Under The Castle: Highlights of Jackson Wang’s haunted house at Halloween Horror Nights

Date:03 Oct 2024
Reference: By The Straits Times

SINGAPORE – Fans of Hong Kong-born pop star Jackson Wang are likely to have a blast this Halloween.

Their idol’s imprint can be found at one of the four haunted houses at the 12th edition of Halloween Horror Nights, the annual event that runs at Universal Studios Singapore at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) on selected nights till Nov 2.

The Under The Castle haunted house is a collaboration between RWS and Team Wang Design, the luxury streetwear label founded by the rapper-singer and songwriter from K-pop boy band Got7.

Guests take on the role of villagers who enter a fog-covered ancient castle that gives off a ghostly green light and have to find a way out before getting trapped under the structure.

The concept for Under The Castle started out as an escape room experience in Shanghai, China, in 2023, with all ideas contributed by Wang. The RWS team then expanded on this concept in tandem with an upcoming comic book release by Team Wang Design.

Wang, who is Team Wang Design’s creative director, said in an Aug 27 Instagram post: “I will design and turn Universal Studios into Team Wang Design haunted town. Who wants to come with me?”

The 30-year-old is slated to make a special appearance at RWS’ S.E.A. Aquarium on Oct 13 for a book signing of the comic book. In an Instagram story on Sept 27, he said: “If you bump into me, just say hi or try to find me, because I don’t think you guys will.”

Mr Henry Cheung, Team Wang Design’s chief executive and co-founder, told The Straits Times in an interview that he and Wang have loved Halloween since they were children.

The 30-year-old, who has known Wang since they were 14, added: “We would go to the haunted houses in Hong Kong, and it would be so much fun. That is why we wanted to be involved in Halloween in a big way.”

He added that he was “beyond excited” to partner RWS on the project. “Its Halloween event has been a powerhouse for more than a decade, setting the gold standard for fear and fun. For Under The Castle to be a part of this celebration is truly an honour.”

The Hong Konger said his daughter was born on Oct 31, 2021, and added: “Every Halloween reminds me that she is growing up and getting older.”

Mr Haziq Surajan, 37, art director of entertainment at RWS, said: “We really wanted to create variety in the rooms that guests go through, and the graphic novel provided a great starting point. So we start with the vastness of the grand hall, and it gets deeper, darker and more gruesome.”

Unlike the other haunted houses at Halloween Horror Nights – Netflix’s Sweet Home, Singapore’s Most Haunted: The Killings and Cursed Scrolls: Dynasty of Darkness – Under The Castle sports a mediaeval design, and its large, derelict halls evoke a sense of grandeur.

Features like the vertically-closing gates which guests have to walk through are visually imposing, and some of the frights come from haunting images and cries from the scare actors, as opposed to traditional jump scares.

Other than the celebrity touch, another fun element is drawing the connections between the haunted house and Wang’s comic book, with some sections uploaded onto Team Wang Design’s social media pages.

For example, many pumpkins can be found around the house. It is said one pumpkin will lead to the birth of Pumpkie, a central character in the comic book.

Another star of the house is Spookie, a shrewd and sneaky ghost also found in the comic book. Born in the castle and trapped there for hundreds of years, the mischievous spirit is similar to antagonist Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter movies (2001 to 2011) and is eager to meet anyone who ventures inside.

In addition, emanating from within the castle is a “magical” green light that brings things to life, and when villagers are under the light’s control, their eyes also glow green.

Eagle-eyed fans might find a painting in the portrait gallery familiar. It features a king with the same smudged eye make-up Wang sports in the music videos for the singles from his album Magic Man (2022).

Other than these Easter eggs, fans can also look forward to being one of 150 winners who get a chance to meet Wang on Oct 13 and take home a signed copy of his comic book. They will be selected through the Instagram, X and Weibo pages of Team Wang Design, RWS, Singapore Tourism Board, as well as Wang’s own social media platforms.

RWS is also offering an Under The Castle stay package (from $834.52), where guests can choose a two-night stay at an Equarius Hotel or Hotel Ora deluxe room, as well as get two complimentary tickets to RWS’ Adventure Cove Waterpark and a set of TWD amenities.

Also available is the Under The Castle stay and party package (from $1,235), with additional exclusive access to catch Wang at the Under The Castle afterparty on Oct 13, from 10pm to 1.30am, at Adventure Cove Waterpark.

Other horrors to check out

1. Netflix’s Sweet Home haunted house

The success of a haunted house themed around the South Korean zombie apocalypse television series All Of Us Are Dead (2022) in 2023 affirmed that K-horror is a big draw for Halloween fans.

In 2024, a haunted house inspired by the Netflix hit Sweet Home (2022 to 2024), which features humans transforming into monster-human hybrids, will showcase key scenes from the first two seasons.

It is the third South Korean-themed house in Halloween Horror Nights’s history here, after 2023’s All Of Us Are Dead and 2017’s Make The Cut. It is also the third house which is inspired by a Netflix hit, following All Of Us Are Dead and 2018’s Stranger Things.

Mr Markham Gannon, 50, director of entertainment at RWS, said: “K-horror series are marked by their relatable protagonists, compelling costumes and frantic energy. Our partnership with Netflix has also given us a very friendly environment to replicate its hits into live experiences.”

2. Singapore’s Most Haunted: The Killings haunted house

The attraction is loosely based on stories heard by the RWS team, where a consistent thread is the myth of people getting trapped in a house when a stick of incense runs out.

It has curated scenic elements that will challenge guests’ knowledge of Singapore’s urban legends, and is the first in a new series titled Singapore’s Most Haunted, featuring local horror stories brought to life.

Mr Haziq said: “Local horror hits close to home. It brings us back to our teenage years, when we hear about different haunted spots and go and explore them.”

3. Cursed Scrolls: Dynasty of Darkness haunted house

In the most unpredictable house in 2024, a scroll master unleashes Chinese ghosts from horror folklore, such as Chinese zombies and fox spirits.

An immersive three-dimensional experience awaits, as guests get to don ChromaDepth 3D glasses that split the colour spectrum into separate layers, and allow warm colours such as red and yellow to “jump” towards the wearer.

Look out for the fox spirits’ lair, a room fully covered with white fur, for a tactile experience.