The hit HBO post-apocalyptic series The Last of Us will soon become a Halloween attraction for two Universal Studios theme parks. This September 2023, Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood will each present The Last of Us haunted houses as part of their Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights.
Based on the 2013 PlayStation video game of the same name, the series follows a smuggler named Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal), who is tasked to safely escort a 14-year-old girl named Ellie Williams (Bella Ramsey) out of a quarantined area filled with humans infected by a mutating virus. The video game developer behind the series is Naughty Dog.
“As a massive fan – and frequent attendee – of Halloween Horror Nights, we are honored to have The Last of Us included in this year’s lineup,” said Naughty Dog Co-President Neil Druckmann in a statement. “It has been an incredible thrill for us at Naughty Dog to collaborate with Universal, bringing the world of the game to life, focusing on even the tiniest details that our fans know so well.”
According to a description of the attractions reported by Deadline, the haunted houses will “propel guests into a world of carnage and mayhem as they follow in the footsteps of the game’s protagonists, Joel and Ellie, who endure a brutal journey in a world overtaken by a fungal virus that turns humans into various forms of a new threat known as the Infected.”
So, if you’re wondering if you’ll run into Runners, Stalkers, Clickers, and Hunters in the Quarantine Zone, the answer is beware. “The world inside the game offers a multitude of suspenseful and horrifying opportunities to provide guests with a one-of-a-kind experience that can only be found at Halloween Horror Nights,” said John Murdy, Executive Producer of Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood.
The Last of Us haunted house in Orlando opens September 1, and the Hollywood attraction opens September 7. Both will run on select nights through Halloween night, October 31.