Epic Universe monster animatronics revealed for Dark Universe’s Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment
Animatronic monsters wait to greet you at Epic Universe: The Wolf Man, Dracula, and more, all part of Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment in Dark Universe.
Universal shared a sneak peek of the monster animatronics at Epic Universe on Oct. 29, 2024. The new theme park will open May 22, 2025 in Orlando, Fla. (New to Epic Universe? Check out our beginner’s guide.) 14 animatronics will be part of Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, the signature attraction of Dark Universe housed inside Frankenstein Manor.
Epic Universe animatronics revealed … and they’re scary!
Dark Universe celebrates the stories and characters of the Universal Classic Monsters films. The backstory of Dark Universe (which takes place in the fictional village of Darkmoor) stars Dr. Victoria Frankenstein, a new character and great-granddaughter of Henry Frankenstein.
Animated figures depicting The Wolf Man, Dracula, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, and Frankenstein’s Monster will all be part of Monsters Unchained.
“Monsters Unchained has the most technologically advanced animated figures that have ever been built in the attraction,” said Peter Carsillo, senior creative director of Universal Creative, in a new video on the Universal Orlando YouTube channel. “They are visceral, they are powerful, they are intense, and, from a technical standpoint, they exceed beyond everyone’s wildest expectations for what an animated figure can do.”
“These are monsters for the next generation of fans,” said Gregory Hall, assistant director of creative design. “We want to make sure that we kept everything that was familiar, kept everything that was the essence of these monsters, but we wanted to take it to another level. These monsters are scary.”
“These animated figures are moving faster than any figures we have built, and we have so many of them,” shared Frances Franceschi, production designer for Monsters Unchained. “We have 14 animated figures across this ride floor.”
The attraction inside Frankenstein Manor
Epic Universe’s Frankenstein Manor will house Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, the signature attraction of Dark Universe. The technologically advanced adventure will utilize a ride system similar to Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey over at Islands of Adventure, but with 15 more years of innovation under its belt.
Universal describes the attraction as such:
Dark Universe’s marquee attraction, Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment
— Universal Orlando’s most terrifying attraction yet — is a state-of-the-art dark ride that takes guests deep into the catacombs of Frankenstein Manor, where Dr. Victoria Frankenstein conducts her twisted experiments. In a vain display of her genius, she invites guests into her laboratory to witness a demonstration of her ability to control monsters — but her plans go awry when her attempts to control the most dangerous of monsters, Dracula, fails, unleashing a horde of enraged monsters. Guests are then thrust into an intense ride through the darkness as they try to evade the grasps of The Wolf Man, The Mummy, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, the Brides of Dracula, and others.
In addition to Monsters Unchained, Dark Universe will also be home to the Curse of the Werewolf outdoor roller coaster, two quick-service restaurants, a monsters makeover salon, and several shops. Take a look behind the scenes in this video:
Besides Dark Universe, the other worlds of Epic Universe include Celestial Park, Super Nintendo World, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, and How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk.
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