Universal Epic Universe Unveils Dark Universe: A Horror Lover’s Paradise

Universal’s upcoming theme park, Epic Universe, is set to open in 2025, and today they revealed thrilling details about one of its immersive worlds: Dark Universe. As one of five unique lands, Dark Universe promises to captivate guests with its spine-tingling attractions and legendary horror characters.

Welcome to the Dark Universe

Epic Universe will feature five distinct worlds, starting with Celestial Park, which serves as the gateway to the other four realms: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, Super Nintendo World, How To Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, and the much-anticipated Dark Universe. Leveraging Universal’s rich history in the horror genre, Dark Universe will be a hauntingly immersive experience.

A Stroll Through Darkmoor

As soon as guests pass through the electrified portal, said to harness the dark energy of Darkmoor, they’ll find themselves in a ravaged village teeming with Frankenstein’s monstrous experiments. The atmosphere combines family-friendly fun with intense thrills, perfect for horror enthusiasts of all ages.

Key Attractions in Dark Universe:

Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment: This ride takes guests deep into the catacombs of Frankenstein Manor, where Dr. Victoria Frankenstein’s attempts to control monsters go awry, leading to a heart-pounding escape from Dracula, The Wolf Man, and other classic creatures.
Curse of the Werewolf Coaster: Inspired by The Wolf Man, this spinning family coaster has guests racing through the forest to escape the werewolves.
Darkmoor Monster Makeup Experience: Here, guests can transform into their favorite monsters with elaborate face paint and temporary tattoos in Dr. Pretorius’ converted lab.
Meet the Monsters: Get up close and personal with the likes of Dr. Victoria Frankenstein’s Monster, the Bride of Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, and more as they roam the village.

Universal’s Ambitious Vision

Brian Roberts, CEO of Comcast, expressed immense excitement about Universal’s fourth theme park during a recent earnings call. Describing it as “completely original” and “the most exciting project” since NBCUniversal was acquired, Roberts highlighted the substantial investments being made to enhance the park’s infrastructure. With new hotel rooms and a dedicated fleet of electric buses, the park is gearing up to accommodate the anticipated influx of visitors.

Dark Universe at Universal Epic Universe is shaping up to be an unparalleled horror experience, blending iconic legends with innovative new stories and attractions. Horror fans and thrill-seekers alike should prepare for an adventure unlike any other.

Sources:

Universal Pictures
Comcast Earnings Call
Deadline

Catch more about this exciting development on the next Geek Freaks podcast!

DC Fires James Gunn, Zelda Earns 10 Rupees, WoW Is Forever – Geek Freaks

James Gunn and Peter Safran are out as the heads of DC Studios, and Frank and Squeaks process the news minutes after it broke. Frank calls it a firing, ties it to Skydance taking over Warner Bros., and walks through what he knows about incoming boss Jeremy Latcham, the former Marvel producer behind Iron Man, The Avengers, and Guardians of the Galaxy. Squeaks is angry about losing a plan he thought was working after Superman and Lanterns, and both wonder what happens to Batman and The Brave and the Bold. Frank spends the rest of Headlines hunting for silver linings in Skydance's 30-movies-a-year mandate, including Francis Galluppi's new Constantine movie, Danny McBride directing Bradley Cooper as Duke in G.I. Joe, and the 1955 Stranger Things prequel Other Worlds. Then Squeaks reviews the new Ocarina of Time and Frank reviews World of Warcraft Forever as an undead paladin. Chapters 0:00 Intro and Network Updates 1:56 James Gunn and Peter Safran Out at DC Studios 13:28 Francis Galluppi's New Constantine Movie 15:24 Danny McBride's G.I. Joe and Skydance's Movie Plan 19:45 Stranger Things Prequel Other Worlds and Welcome to Derry 24:35 Squeaks Reviews Zelda: Ocarina of Time 34:40 Frank Reviews World of Warcraft Forever 43:26 Network Roundup and Picks of the Week Key takeaways Deadline reported in October that David Ellison met with Gunn and Safran and planned to keep them in charge after the merger. Frank reads the reversal as a new owner with a different vision, and thinks it is a bad call this early in phase one. Gunn is still finishing Man of Tomorrow with Safran producing. The rest of the slate is a question mark, including Dynamic Duo and its unusual animation style. Frank expects safer, cheaper, faster DC movies under the new regime, which he thinks brings Hal Jordan back to life and gets a Flash on screen sooner. Squeaks hopes Latcham keeps Gunn's plan and only tweaks it. For G.I. Joe, Frank predicts a solid mid-budget action movie in the vein of The A-Team, worth a matinee and not much riskier than that. Squeaks gives Ocarina of Time 10 out of 10 rupees. The combat is unchanged, Link can jump on his own now, dungeons are color coded and easier to read, and Princess Ruto finally stays where you put her in Jabu-Jabu's Belly. Frank gives WoW Forever 9 out of 10 Doomhammers. Combat is slower, you can play without a build guide open, and strangers keep grouping up for quests. He docks a point for no Looking for Group and weak dungeon XP, which Blizzard buffed that morning. Quotes "James Gunn and Peter Safran just got fired. I'm using the term fired because there's no way it wasn't fired." (Frank) "We got to build something to get to that Infinity War, Endgame. Like, come on, man." (Squeaks) "Killing off Hal Jordan in the show was very risky. And that's not what you do to make money." (Frank) "I think this is how a game honors a legendary game from the past." (Squeaks) "That's how devoted you are to your religion, is that you'll embrace the pain to cure the wounds caused by Arthas." (Frank) Source All news discussed in this episode comes from GeekFreaksPodcast.com. Subscribe, rate, and share Follow or subscribe to Geek Freaks, leave us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and send this one to the friend who was counting on Gunn's DCU plan making it past chapter one. Tag your reactions with #GeekFreaksPodcast. Follow us Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegeekfreakspodcast Threads: https://www.threads.net/@geekfreakspodcast Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GeekFreakspodcast Instagram and TikTok: @GeekFreaksPodcast Twitter: @GeekFreaksPod Listener questions Who should play Constantine now that a new movie is in the works? Are you leveling in WoW Forever or still lost in Hyrule? Send your questions, reactions, and topic ideas to thegeekfreakspodcast@gmail.com and we may read them on a future episode.