Comcast has introduced the second location for Common Horror Unleashed, the brand new year-round leisure expertise that’s principally a everlasting Halloween Horror Nights, earlier than the primary has even opened! This put up shares particulars in regards to the new HHN-like attraction–plus our commentary about viability, comparability to DisneyQuest, and extra.
The second location for Common Horror Unleashed might be an indoor venue in Chicago, chosen for its massive inhabitants and popularity as one of many nation’s main locations for tourism & leisure. The upcoming venue might be situated on Chicago Avenue on the former Tribune Distribution Middle, located between the River North and West City districts.
Horror Unleashed will mark Common’s first branded expertise within the Midwest. Increasing the Common Horror Unleashed model, the corporate’s immersive horror leisure expertise, is reportedly a key pillar of Common’s broader development technique to succeed in new audiences, in new markets, by way of new and unique ideas.
“Common Horror Unleashed delivers on our promise to create extremely immersive and terrifying horror experiences that join with followers year-round,” mentioned Web page Thompson, President, New Ventures, Common Locations & Experiences.
“We’re excited to carry this daring idea to life in Chicago, a metropolis recognized for its vibrant tradition. We’re grateful for town’s help as we convert this dormant web site into a novel attraction that showcases our storytelling experience and skill to ship thoughts blowing experiences that shatter visitor expectations.”
“We’re thrilled to welcome Common Horror Unleashed to the Metropolis of Chicago,” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson mentioned in an announcement to NBC 5 Chicago. “That is precisely the sort of inventive, high-impact funding we’re working to draw—one which brings new life to a vacant web site, creates lots of of jobs, and cements Chicago as a must-visit vacation spot for leisure tourism.”
In response to town, the expertise is predicted to generate greater than $1 billion in financial influence for town, together with greater than 400 everlasting jobs, together with scareactors, make-up artists, prosthetic artists and extra.
“Common’s determination to make such a big funding in Illinois is a testomony to the state’s unmatched leisure sector, famend workforce and powerful infrastructure,” Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker mentioned in an announcement.
“Common selecting Illinois didn’t occur accidentally—we have been proud to help this venture by way of our EDGE incentive program, which has helped fortify a optimistic enterprise local weather that pulls world-class firms to the state. I sit up for seeing this iconic model come to life alongside the Chicago River because it creates lots of of jobs and generates greater than $1 billion in financial influence.”
Development on Common Horror Unleashed is predicted to start in early 2026, based on the Metropolis of Chicago, following design finalization and allowing. The Midwestern outpost of Common Horror Unleashed is slated to open in 2027. Right here’s idea artwork launched by Comcast for Common Horror Unleashed in Chicago:
Horror Unleashed combines Common’s experience within the horror style with next-level storytelling to ship a memorable visitor expertise. The year-round idea will ship immersive, horror-centric leisure that goes past the theme parks, bringing distinctive environments and scares to visitors. The horror may also prolong to the meals and beverage choices, with themed craft cocktails and bites, in addition to a retail location with distinctive collectible merchandise and extra.
The announcement comes on the heels of different key developments for Common Locations & Experiences, together with the latest opening of Epic Universe at Common Orlando Resort, the primary Common Horror Unleashed Las Vegas that opens in August 2025, the 2026 launch of Common Children Resort in Frisco, Texas, and plans for a brand new theme park and resort in the UK — Common’s first in Europe, slated to open in 2031.
The primary Common Horror Unleashed location was introduced in January 2023 and is ready to open later this 12 months in Las Vegas on August 14, 2025. Tickets for Common Horror Unleashed Las Vegas at the moment are on sale now at UniversalHorrorUnleashed.com.
Our Commentary
It’s stunning and reassuring that Common is already greenlighting a sequel to Horror Unleashed even earlier than the Las Vegas location has opened. This implies a excessive diploma of confidence within the venture, like when a tv present will get picked up for its subsequent season earlier than the earlier one has even debuted. That makes me, as a viewer, extra inclined to look at as I do know it’s prone to be good (and assured to not finish on an unresolved cliffhanger–however that’s not likely related right here).
Tickets for Common Horror Unleashed in Las Vegas went on sale again in mid-February, so the corporate would have a number of months of gross sales information to help this determination. Nonetheless, this stuff don’t occur in a single day, so the Common Horror Unleashed location in Chicago has in all probability been within the works since at the very least round that point.
One fully practical risk is that Common all the time supposed upon opening a number of areas of Horror Unleashed, and that they’re vital (or at the very least desired) to dilute growth prices. I’m considerably skeptical of that rationalization. This isn’t like Jollywood Nights or another single-site occasion that advantages from that kind of scaling. I’d hazard a guess that the most important prices listed here are the bodily venue and working prices.
Given how properly the Halloween Horror Nights model travels, I truly wouldn’t be shocked if there’s solely just a little overlap between the ideas within the Las Vegas location and the Chicago one. Engaging the diehard followers to go to each branches would possibly outweigh the financial savings in cloning the idea. I don’t actually know, although–I don’t purport to be an professional on this.
I point out all of this as a result of it’s not a foregone conclusion that Common Horror Unleashed goes to be successful. It’s straightforward to take a look at ticket costs for the Las Vegas location and conclude that Common goes to make a ton of cash; it’s simply as straightforward to conclude that they want these costs to cowl prices, and it’s going to be exhausting to keep up that momentum.
