A few months back, I had the opportunity to join the cast and crew of this year's epic Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights TV commercial. At the helm was Hollywood filmmaker Eli Roth, director of the Hostel horror franchise and the soon-to-be-released blockbuster Death Wish.



To watch the Behind-the-Scenes and Director's Cut video click here. ** WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT. The following material is not intended for viewers under the age of 17.

The story follows a group of four friends who are headed to a Halloween party that they've heard is pretty special. They arrive and find a host of people dressed in amazing costumes. But as they start to mingle, they realize that something seems a little off...



Did that guy really just saw a woman in half?



And are those vampire girls really feeding on this guy's arms?



But before they can look much further, a mysteriously seductive woman beckons them upstairs. And that is where things really start to get weird.



But I can't ruin the ending now, can I!? Check out the video, hear from Eli himself, and find out what happens to our intrepid party-goers.

It's the perfect thing to get you in the mood for going to Halloween Horror Nights. Grab your tickets and see if you'll survive the terrors that await you...

This Halloween Horror Nights, we're inviting you to join the celebration of blood and bone at what can only be called The Festival of the Deadliest – an ancient tradition from the depths of where nightmares are born.

A gathering of the most unearthly, hellish terrors has emerged from the darkest corners of despair. It calls to those who long for the thrill of the scare and wish to have their fears made real. You'll be drawn like moths to a flame, and once you join this hallowed celebration, your nightmares will never end.

You'll find the heart of the Festival on the streets of Hollywood in Universal Studios Florida, but its claws have spread throughout Horror Nights. Here's what awaits you every night...

Trick 'r Treat
First up, it's time to make sure everyone understands the rules of our haunted holiday. Get a proper Halloween education in our Central Park scare zone inspired by the film Trick 'r Treat. We're excited to have Sam visit and make sure we follow the rules of Halloween.

As a longtime fan of classic horror anthology films, Trick 'r Treat is a favorite of mine that pays perfect homage to that genre. In this zone, you'll have the opportunity to come face-to-face with several characters from the film, and learn for yourself what happens when you don't follow the rules.

The Purge
Next up, we have a returning story to our New York streets with The Purge. This time, our approach was to create a zone that showed how we think the events of a Purge night might play out in our streets.

There are some fan favorites returning such as our auction and a very polite gentleman. We also have some new surprises in store. For example, how do you clean up all the mayhem on the streets during a Purge night? Visit the cleanup crew with their trusty wood chipper to find out. Just don't get too close...

Altars of Horror
Near the front gate, on Avenue of the Stars, we have our Altars of Horror. For me, this zone is very exciting because we're bringing something to the streets for our horror fans that we have never done before.

In this zone, we're taking some of the larger than life characters featured in this year's houses, and letting them have their own scare zone. A lot of work goes into bringing these iconic film characters to life in our houses. Now you'll have the opportunity to get an even better look at them.

Invasion!
Set in a time decades ago, our docks in San Francisco find themselves the victim of an INVASION! Visitors from far beyond have crashed their vessel, and are now wreaking havoc on the streets of San Francisco.

They aren't just here to destroy; these invaders are also on a mission to learn everything they can about us humans. Careful, or you may find yourself on the experiment table at the mercy of an alien scientist.

Roaming Hordes
Lastly, no Halloween Horror Nights would be complete without roaming hordes. This time, it's the smell of the greasepaint, the roar of the chainsaw. Unhappy with how popular culture has made clowns scary, this grotesque gang of gigglers has risen from the grave, determined to show the world that if you want scary clowns, they're going to make sure you get your worst nightmare.

ACADEMY OF VILLAINS: AFTERLIFE
But wait! There's more. The question is, "can you handle more?" I'm happy to share ACADEMY OF VILLAINS: AFTERLIFE will be returning to put on an all-new killer performance. This group of powerhouse artists will make you bear witness to what happens after we leave this life. They're going to give you one mind-blowing and shocking dance performance that will escort you from this world to the great beyond.

As you can see, the streets will be alive with plenty of horror, mayhem, and celebration. The opportunity to bring favorite horror films to life and tell our own unique horror stories makes every day a thrill. My favorite part of the event is walking the streets each night as our scare actors make these terror-filled tales a reality. Every scream I hear puts a huge smile on my face.

Pick up your tickets today—I'll see you out on the streets!

Over the years, this show has morphed and shifted to fit with the changing tides of pop-culture. But at its heart, it has remained true to its nature. The Wyld Stallyns, from San Dimas—and their time-travelling phone booth—find themselves in the middle of pop-culture-parody chaos and must somehow save the world yet again.

But now the time has come for these most outstanding dudes to find adventure in other places and other times.

On a personal note, I've had the pleasure and privilege of writing for and directing Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure for the past 7 years. It goes without saying that this show means a lot to me. Working on Bill and Ted's has become one of the most enjoyable parts of my year—and they have meant a lot to so many people.

Since 1992, hundreds of talented individuals have worked on its production and numerous performers have graced its stage. It also means a lot to the fans. Wyld Stallyn fans are loyal, supportive and the central reason the boys have had so many adventures.

