Fright Nights (previously Halloween Family Fun Nights and Halloween Fright Nights) is a seasonal Halloween event held at Warner Bros. Movie World on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.[1] The event began in 2006 as Halloween Family Fun Night as a single night event and has since evolved into a major park event across a month.[2][3] It features themed mazes, shows and rides. Fright Nights (formerly Fright Nites) also refers to the Halloween special event at Thorpe Park in Chertsey, Surrey, England, which opened in 2002.[4]
| Fright Nights | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Halloween |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Location(s) | Warner Bros. Movie World 27°54′26.17″S 153°18′45.54″E / 27.9072694°S 153.3126500°E |
| Inaugurated | 2006 |
| Website | Official website |
History
editFellow Gold Coast theme park, Dreamworld was the first to hold a Halloween themed night event. This event occurred once in April 2004, rather than October when Halloween actually takes place.[5] This event has never been held since.
In 2006, Warner Bros. Movie World picked up on the idea and decided to run a single Halloween Family Fun Night held on 31 October with a Scooby-Doo theme. Due to the event being sold out, the park extended the event to become a 3-night event.[6][7]
This format remained until 2009 when Movie World decided to re-theme the event to target an older audience. The park advertised "extreme experiences at this event not suitable for children".[3] In 2010, Warner Bros. Movie World worked with Sudden Impact Entertainment and Lynton V. Harris to produce mazes based upon the Nightmare on Elm Street and Saw franchises.[8] Sudden Impact also created the Psycho maze. On 20 September 2010, it was announced that "Freddy's Nightmare Maze will be in Show Stage, the Saw Maze will be in a custom built area behind the Wild West Falls area and the Psycho 3D Maze will be in the Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster foyer/entrance".[9] The SAW maze was originally due to be built in a sound stage, however, this was booked and a custom built space was built as a replacement.[10]
Just after the conclusion of the 2010 event, it was announced that the event would return in 2011.[11] In the middle of August 2011, Warner Bros. Movie World began to announce mazes for the 2011 event. On 1 September 2011, full details for the 2011 event were released with the event's name changing to Fright Nights. The Saw and Psycho 3D mazes from 2010 will return alongside the new Zombie Apocalypse Maze (to be located in the adjacent Studio complex) and the new Arkham Asylum Maze (to be located in the show stage).[12][13][14][15]
In 2012, the event returned with new mazes and a collection of live shows.[16] The Psycho 3D Maze, the Les Damned de Burlesque show, and the Club Blood bar all returned. New mazes included The Film Vault, The Walking Dead Maze, and Hillbilly Slasher. New shows included the Creatures of Rock, Death Derby, and Thriller Dance.[17][18]
Fright Nights will return in 2013. It is scheduled to run on seven nights in October.[19] An attraction list has been announced with a new slew of mazes and shows. Returning is Club Blood but everything else is new with two new shows, Carnevil, and Space Cowboy being the two shows for this year. Four mazes, Hillbilly Slasher 2, The Darkness, a completely revisioned The Walking Dead maze, and Evil Dead maze. All rides were open on the night except for Justice League: Alien Invasion.
One of the most popular additions to the Fright Nights line up was the Ultimate Terror Tour, a VIP behind the scenes experience / tour which occurred at an additional cost during each night of the event season.[20] Each year, a new array of Terror Hosts would escort guests, with crowd favorite original characters such as Toxic, Seymour Graves, and Legendary Lee often returning.
