missing From The Standard John Wick Experience If I have a major complaint about the experience, it's that when buying a drink at the bar, I had to use a credit card like some sort of normie. While gold coins are available in the merch store, and are also provided as part of the more expensive VIP experience, and can be used as part of the story, I would have loved to have been given the option to purchase a couple of gold coins when I checked in. They're little more than glorified drink coupons at that point, but it would have made the experience of feeling like I was inside the Continental Hotel that much more real if I had been able to slide one of those coins across the bar rather than my credit card. Credit: Lionsgate Las Vegas' John Wick Experience Is A Must For Franchise Fans If you want to be John Wick, this isn't quite what you're looking for. However, I'd argue that the thing that makes the John Wick movie franchise truly unique is the incredibly creative world that it gave us. The John Wick Experience makes that world feel as real as it ever has by placing you inside it with characters that feel like they belong, and for that, it's something I'd wager all fans should check out. It certainly scratched my itch for all things John Wick. And while a return trip likely wouldn't be much different, if I had the right group of friends, and if we all brought our suits, I'd likely go back and do it again. For an experience that's barely an hour long, and starts at $50 per person (and can be more expensive based on time of day and the level of package you want) it's perhaps a bit on the steep side if you're simply breaking down the amount of money spent and the time allotted. But if you're a fan, I'm not sure you can put a price on walking into the Continental Hotel. Just remember, no business may be conducted on hotel grounds.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Universal announces new theme park and it won't be in Florida
The Brief Universal is preparing to launch an exciting new theme park and resort – but this time, it's heading to the United Kingdom. Universal Destinations & Experiences, a division of Comcast NBCUniversal, revealed that the park will be built in Bedford. The deal was finalized on Wednesday by Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Scheduled to open in 2031, the park is expected to become one of the largest and most advanced in Europe. Universal is gearing up to open a brand-new theme park and resort – but this time, it's not in Florida. What we know Universal Destinations & Experiences, a division of Comcast NBCUniversal, announced that the new park will be located in Bedford, United Kingdom. The deal was officially sealed on Wednesday by the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, with plans for the park expected to provide a major economic boost of £50 billion (approximately $62 billion USD). Officials say the project will also create around 28,000 jobs across various sectors, including creative, hospitality, and construction. What they're saying "Today we closed the deal on a multi-billion-pound investment that will see Bedford home to one of the biggest entertainment parks in Europe, firmly putting the county on the global stage," Starmer said. "This is our Plan for Change in action, combining local and national growth with creating around 28,000 new jobs across sectors such as construction, AI, and tourism. It is not just about numbers; it's about securing real opportunities for people in our country. Together, we are building a brighter future for the UK, getting people into work and ensuring our economy remains strong and competitive." The new Universal theme park is set to open in 2031 and is expected to "be one of the largest and most advanced in Europe." What we don't know Universal Destinations & Experiences has not yet revealed the attractions and experiences for the park, as it is still early in the process. However, they plan to share the details once planning approvals are secured. Universal is opening three new theme park developments in the US over the next two years, starting with the highly anticipated Epic Universe in Orlando, Florida in May. Epic Universe will be the largest and most advanced in the company's history, bringing an $11 billion economic impact and creating tens of thousands of jobs. Following Epic Universe, Universal Horror Unleashed, "a year-round horror entertainment experience", will open in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2025, and Universal Kids Resort, a family-focused park, will debut in Frisco, Texas, in 2026. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local:Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV The Source This story was written based on information shared by Universal Destinations & Experiences and Comcast on April 9, 2025.