The "Farewell Tour" gives us the perfect opportunity to give Bill S. Preston, Esquire and Ted "Theodore" Logan a proper sendoff. This year's show is everything you'd expect from Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure. It's relevant. It's ridiculous. It's irreverent. It's edgy. And at the end of the day... it's just a good time.

Years from now, we'll look back at all of the unrestrained joy this show provided for so many of us. And honestly, there may never be anything quite like it again.

So, join us this Halloween. We'll laugh. We'll dance. We may shed a tear or two. We'll take with us some most triumphant memories.

And we'll never forget Bill and Ted's simple mantra which still rings true today—"Be excellent to each other."

Jigsaw's return in our brand new haunted house—SAW: The Games of Jigsaw—allows us to place our guests into the twisted situations that fans of the film series have grown to love throughout the years. And while there are nods to the Halloween Horror Nights 19 house, make no mistake: this is not that house.

During concept, we were very excited to examine the evolution of Jigsaw in the new film and how that might affect the guests' experience- *Spoiler alert: You'll be part of a living preview of a trap featured in the new film JIGSAW coming out Oct. 27. Go. See. It.

Also, placing the house in a different location this time around gave us another way to elevate the scares. SAW: The Games of Jigsaw functions as one large trap. You'll be funneled through claustrophobic, visceral experiences and be a part of the most terrifying "games" ever devised on screen. Trials that you may be familiar with and some that are completely unknown to you— sounds fun.

The game has changed. Evolved.

And it's a game we can't wait for you to play. Grab your tickets now for Halloween Horror Nights.

"Okay, uhh...obviously I know exactly what's going on but, for the sake of these people, maybe you should explain."

When developing a new haunt experience based on one of your favorite movies/shows/etc., different challenges may arise. Creatively as a team, we want to give you, the fans, the best experience possible while still embracing the authenticity to the movie/show. I feel that this house lives up to the stories found within the Ash vs Evil Dead series, and isn't that what every fan wants to say?

We're going to take you, regardless of your awareness of the show or the characters, and throw you into the loud, brash, and very bloody world of Ash. There are Deadites to kill and evil to stop, let's get to it.

...with stops in Choke-lahoma City and Die-ami..."

The house will feature various locations from the first two seasons of Ash vs Evil Dead and lots of blood. And for those “in the know,” the answer is yes...We'll be going back to the cabin; with a few other surprises along the way.

"What? You never saw a guy with a chainsaw hand before?"

This is our blood-soaked, milk-eyed, crass, rock n' roll amped, chainsaw-wielding felt puppet, love-letter to everyone and everything connected to Ash vs Evil Dead.

"Hey, Granny! I hope you took your Geritol. It's time to dance!"

It's time to start daydreaming of chainsaws revving (if you're not already) and grab your tickets now for Halloween Horror Nights™. You can catch up on seasons 1 & 2 now available on STARZ.

This year is no different. We're bringing you The Shining™.

There are so many intense and creepy moments packed in the whole film. So we held hands, took a deep breath, and entered the Overlook Hotel.

I just finished looking at some of the house designs and am thrilled by the story we're telling. It will be the warped psychological thriller you know and love with our own Halloween Horror Nights twist.

We cast the Overlook Hotel as the aggressor and view it as if you have the “shining.” Our goal is to have you constantly doing a double take and give you that, “Did I just see that?” feeling.

After watching this movie for the first time I remember saying, “I would never go into room 237.” So, of course, that's where we're going to take you: all the places you shouldn't go.

You'll come face-to-face with the murderous, ghostly entities around every corner. And of course, the best part will be trying to escape the sharpened edge of an axe.

I can't wait for you all to see what's in store for you with The Shining™ and this year's event. You won't want to miss it, so make sure to grab your tickets now.

This all-new house will feature brand new content from Season 2: Asylum, Season 3: Coven and Season 6: Roanoke. And to really blow it out, we're using our largest floor plan—aka our uber-maze—to bring to life the three incredibly detailed seasons.

American Horror Story has some of the most intricate and intimidating characters I've ever seen. We've worked hard to once again bring this unique anthology to life, recreating the series with every turn of this maze.

In Asylum, travel through the decades of the notorious Briarcliff – evade Dr. Arden's grotesque human “Rasper"experiments and come face to “face” with the serial killer, Bloody Face.

New Orleans aesthetics will surround, as you're drawn into the wrath of descendants of the Salem witches and their unquenchable thirst for power in Coven.

And finally, relive the horrific story of the Millers in Roanoke – where you'll be at the mercy of Piggy, the grisly Polk family and the ghosts of the blood moon.

With the help of series creator Ryan Murphy and 20th Century Fox, we've perfectly captured the environments, moments and scares American Horror Story entails.

Halloween Horror Nights 2017 is going to be incredible and over the next several months you're going to be hearing from three talented (and equally twisted) members of my Creative Development Team, Show Directors Patrick Braillard, Charles Gray, and Blake Braswell. They will be announcing everything from houses to scare zones to show slates.

Halloween Horror Nights 2017 is shaping up to be one for the books, so stay tuned for more.

It's never too early to start panicking. Make sure to grab your tickets now, and I'll see you there!