The closer we get to Halloween, the more excitement generates around Universal’s annual Halloween Horror Nights event. As horror fans from across the country speculate online about the potential shows and houses featured for the upcoming HHN 33, Universal hasn’t said a word.
With all the excitement for spooky season and it’s still months away, Universal fans are eager to talk about something scary … and with rumors going around about a certain team of pest controllers for ghouls making a reappearance at the parks, there’s hardly a better opportunity.
Yes, you read that right. The Ghostbusters have been generating quite the talk over the past couple of months, and with the recent release of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire on March 22, rumors of the Ghostbusters making a return to Universal parks for the Halloween Horror Nights 33 season are circulating.
With the amount of hype around classic horror IPs at an all-time high after the announcement of Epic Universe’s Dark Universe land, a section of the park exclusively dedicated to Universal’s roster of Monsters — Frankenstein, the Wolfman, and plenty of others are slated to make an appearance once the new park opens. Over the past few Halloween Horror Nights, Universal has experimented with classic monsters in haunted houses, such as last year’s popular Universal Monsters: Unmasked.
With all this love for nostalgia going around, Universal might be trying to generate some more excitement over older IPs by paying homage to the beloved Ghostbusters franchise.
For those unaware, Ghostbusters once held quite the presence in Universal parks thanks to the Ghostbusters Spooktacular show operating at Universal Orlando from 1990 to 1996, StreetBusters (a Ghostbusters and Beetlejuice crossover) from 1991 to 1993, Extreme Ghostbusters: The Great Fight Way (loosely based on the animated show) from 2002 to 2005. In 2019, Ghostbusters also played host to a haunted house at Orlando and Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights.
Over the years, their presence has greatly diminished with only a rare appearance on some merch to prove they were ever busting ghosts in Universal.
This year, however, speculation has begun around a potential Ghostbusters revival in the form of a parade, lagoon show, or possibly even a new attraction. The most likely rumor is for the Ghostbusters to make a return in a brand new parade at Universal Orlando. In 2022, the popular Superstar Parade, a musical celebration highlighting popular kid-friendly franchises came to a close to make way for a new experience.
According to a trademark application from Universal filed in November of 2023, the title of this new experience will be the Universal Mega Movie Parade and is believed to feature a number of classic Universal properties such as Jaws, E.T., Jurassic Park, and of course… Ghostbusters.
Similarly, the Universal Orlando Cinematic Celebration lagoon show finished its last performance in 2023. Speculation about what could replace this popular nighttime water show has been the talk of many online, with hopes around a return of classic attractions and franchises in the form of a tribute over the lagoon.
Of course, all eyes are on HHN 33 and its potential for a new Ghostbusters house, perhaps themed around the recent reboot series. For now, though, only time will tell if these fan favorites will make a reappearance in the parks any time soon.
