Hollywood horror returns to Kings Island's Halloween Haunt
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Kings Island has its eyes on the prize. Photo: Kristen Swilley/Axios
Jason Voorhees is stalking Kings Island this fall — and he may be just the beginning.
Why it matters: The merger between Cedar Fair and Six Flags is giving Kings Island access to a broader network of entertainment partnerships, potentially opening the door to more movie-inspired attractions.
- Axios was invited for an early look at this year's Halloween Haunt. (Warning: Bright, flashing lights ahead!)
Driving the news: This year's Halloween Haunt opened to the public Friday with a classic horror movie name as its calling card.
- The headliner is Jason: Blood Reign, a new maze that drops guests into the world of "Friday the 13th."
- Kings Island is also debuting Metal Massacre, a new outdoor maze, alongside returning haunted attractions, scare zones and live shows.
- This year's Haunt runs select nights through Oct. 31.
Zoom in: The Six Flags merger means the company can now share entertainment concepts and tap relationships with production companies across its portfolio of parks, Kings Island spokesperson Sara Gorgon tells Axios.
- The park started testing those waters last year with The Conjuring: Beyond Fear, Gorgon says. The interactive experience returns this year with Jason.
Flashback: For longtime parkgoers, there's a bit of déjà vu.
- Kings Island spent much of the 1990s and 2000s under Paramount ownership, when movie and TV franchises were woven throughout the park.
- New attractions included Top Gun in 1993 (now The Bat), Days of Thunder in 1994 and The Outer Limits: Flight of Fear in 1996.
- Later came rides tied to "Tomb Raider," "The Italian Job" and Nickelodeon shows.
