For the first time ever, the psychological horror film, 'The Shining,' will bring unspeakable terror... [+]
The Shining, widely considered to one of the greatest horror films of all time, is being brought to life at Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights.
Made for $19 million and directed by Stanley Kubrick, the 1980 film’s enormous influence on pop culture has been captured, and paid homage to, in a multitude of films and TV shows, in music and video games and more since its disturbing debut. To date, unadjusted for inflation, The Shining has grossed $44.36 million at the domestic box office after taking $622,337 on its opening weekend almost exactly 37 years ago.
The maze, inspired by the iconic film based on the Stephen King novel, is set to bring "unspeakable terror" to both Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort.
The team behind the project, led by Universal Studios’ Creative Director John Murdy, say the maze will give guests a unique opportunity to relive some of the film’s most iconic, and sinister, moments as they venture through the eerie Overlook Hotel. Guests will be thrust into the hotel’s tragic history of murder and madness, bearing witness to caretaker Jack Torrance’s spiraling descent into insanity. Jack Nicholson portrayed Torrance in the original film.
Talking to the producer-director and writer Leigh Whannell at the opening night event red carpet for Halloween Horror Nights in 2016, I asked him what classic horror film he would like to see brought to life at the event.
He said: “I think The Shining is a big one for me because it’s beautiful and it doesn’t just compete against other horror movies, it competes against all movies full stop. It would be amazing if they could bring The Shining to life, I mean, come on, there’s a maze in it, a hedge maze. Are you joking? It doesn’t get any more perfect than that. Universal Studios, are you listening? You have to do The Shining.”
The Shining is the first of the mazes to be announced for the 2017 event which kicks off on September 15.
Halloween Horror Night will run on select nights between September 15 and November 4, 2017.
