‘Obsession’s Freaky Nikki Is Already Taking Over Halloween Horror Nights

Obsession is the new indie darling and has officially entered pop culture, so it’s no surprise to see the film popping up everywhere.

Especially Nikki.

Or, as we all know and love her, Freaky Nikki.

She’s surely going to be one of the big horror costumes this Halloween, and Universal Studios Hollywood is already getting ahead of it by unleashing her on guests at Halloween Horror Nights.

For me, Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights has always been the unofficial kickoff to Halloween. Orlando opens first, with Hollywood and Japan following shortly after, and the second that rope drops and we’re allowed to roam around Universal Studios surrounded by monsters, Halloween has officially begun. This year, Orlando kicked things off on August 28, while Hollywood opens September 3 and Japan follows September 11.

It might still be 100 fucking degrees here in Chicago, but I’m already looking at Halloween displays in stores, trying to figure out my kid’s costume, and watching a new horror movie every night.

I digress.

As we previously reported, Universal Studios Hollywood announced that Freaky Nikki would make special nightly appearances throughout this year’s Halloween Horror Nights. Rather than building a full Obsession house on such short notice, Universal found a pretty clever way to get one of 2026’s biggest horror movies into the park.

And she’s officially out there.

While I didn’t see Freaky Nikki last weekend when the Dread Central team and I were being escorted around Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights, there’s a good reason for that: the Freaky Nikki experience is exclusive to Universal Studios Hollywood this year. Hollywood’s event doesn’t officially open until September 3, but Nikki was spotted during the park’s early event activity, with several social media accounts and influencers sharing their encounters with the increasingly iconic horror character.