Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights has become a staple of the fall seasons for audiences on both coasts of the country. It is one of the most widely attended, highly acclaimed, and outright joyous spooky season-centric events in the country, flat-out, and always features houses, scare zones, and characters pulled from some of the most popular genre-affiliated media of the time.
For example, this year’s festivities see the event featuring houses based on projects like Sinners, Evil Dead Burn, and even Stranger Things 5. To this end, it was absolutely no surprise when Universal unexpectedly announced earlier this week that Nikki Freeman, Inde Navarrette’s character from the breakout horror smash Obsession, would be appearing as an interactive character within the event. However, what was surprising was the discourse that the announcement incited, with many fans weighing in online and voicing their displeasure. Now, though, Navarrette herself has spoken out and voiced her excitement for Nikki’s involvement.
A few short months ago, no one had any idea that Curry Barker’s Obsession would blow up the way it did. The film had screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2025, where it was acquired by Blumhouse, a subsidiary of Universal Studios, for release. When the film hit theaters, it made a very respectable $17 million and seemed primed to segue out of theaters and into digital circulation. However, the film unexpectedly made even more in its second weekend and even more in its third weekend, continuing to build hype and excitement among audiences through viral marketing campaigns and word-of-mouth in thoroughly unexpected ways. Thus, within a few short weeks, the film, its cast, and its creators had gone from unknowns to the talk of Tinsel Town.
Considering that John Murdy and his team work on Halloween Horror Nights festivities practically all year long, it was a bit late in the day to pivot to making Obsession a full-blown house at the 2026 event. However, they could incorporate the characters from the film into some of the festivities, with Navarrette’s breakout performance as Nikki making her the obvious choice. However, given the moral complexities of the film and the sheer level of therapizing that has happened in online spaces since Obsession gained such widespread exposure, the announcement of Nikki’s inclusion led to many decrying the move as misunderstanding the film and the character.
For her part, though, it turns out not only is Navarrette excited about the character appearing at Halloween Horror Nights, but she’s even eager to take part in the event herself.
As she said, “I love Halloween Horror Nights! I go every year, even though I get scared easily… I want to do a couple days where I’m Nikki. Like at Disneyland with Johnny Depp being Jack Sparrow. That would be so much fun!”
So despite some fans crying foul over the character’s use, it's clear that the actress herself is not only pleased to see the iconic character being hosted within Halloween Horror Nights but is eager to experience it from both sides, as a fan and a performer, for herself.
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