Meet the Monsters of Universal's New Horror Attraction

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Universal Classic Monsters

The Frankenstein animatronic from Universal Epic Universe.

Universal Studios' most famous monsters are back and more terrifying than ever in the first look at the creepy creatures who'll be stalking Universal Epic Universe. Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, the Wolf Man, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon and more are coming to the park in the form of state-of-the-art animatronics. You'll be able to see them up close and personal when Universal Epic Universe opens on May 22, 2025.

The monsters hail from Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, the new horror-themed attraction at Epic Universe, which will be the fourth park at Universals' Orlando resort. The story for the attraction centers around Dr. Victoria Frankenstein, descendant of Mary Shelley's mad doctor, who invites the park's guests to witness a demonstration of her genius. As one might imagine, this swiftly results in a roaring monster rampage. Thus, the guests will have to escape her labyrinthine manor as they ride into darkness and try to evade the host of horrors she'd unleashed. Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, the Wolf Man, and the Gillman are only the beginning: the attraction will feature fourteen different animatronics of Universal's classic monsters.

Who Are the Monsters of 'Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment'?

Frankenstein made his Universal debut in 1931, where he was played by Boris Karloff; Karloff returned for Bride of Frankenstein, but Gunsmoke's Glenn Strange played the misshapen man-monster for most of his subsequent Universal appearances. The vampiric Count Dracula was most famously played by Bela Lugosi in 1931; he would appear in numerous subsequent Universal films as well, even meeting Abbott and Costello in Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. The lycanthropic Larry Talbot debuted in 1940's The Wolf Man, where he was played by Lon Chaney Jr.; he too was a frequent participant in Universal's "monster rallies". The Gillman is a later addition to Universal's stable of monsters; first appearing in 1951's Creature From the Black Lagoon, he would appear in two subsequent sequels. James Wan is currently working on a remake.

Universal Epic Universe will feature four different areas themed around their library of movies and TV: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the Isle of Berk from How to Train Your Dragon, Super Nintendo World, and the horror-themed Dark Universe. The Dark Universe should not be confused with Universal's ill-fated attempt at a shared cinematic universe for its classic monsters, which began (and ended) with 2017's The Mummy.

Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experimentwill open on May 22, 2025. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.