Penn & Teller partner with Universal Orlando Resort to creat unique haunted house experience

ORLANDO, Florida -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- Ladies and gentlemen, consider yourselves warned – for the first time ever, the bad boys of magic, Penn & Teller, are bringing their eccentric and edgy illusionist entertainment to life in an all-new 3D haunted house – “Penn & Teller New(kd) Las Vegas” – at Universal Orlando Resort’s horror-inducing, award-winning Halloween Horror Nights event. Prepare to experience the lights and allure of Las Vegas . . . with a toxic twist.

For more than 35 years, Penn & Teller have redefined the magic genre, specializing in gory vaudeville-like tricks, exposing frauds and performing inconceivable stunts live in front of sold-out crowds. And now, they’re partnering with the designers at Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights to infuse their brand of entertainment in a complete haunted house environment – something they have never done before.

Best known for their satirical humor, outrageous antics and mind-blowing magic, including their famous “The Magic Bullets” trick (where the duo catch bullets in their teeth), the pair has entertained guests at Las Vegas’ Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino for more than 10 years, making their act one of the longest-running and most-beloved shows in Las Vegas history.

This fall, Penn & Teller invite Halloween Horror Nights guests to step into a dark, dilapidated and radioactive version of “Sin City,” as if one of their magic tricks has gone terribly awry and the city has been covered in nuclear ooze. Concepted by the duo themselves, the maze will feature the best of Vegas – showgirls, slot machines, little white wedding chapel, all-you-can-eat buffet, and more – all glowing with a toxic green hue.

“Universal Horror Nights can scare the living Elvis out of you, and me & Teller, well, we've been known to take things a bit too far. Now we're working together on showing you what it would be like to live in a post-nuclear explosion Sin City. C'mon by, but remember, you're not playing with children here,” said Penn Jillette, the larger, louder half of the duo.

“We’ve done more than just tap into the wildly creative minds of Penn & Teller, the most influential illusionists in the world. We’ve been working really closely with them. You are literally going to hear Penn directing you through this toxic wasteland before coming face-to-face with both Penn & Teller in this jarring 3D experience,” said Jim Timon, Senior Vice President of Entertainment at Universal Orlando Resort.

Penn & Teller have earned an impressive 13 Emmy Award nominations for their long-running Showtime series, “Penn & Teller: BS!” They have also written three New York Times best-sellers and had two successful Broadway show runs. They’ve both also recently appeared on numerous television shows, including “Celebrity Apprentice,” “Dancing With The Stars” and “Top Chef,” and were selected to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2013.

Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights has a more than 20-year history of creating an incredibly entertaining, horrifying Halloween experience that is consistently rated the nation’s best. The event features highly themed, disturbingly real haunted houses based on everything from film to nightmares -- and streets filled with hundreds of specially trained “scareactors.”