WELCOME ΤΟ DARKMOOR

FOR OVER 100 YEARS THE Universal Monsters have commanded our attention on the silver screen, cementing the success of their film studio along the way.

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Now those monsters are spilling out of the cinema and have taken up permanent residence in a new theme park world: Dark Universe.

One of five worlds at Universal Epic Universe, which opened in Orlando in May, their new home of Darkmoor Village is unlike anything you've ever experienced before.

“The reaction to Dark Universe is not normal and it’s new for the industry,” says Gregory Hall, Creative Director for one of the innovative new rides within, Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment.

“The way Monsters Unchained was thought up was, ‘What’s the most messed-up thing that could happen to a guest? All the monsters getting loose.’ This is one of the most advanced attractions of all time, period.

“We have so many animated figures,” Hall says, noting that within the ride there’s over 20 moving characters, 14 of which required them to invent new technology to make it happen. One of these is a full-size Frankenstein’s Monster that walks. “And that’s in the queue!”

Hall describes it as “a full immersion encompassing the entire legacy that brought Universal to life, because we wouldn’t be here without these Monster films.” Darkmoor Village reimagines the Monsters timeline in present day, relocating them all to one space. It also reintroduces characters to an audience that might not be familiar with them, but in a way which still acknowledges old-school fans.

“Over the course of developing Dark Universe, Darkmoor and the story of Victoria, [great-great granddaughter of Henry Frankenstein] we actually were able to transition from the old black and white movies to a more modern take and to evolve these Monster stories, but say that we are still a part of that world and ask, ‘What happened if that world evolved from 1931 until now?’” explains Peter Carsillo, Senior Creative Director for Dark Universe.