Attraction history
editThe following table contains a list of the scare zones and shows since the event was established in 2006.[21]
| Year | Name | Slogan | Mazes | Shows | Rides | Precincts | Panic Rooms | Other | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2006 | Halloween Family Fun Night | Fright Zone | All rides | — | — | |||
| 2 | 2007 | Halloween Family Fun Nights | It's baaack... | Fright Zone | Looney Tunes Halloween Show 3 other shows |
All rides | — | — | |
| 3 | 2008 | Halloween Family Fun Nights | Arkham Asylum Fright Zone Scary Maze Zombie Laser Hunt |
Batman Show Repeat Offender concert |
All rides | — | — | ||
| 4 | 2009 | Halloween Fright Nights | This time it's not so funny. | Bedlam Manor Dragon Alley Fun House Zombie Kill Zone |
Bloody Freestyle MotoX Les Damned de Burlesque Nightmare House |
6–9pm Batwing Spaceshot Lethal Weapon Superman Escape Wild West Falls 6–11pm All other rides except Kids WB Fun Zone |
— | — | |
| 5 | 2010 | Halloween Fright Nights | Oh yes... there will be blood. | Freddy's Nightmare Maze Psycho 3D maze Saw Maze |
Live Freak Show The Offering Zombie Motor Cross Live Show |
6–9pm Batwing Spaceshot Lethal Weapon Superman Escape Wild West Falls 6–11pm All other rides except Kids WB Fun Zone |
— | — | |
| 6 | 2011 | Fright Nights | You won't come back the same. | Arkham Asylum Maze Psycho 3D maze Saw Maze Zombie Apocalypse Maze |
Circus of the Damned Les Damned de Burlesque Saw Short Film |
6–9pm Batwing Spaceshot Lethal Weapon Superman Escape 6–11pm Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster |
— | — | Club Blood |
| 7 | 2012 | Fright Nights | Can you survive the night? | The Film Vault Hillbilly Slasher Psycho 3D Maze The Walking Dead Maze |
Creatures of Rock Death Derby Les Damned de Burlesque (Vampire Burlesque) Thriller Dance |
6–9pm Arkham Asylum - Shock Therapy Batwing Spaceshot Green Lantern Coaster Justice League: Alien Invasion 3D Superman Escape 6–10:30pm Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster |
— | — | Club Blood |
| 8 | 2013 | Fright Nights | Movie World's Dark Side | Walking Dead Maze Hillbilly Slasher 2 Maze Evil Dead Maze The Darkness Maze |
Carnevil Space Cowboy |
6–9pm Arkham Asylum - Shock Therapy Batwing Spaceshot Green Lantern Coaster Superman Escape 6–10:30pm Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster |
— | — | Club Blood |
| 9 | 2014 | Fright Nights | Live The Terror | Cannibal Clowns Maze The Evil Within Maze The Ripper Maze Wolf Creek 2 Maze |
Hollywood Stunt Driver 2 | 6–9pm Arkham Asylum - Shock Therapy Batwing Spaceshot Green Lantern Coaster Superman Escape 6–10:30pm Scooby Doo Spooky Coaster |
— | — | |
| 10 | 2015 | Fright Nights | Live The Terror | Friday the 13th Maze Wyrmwood Maze Evil Within Maze Wolf Creek 2 Maze |
Reel Horror Film Competition Friday the 13th in 4D |
6–9pm Arkham Asylum - Shock Therapy Batwing Spaceshot Superman Escape 6–10:30pm Scooby Doo Spooky Coaster |
— | — | |
| 11 | 2016 | Fright Nights | This time you're not welcome. | From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series Maze The Conjuring 2 Maze Friday the 13th (franchise) Maze Wyrmwood Maze |
Rise of The Dead
Freak Show |
6–9pm Arkham Asylum - Shock Therapy Batwing Spaceshot Superman Escape 6–10:00pm Scooby Doo Spooky Coaster |
— | — | |
| 12 | 2017 | Fright Nights | If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear. | From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series Maze The Conjuring 2 Maze Jigsaw Maze Halloween Maze |
Freak Show | 6–9pm Arkham Asylum - Shock Therapy Batwing Spaceshot Superman Escape DC Rivals HyperCoaster 6–10:00pm Scooby Doo Spooky Coaster |
— | — | |
| 13 | 2018 | Fright Nights | Chaos returns | Leatherface Maze House of Kain Maze Jigsaw Maze Halloween Maze |
The Peeler VR Experience | 6–10pm Arkham Asylum - Shock Therapy Batwing Spaceshot Superman Escape DC Rivals HyperCoaster |
Bloodwood Precinct The Possessed Precinct Sci Fear Precinct |
Dark Room Panic Room Quarantine Panic Room Junkyard Dog Panic Room The Crypt Panic Room |
|
| 14 | 2019 | Fright Nights | Will you survive the five? | It Maze Leatherface Maze Zombieland: Double Tap Maze House of Kain Maze Doll Haus Maze |
