Universal Studios Hollywood Leans Into Its Hollywood History

Universal Studios Hollywood could be described as “the little theme park that could,” as it draws big crowds despite having a smaller footprint and fewer attractions than its Southern California counterparts. To draw even more guests, the park — which is set on a working movie studio lot — is leaning further into its cinematic roots.

Most attractions and experiences at Universal Studios Hollywood are based on blockbuster movies, including Transformers: The Ride 3D , The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. But now, new events are upping the ante for movie buffs. Here are the ones to know.

Universal Fan Fest Nights

This spring, Universal Studios Hollywood debuted a new limited-time after-hours event called Universal Fan Fest Nights. Similar to Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights (minus the horror), the event featured immersive experiences showcasing sci-fi and fantasy movies and television series, including Star Trek, Dungeons & Dragons and the popular anime franchises Jujutsu Kaisen and One Piece.

Guests were also given the unique opportunity to step onto the actual filming location for “Back to the Future”— Courthouse Square on Universal’s backlot — to actively participate in the movie’s most memorable moments performed by “free range” live actors, including the movie’s pivotal lightning strike.

“The two goals of Fan Fest Nights were to be ‘fan first’ and to be authentic,” said Stephen Siercks, senior director of entertainment production for Universal Studios Hollywood. “We wanted to service the people who have such fandom for these genres, and we wanted to create [experiences] in a uniquely Universal way.”

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The event’s two highly themed walkthrough experiences (like unscary Halloween Horror Nights haunted houses) were themed to Star Trek and Dungeons & Dragons and led by live actors who were so engaging that even guests unfamiliar with the franchises felt included. At the same time, super fans were able to appreciate Universal's attention to detail, including the original screen-used bridge set of the Picard-era Enterprise-D in Star Trek: Red Alert.

“If you’re a casual fan of Dungeons & Dragons, it was a quest-style adventure,” Siercks said. “But if you’re a fan of Dungeons & Dragons, you got that much more out of it based on the characters, the environments and tons of Easter eggs. It really played to all fans of the brand.”

I certainly didn’t need to be a D&D expert to appreciate the Legendary Beholder Xanathar puppet created by the Jim Henson Creature Shop for Dungeons & Dragons: Secrets of Waterdeep.

The separately ticketed event was so well-received that it’s already expected to return in 2026. In the meantime, an all-new seasonal event called Universal Mega Movie Summer will also celebrate Universal’s movie-making history, but this time, it's included with park admission.

Universal Mega Movie Summer

Universal Mega Movie Summer will debut June 13, 2025, and continue daily through August 10, 2025. The seasonal event will feature themed menu items, all-new merchandise collections and exclusive in-world, themed offerings, including on Jurassic World — The Ride, which will feature an overlay inspired by the new movie “Jurassic World Rebirth,” including the roar of a Mosasaurus as clients plummet down the ride’s 84-foot water-drop finale.

In addition, an all-new, highly realistic dinosaur from "Jurassic World Rebirth" will join Blue the Velociraptor, Juliet the Triceratops and Baby Tango to engage with guests alongside an all-new adventure character inspired by the upcoming movie.

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Universal Studios Hollywood is also celebrating the 50th anniversary of the original summer blockbuster, "Jaws," with the return of the iconic "hanging shark" photo op and debut of two new meet-and-greet character opportunities — with Captain Quint and Chief Brody — and the 40th anniversary of “Back to the Future,” with the film’s DeLorean time machine parked in Universal Plaza for photos with Doc Brown, Marty McFly and Einstein the dog.

And, with the park’s new high-speed outdoor Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift roller coaster on track for its 2026 opening, Universal is offering a sneak peek at one of the ride vehicles designed to look like Dominic Toretto’s 1970 Dodge Charger from the hit movies.

The Ultimate Hollywood Movie Experience

The most unique feature of Universal Studios Hollywood remains The World-Famous Studio Tour through the working studio’s backlot, which celebrated its 60th anniversary last year — something clients can only find in the California theme park.

During the tour, movie fans can see locations where their favorite classic Universal films were made (as well as new ones) and get a behind-the-scenes look at movie-making tricks (think: flash-flood and earthquake experiences). And, who knows, they may even spot a movie star.

During Mega Movie Summer, clients can celebrate the milestone anniversary of "Jaws" at the fan-favorite Jaws Lake attraction, which will be decorated for July 4th all summer long. The iconic Universal movie will also be featured on the studio's Hollywood Sign replica, located on the hillside between the infamous Bates Motel and equally infamous Psycho House sets.

“We’re building on the legacy of Halloween Horror Nights, but we’re also looking to celebrate fans,” Siercks said of the park’s new fan-focused events.