The Terrifying Vision: Acclaimed Director Conjures Up Hair-Raising Haunted House for Stephen King Film

Summary

Director Rob Savage is enthusiastic about the idea of adapting "The Boogeyman" into a haunted house experience, seeing it as a new and interactive way to scare people.

Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights, known for its frightening mazes inspired by well-known horror franchises, has been immensely successful. In contrast, Disney has ventured into Halloween experiences that cater to a more family-friendly atmosphere.

However, with Disney's recent acquisition of 20th Century Fox, they now possess the rights to various horror franchises such as "Alien," "Predator," and the recently revived "Hellraiser." This opens up the possibility for Disney to transform these properties into truly terrifying attractions, if they seize the opportunity.

During the Halloween season, director Rob Savage presented his concept for a haunted house attraction based on Stephen King's "The Boogeyman." This horror film follows a family mourning the loss of their mother, who then confront a malevolent spirit that preys on their grief. Starring Sophie Thatcher, Chris Messina, and Vivien Lyra Blair, "The Boogeyman" received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics and achieved strong box office success, earning over $82 million against its $35 million budget.

To celebrate the release of the movie on home media, our website had an exclusive interview with Rob Savage, where he expressed great enthusiasm about the idea of transforming "The Boogeyman" into a haunted house experience. The director outlined his vision for the maze's layout and how it could offer a completely unique way to frighten people. Take a look at Savage's pitch below:

Oh, definitely. I've always desired to engage in something interactive, like what you're proposing. Living in LA for three years, I have developed a fondness for Universal Horror Nights and all those thrilling horror mazes. Creating a scaring experience in a whole new format sounds incredibly exciting to me. The Boogeyman would be an excellent theme for such an endeavor. Imagining a Boogeyman maze, I envision starting in a kid's room where the Boogeyman eerily approaches a child in a cot. The journey would culminate in the basement, facing off with the Boogeyman amidst flashing Christmas lights. This concept would be mind-blowing.

Disney Is Missing Out On The Haunted House Experience

For decades, Universal Studios has enjoyed a prosperous month of October with its Halloween Horror Nights experience, as stated by Savage. This renowned theme park creates a variety of captivating mazes, where patrons are terrorized by iconic characters from the horror genre such as Freddy Krueger and Michael Myers. Additionally, they incorporate popular recent titles like The Exorcist: Believer and The Purge franchise. Notably, Knott's Berry Farm in California has also joined this trend on occasion, collaborating with Sony Pictures to design a maze inspired by The Grudge 2, paying homage to the 2006 sequel.

Disney has ventured into creating their own unique Halloween-themed experiences at their Disneyland parks globally. These include events like Mickey's Halloween Party and Halloween Screams, incorporating popular properties like The Nightmare Before Christmas, Haunted Mansion, and even WandaVision. While not explicitly restricted by age, Disney's events differ from Universal's Halloween Horror Nights by catering more towards a family-friendly atmosphere, which aligns with their target audience.

With Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox, numerous horror properties have been left untapped for their potential in haunted house experiences. Alongside The Boogeyman, Disney now possesses the rights to renowned franchises like Alien, Predator, and the recent Hellraiser reboot. These chilling attractions would undoubtedly captivate fans of these respective properties. However, the main challenge lies in securing a suitable venue to host these experiences. Yet, if Disney recognizes the tremendous potential, the King movie could be just one of many thrilling ventures to be explored.