A Grave Death Experience[22] | 6–10pm Arkham Asylum - Shock Therapy Batwing Spaceshot Superman Escape Green Lantern Coaster DC Rivals HyperCoaster Doomsday Destroyer Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster: Next Generation |
Hell Born Precinct Nightmares Precinct Baby Faced Killers Precinct Dead West Precinct |
Dark Room Panic Room Quarantine Panic Room Satan's Coven Panic Room Fallout Shelter Panic Room |
|
| 2020 | Cancelled due to delays and restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. | ||||||||
| 2021 | |||||||||
| 15 | 2022 | Evil Returns | It Maze Zombieland: Double Tap Maze Doll Haus Maze Death Row Maze The Conjuring Universe Maze |
||||||
| 16 | 2023 | No Hope. Just Survival | Death Row Maze The Conjuring Universe Maze Circurse Maze DCeased Maze Hellship Maze |
||||||
| 17 | 2024 |
Gallery
edit-
The fountain in Main Street looking towards Superman Escape. -
The Saw Maze in 2010 when it was housed in a temporary tent near Wild West Falls. -
The Bloody Freestyle MotoX show in the Hollywood Stunt Driver arena in 2009.
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ Warner Bros. Movie World. "Halloween Fright Nights at Warner Bros. Movie World". MyFun. Archived from the original on 9 October 2010. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
- ^ Messenger, Jordan. "Movie World "Fright Nights" – A history". GCGuy.net. Archived from the original on 20 October 2010. Retrieved 12 October 2010.
- ^ a b Warner Bros. Movie World (2009). Halloween Fright Nights Brochure.
- ^ "Fright Nights Halloween Event | Thorpe Park Resort". Thorpe Park. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
- ^ Parkz Members (2004). "Fright Night". Parkz. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
- ^ Jamberoo Fan (26 October 2006). "Halloween at Warner Bros. Movie World". Parkz. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
- ^ ParkFan-Germany (5 October 2006). "Halloween at Warner Bros. Movie World". Retrieved 5 July 2010.
- ^ Lewis, Maria (23 September 2010). "Ghosts, ghouls, spectres". Gold Coast Bulletin.
- ^ "Warner Bros. Movie World - Gold Coast, Australia". Facebook. 20 September 2010. Archived from the original on 16 December 2012. Retrieved 2 October 2010. Alt URL
- ^ Messenger, Jordan (5 November 2010). "Lynton V Harris "Fright Night" Interview". Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
- ^ Movie World Fright Nights (5 November 2010). "Movie World Fright Nights's Photos - Profile pictures". Photo. Facebook. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
- ^ Warner Bros. Movie World (17 August 2011). "This year, a new". Facebook. Retrieved 18 August 2011.
- ^ Warner Bros. Movie World (16 August 2011). ""Why so serious?"..." Facebook. Retrieved 18 August 2011.
- ^ Warner Bros. Movie World (1 September 2011). "Fright Nights". MyFunFright Nights at Warner Bros. Movie World. Archived from the original on 24 September 2011. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
- ^ Warner Bros. Movie World (1 September 2011). "Movie World's Freaky Fright Nights are Back!". Press Release. MyFun. Archived from the original on 15 September 2011. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
- ^ "Movie World Fright Nights". MyFun. 22 August 2012. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
- ^ Warner Bros. Movie World. "The Walking Dead". MyFun. Archived from the original on 13 September 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
- ^ Warner Bros. Movie World. "Thriller Dance". MyFun. Archived from the original on 13 September 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
- ^ "Overview". Warner Bros. Movie World. 2013. Archived from the original on 6 August 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
- ^ frightnights.com.au https://frightnights.com.au/attractions/ultimate-terror-tour-platinum. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ Wilson, Richard. "Halloween hits Movie World". Roller-Coaster.com.au. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
- ^ Movie World's latest attraction is the stuff of nightmares, retrieved 5 April 2021