May 18--Only a few months after opening the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Studios Hollywood has announced a July 4 opening day for a much creepier world.
The new "Walking Dead" attraction will be a permanent maze infected by human and animatronic zombies that visitors must navigate.
A zombie maze has been part of the park's annual Halloween celebration, but the new attraction will be open year-round, located within a new custom-built structure near the park's main entrance.
Due to the intense nature of the experience, the attraction is not recommended for guests under the age of 13.
To make the zombies as real as those shown in the popular AMC television series, Universal Studios has recruited Greg Nicotero, executive producer and director of "The Walking Dead," to help create the attraction's undead walkers.
Universal Studios Hollywood drew huge crowds in April when it opened a six-acre attraction based on the books and movies about boy wizard Harry Potter.
Park representatives say the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the new "Walking Dead" maze and several other attractions opened in the last two years reflect an effort by the park's parent company, Comcast, to invest in the park to draw more visitors and better compete with rivals such as Disneyland.
hugo.martin@latimes.com
Twitter: @hugomartin
