Press release from 17 September 2021

The countdown of fright has started again: The Halloween Horror Festival 2021 is in the starting blocks!

23 event days in October and November cast their dark spell on visitors / New horror course "Acid Warrior" and other highlights lure into new dark abysses

(Bottrop-Kirchhellen, 17 September 2021) The apocalypse is approaching and the scariest hour of the year will soon strike again at Movie Park Germany! When the full moon rises over the Horrorwood Studios in Germany's largest movie and amusement park in October, monsters, zombies, and undead creatures will be unleashed for the Halloween Horror Festival 2021. Evil knows no mercy and has new surprises in its bloody pipeline.

In the new horror course "Acid Warrior", all Halloween fans can put their survival instincts to the test and race against time with ominous zombies, while the fate of mankind is at stake.New details and special re-themings of already existing attractions also add to an overall Halloween experience. This year, the Halloween Horror Festival will take place on selected days from October 1 to November 7.

"In keeping with the 23rd Halloween season, we are pleased to present new highlights to our visitors on 23 event days," says Managing Director Thorsten Backhaus. "For this purpose, we have once again prepared and exchanged concepts intensively with the authorities to provide our guests with a safe Halloween experience. This time, the Movie Park team has integrated some existing attractions even more than before, but also realized new ideas. In addition, we continued to invest in infrastructure, such as atmospheric lighting concepts. Get ready to be surprised by a unique street atmosphere!"

The new horror course „Acid Warrior“

The fog thickens, the last hour has struck – and a deadly race against time begins. Only those who run faster than the zombies of the restricted zone "Acid Rain" can escape the apocalypse in time. But time is running and there is no turning back! From a small group of survivors, visitors are chosen to ensure the power supply of the Safe Zone and thus protect it from the zombie hordes. Five buzzers decide their fate. There is not much time left to activate the generators. Zombies and undead creatures lurk everywhere, contaminated by acid rain and on the prowl for prey. The large-scale horror course leads through an ominous street setting in New York, where horror fans will not only test their speed, agility, and perseverance, but also their will to survive. All visitors from age 16 can take up the challenge on the stunt set in Studio 666.

“Fear Forest – Path of Witches”

The Horrorwood Studios are bringing a new set to the studio lot with "Fear Forest." This year's production "Path of Witches" takes horror fans into a dark isolated forest where witches wreak havoc. Stone circles, Ouija boards and supposedly abandoned wooden huts lead guests along a fateful path where they can witness incantations and witch burnings. Who falls victim to the burning and who can escape the "Fear Forest"? The re-themed version of the former "Campout" will be accessible for all visitors from age 12.

And because the Halloween Horror Festival has been a tradition at Movie Park Germany for 23 years, guests can of course also look forward to their favorite horror houses. A total of eight horror attractions and three scare zones will once again send cold shivers down guests' spines. In addition to the two new attractions, "The Curse of Chupacabra", "Project Ningyo", "The Slaughterhouse", "Hostel" and "Secrets of St. Elmo" will return with sparks of fear and terror. In the "Circus of Freaks", the artists have rearranged the tent of horror. Visitors can look forward to a changed route and new details.

For all families, Movie Park Germany offers again daily from 12 to 5 p.m. its popular Halloween for Kids at Nickland. Safe spooky fun has priority again this year! In addition to a straw maze on the bumper cars area of "Back at the Barnyard Bumpers" or a kids horror house, there are numerous other activities for Halloween fans between the age of 4 and 11, which will be generously distributed on the forecourt of the California Café.

Tickets and capacity regulations for a safe Halloween

Just like last year, Movie Park Germany sticks to a pre-defined visitor capacity limit. "The safety and health of all employees and guests remain our top priority. Therefore, we will reduce the capacities in the horror houses again this year and only allow small groups in the mazes," says Thorsten Backhaus. "In addition, the familiar precautions and measures of the hygiene and infection protection protocol, which have already proven its worth, apply in the park. Since the Corona pandemic, fortunately, no chains of infection among guests or employees have been detected." Furthermore, as stated in NRW's current Corona Protection Ordinance, only vaccinated, recovered, or tested guests can visit the park. Rapid antigen tests can still be taken on-site at the externally operated test center but will be subject to a fee as of October 11, according to the state ordinance.

An online ticketing system will once again be used for visitor capacity planning, handling general park admission as well as entrance to the respective horror houses. All Halloween fans can secure their tickets in advance via the web shop. The Movie Park tickets contain a full twelve hours of park admission including four hours of the Halloween Horror Festival with a scary atmosphere on the streets and frightening encounters with monsters that declare visitors their prey in three scare zones.

Time tickets for the horror houses must also be purchased online and in addition to park admission. "During the last Halloween season, we made very good experiences with the upcharge system for our horror houses. Therefore, we will continue to stick to this approach this year. This way, we can offer a more intensive experience to smaller groups and enable our guests to avoid longer waiting times," says Manuel Prossotowicz, Project Manager Halloween.

More bloodbusters for the 23rd Halloween Horror Festival

Aliens also celebrate Halloween and have redecorated the attraction "Area 51 - Top Secret"! Pumpkins, garlands, and everything that belongs to a Halloween party invite visitors to the mysterious US restricted area. Starting in October, extraterrestrial monsters of a different kind await families and children for a wet and merry Halloween experience in the Nevada desert. Starting on October 12, a new prop will also find its way onto the Horrorwood Studios grounds: With the spectacular ride "Fighter" by operator Harry P.E. Bruch, guests get a little closer to afterlife at a height of 42 meters at up to 130 km/h and experience true horror thrills. Across from Van Helsing's Club, LED lighting, sound, and fog effects lure guests from the "Acid Rain" area into the next battle for survival. The ride will operate daily, offside the Halloween event days as well. Ready for the second round of "Baboo Twister Express"? This year, the popular "MP Xpress" version will take to the starting line again and draw visitors into new inbetween worlds with light effects and rock music. The Event Center's Studio Cafeteria will be transformed into one big horror store for this year's Halloween Horror Festival, offering a full load of Halloween merchandise.

For all those who escaped the new horror experience "Acid Warrior" and the other dangers of the Horrorwood Studios, the next Halloween party is taking place right next door on the streets of New York. DJ Max Bering, known from Parookaville, who has already played alongside artists such as David Guetta, Felix Jaehn or Martin Solveig, will provide the soundtrack for all those who want to include a party scene in their personal horror movie. In the appropriately themed scare zone "Acid Rain", there is still no end time mood. It is where the scary party really starts!