Universal Orlando’s first Halloween Horror Nights house for 2026 has been unveiled — and it’s not a major movie franchise, it’s a Universal original.
The house will be themed around two icons of past HHN events, Jack the Clown and Dr. Oddfellow. Here’s how Universal Orlando described the house in its press release:
In ‘Jack & Oddfellow: Chaos & Control,’ the long‑standing conflict between Jack and Oddfellow comes to life for the first time as guests journey into the unsettling origins of the two adversaries’ undying rivalry. As chaos and control collide, the two Icons battle for dominance until they ultimately discover that the only way to obtain the power they seek is not to fight each other – but to join forces instead.
The news was revealed as part of a Halloween Horror Nights panel at Megacon Orlando on Saturday.
surprise maniacs
see u in the fog 😈 pic.twitter.com/dL42evdS4W
— Halloween Horror Nights (@HorrorNightsORL) March 21, 2026
Jack and Dr. Oddfellow will also be the “ringmasters” of Halloween Horror Nights’ 35th anniversary. The event’s theme will be the “Infernal Carnival of Nightmares,” Universal said, which will turn Universal Studios Florida “into a decrepit, fear‑fueled carnival featuring a sinister new slate of haunted houses, scare zones and outrageous entertainment inspired by elements from Halloween Horror Nights’ history plus some of the biggest names in horror.”
Both Jack the Clown and Dr. Oddfellow made their first appearances at Halloween Horror Nights X in the year 2000. The characters last appeared as part of the Dr. Oddfellow’s Twisted Origins house at HHN 32 in 2023.
Early reveals for HHN are not unusual for Universal, but in recent years, the first house announced has typically been one based on a larger movie or TV franchise, such as “Stranger Things” or “Chucky.” For 2026, however, the two icons provide a unifying theme for all of HHN.
“The overall theme is going to be taking you within the Infernal Carnival of Nightmares, and it’s within that new vision between Jack and Oddfellow, where all of our content is going to reside this year,” Universal Creative’s senior director of entertainment, Mike Aiello, said at the MegaCon panel.
The 2026 edition of Halloween Horror Nights will feature 10 houses in total when it kicks off on Aug. 28, running on select nights at Universal Studios Florida through Nov. 1.
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