Universal has officially announced that Hellraiser will be featured as an all-new haunted house for Halloween Horror Nights 2026. The experience will appear at both Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood, marking the first time the legendary horror series has been brought to the event on either coast.
Inspired by the original Hellraiser trilogy, the haunted house will take guests deep into the disturbing world created by Clive Barker, where pain and pleasure become impossible to separate. The experience opens with Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando on August 28, while Universal Studios Hollywood debuts the house on September 3.
First released in 1987, Hellraiser introduced horror fans to the infamous Lament Configuration puzzle box. Solving the mysterious box opens a gateway to another dimension inhabited by the terrifying Cenobites, led by the iconic Pinhead. The films became known for combining supernatural horror with graphic imagery and psychological themes, helping establish Hellraiser as a cult classic that continues to influence the genre decades later.
For Halloween Horror Nights, the haunted house pulls inspiration from all three original films: Hellraiser, Hellbound: Hellraiser II, and Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth. In another exciting addition for longtime fans, Doug Bradley, the actor best known for portraying Pinhead, reprises the role by providing the character’s voice throughout the haunted house in both Orlando and Hollywood.
According to Universal:
“The terrifying experience begins as guests enter the iconic Lament Configuration puzzle box, unwittingly summoning the Cenobites and opening a gateway to a diabolical dimension where unspeakable horrors await.”
Guests will travel through several memorable locations from the films, including the attic where Frank Cotton first meets his horrific fate and the unsettling Channard Institute, before eventually finding themselves inside The Labyrinth. There, Pinhead and the Cenobites await, ready to claim new souls for eternal torment.
Universal has also released new Hellraiser-themed merchandise to celebrate the announcement. A limited-release T-shirt and a Pinhead acrylic figure are now available at Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood. The acrylic figure can also be added to the separately sold Infernal Carnival collectible display. The collection arrives on shopUniversal.com beginning July 1.
Halloween Horror Nights 35
Hellraiser is the latest addition for this year’s 35th anniversary lineup at Universal Studios Florida, alongside:
- INVASION: Alien Abduction
- Cybergoria
- MADLANDS: Caged Cannibals
- H.R. Bloodengutz
- Stranger Things
- Sinners
- Jack & Oddfellow: Chaos & Control
An additional 2 houses, plus all of the scare zones and entertainment will be revealed in the coming weeks. Tickets and tours are available now, with Frequent Fear Passes to come.
