See How ‘The Walking Dead’ Will Come Alive at Universal Studios Hollywood

The dead will rise on July 4. This Independence Day is when Universal Studios Hollywood will launch its new The Walking Dead attraction based on AMC’s monster-sized franchise, featuring zombified creatures made by the same team responsible for the series’ signature walkers. Universal touts it as a “living representation of the show.”

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Model of the ‘Bicycle Girl’ walker (Universal Studios Hollywood)

“After six years of working on the show, we have a great opportunity to take The Walking Dead out of the studio, off the soundstage, and put it into the attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood where guests can come face-to-face with the walking dead,” says TWD executive producer Greg Nicotero in the exclusive behind-the-scenes video above.

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Greg Nicotero doing quality control on zombie eyes for TWD attraction (Universal Studios Hollywood)

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Nicotero consulted on the attraction, working in concert with KNB Efx, which fabricates the show’s monstrosities. The park, which recently opened immersive lands dedicated to The Simpsons and Harry Potter, created the new Walking Dead experience after noting how popular the TV ghouls were as part of the park’s annual “Halloween Horror Nights” maze.

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Walker heads, fresh from the molds (Universal Studios Hollywood)

Built from the ground up and more expansive than the seasonal version, Universal’s new attraction attempts to recreate the sheer terror of navigating a zombie-filled world.

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Fans will recognize many of the show’s A-list undead, including Bicycle Girl and Well Walker, amid the park’s zombie horde. The creatures come from the same molds as their TV counterparts.

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Walker teeth… lots of walker teeth. Don’t get bitten. (Universal Studios Hollywood)

Says Nicotero: “For me something that’s very exciting is to be able to make the attraction as 100 percent authentic as possible. We’re getting a chance to do animatronic characters that we’ve never done before. We’re getting a chance to utilize molds that were created specifically for the show and translate them into parts of the attraction. It’s one-of-a-kind, state-of-the-art… and I can’t wait.”

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