It’ll be attention-grabbing to see whether or not Chicago is kind of viable of a location than Las Vegas. On the one hand, there’s not the identical regular stream of vacationers and conference cliente. However, there’s loads much less competitors for leisure eyeballs and {dollars}. This isn’t to say Chicago is missing for issues to do. On the contrary, it’s certainly one of America’s few “actual” cities, and there are a number of choices.
Frankly, I want this selection existed again once we have been in school. As a substitute, we noticed a number of Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks and Bulls video games (not the Bears–too costly and I hate the Bears). We additionally went to Second Metropolis incessantly, museums sometimes, and ate typically (the 2 main meals teams–Portillo’s and pizza).
If this existed then, we might’ve added Common Horror Unleashed to the common rotation. I’m positive a number of different individuals our age would’ve achieved likewise, as would vacationers to town. Chicago additionally does a number of conference enterprise, however that is actually removed from McCormick Place.
It’s value mentioning that Disney tried a regional park idea in Chicago…and failed miserably. Along with Walt Disney World, there was a DisneyQuest in Chicago and it was short-lived, closing in 2001 (pre-9/11) after solely being open a pair years. In contrast to the Walt Disney World location, that was not terribly dated at its demise. The timeline can be eerily related, with Disney greenlighting the second DisneyQuest earlier than the primary had even opened.
Chicago has additionally seen a ton of amusement parks and themed venues (eating places and experiences) come and shut through the years. As a lot as I like Chicago, I’m undecided if it’s the place I’d goal for a tourist-dependent and dear vacation spot like this. Different main Midwestern cities a bit farther to the south, and even New York, seem to be superior decisions. However then once more, I’m only a dude with a weblog who can write no matter.
Presumably, Common has precise professionals who do feasibility research and different evaluation to find out the viability of a location; they in all probability dominated out the options and arrived on Chicago for good cause (hopefully not only a tax incentive). It’s additionally in all probability truthful to say that Disney did the identical with DisneyQuest, as did the numerous firms which have shuttered their very own themed leisure venues in Chicagoland through the years.
It’s not simply DisneyQuest that struggled. Even highly-regarded regional parks and leisure experiences have struggled, and it’s an infamously troublesome market to crack. It nonetheless pains me that I by no means bought to do Star Trek: The Expertise. The Void was a number of enjoyable, extensively praised, and had nice areas…till it went belly-up.
Essential darling Meow Wolf enjoys a cult following, nevertheless it’s reportedly slashing employees. Area15 cancelled its plans for an Orlando outpost. It’s been radio silence from Level99 at Walt Disney World since that announcement, which doesn’t essentially imply something (third get together tasks don’t get the identical breathless updates as Disney-owned ones), however it’s barely regarding in mild of the foregoing.
My concern is that there was a number of frothiness in regards to the viability of regional parks and leisure expertise popping out of COVID, and several other firms mistook pent-up demand for the brand new regular. As the USA now settles into what precise demand seems to be like for journey and leisure, there is likely to be additional contraction of the marketplace for such experiences. Right here’s hoping we’re flawed about that, although.
Finally, it’ll be attention-grabbing to see the long-term demand for Common Horror Unleashed. With the regular stream of vacationers, conventioneers and college students, there’s in all probability the marketplace for this sort of factor in Chicago. The demographics in all probability aren’t as favorable as in Las Vegas, however the competitors additionally isn’t as fierce.
There’s additionally the fact that Common Horror Unleashed isn’t low cost by experiential leisure requirements. Positive, it’ll be cheaper than seeing Caleb Williams flop and Ben Johnson show he’s not Mr. Galaxy Mind, nevertheless it received’t be inexpensive than Second Metropolis or numerous different choices in Chicago. (Did I point out that I hate the Bears?!)
Regardless, Common Horror Unleashed is yet one more instance of Common doing one thing new and bold because it seems to be to develop its footprint within the points of interest trade. Whereas loads of ideas like this have failed through the years, hopefully this isn’t certainly one of them. Each the Common and Halloween Horror Nights manufacturers are extremely highly effective, and the latter ought to journey properly exterior of Hollywood and Orlando.
My hope is that Common swings for the fences with this and shakes up its HHN formulation. However actually, I’ll be fairly glad even with a extra everlasting and high-budget model of Halloween Horror Nights. A number of the latest homes which have clearly had “Netflix cash” have been phenomenal from a themed design perspective, and I sit up for seeing what Common Inventive can do when given the assets.
Even when you couldn’t care much less about Common Horror Unleashed (and I do know that’s a lot of you), we must always all be cheering for it to work out. If this or the kiddie park in Texas find yourself being smash successes, that may nearly definitely end in Disney taking a recent take a look at the regional park or leisure idea. It’s unlikely we’ll see DisneyQuest 2.0 or Disney’s America, however we might lastly get one thing within the Midwest or Northeast or Heartland!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider Common Horror Unleashed coming to Chicago? Are you excited for this everlasting horror attraction within the Midwest? Assume this might be successful–just like Halloween Horror Nights? Would you wish to see Common Inventive push the envelope with this, or stick with the tried and true formulation of HHN, however with higher polish? Do you agree or disagree with our commentary? Any questions we can assist you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even whenever you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
