Fans roaming the streets of Halloween Horror Nights this fall may want to take a second look at every Nikki they meet. John Murdy, the creative director and executive producer of the event at Universal Studios Hollywood, says Obsession star Inde Navarrette has an open invitation to step into the role herself and surprise guests during this year’s festivities.
Murdy shared the news in an interview with Yahoo last week, explaining that the event has a history of welcoming the stars of horror films into the experience. He pointed to Lupita Nyong’o, who famously appeared in the Us maze in 2019, as one example of an actor bringing their character to life for unsuspecting guests. Murdy also noted that both Obsession writer and director Curry Barker and Navarrette have been enthusiastic about the collaboration, adding that Navarrette has posted a number of videos saying she would love to play Nikki in the park.
The idea is one Navarrette has been dreaming about for months. Back in June, she told Cosmopolitan that she attends Halloween Horror Nights every year and hoped to one day spend a couple of days there as Nikki, comparing the idea to Johnny Depp surprising Disneyland guests as Jack Sparrow. At the time, she wasn’t sure it could happen so quickly, but Universal moved fast after the film became one of 2026’s biggest surprise hits.
Nikki joined the Hollywood event as a last-minute addition, first announced by Murdy during a panel at the Midsummer Scream horror convention in August. Rather than a full haunted house, the character roams the park, with Murdy encouraging fans to adopt a “Where’s Waldo?” mindset to find her. He told The Hollywood Reporter that the activation was inspired by a fan who sent him a clip of Barker predicting Nikki would be the number one Halloween costume of the year, and that the whole thing came together very late in the event’s development.
The experience also includes a fun interactive twist. Each night, Murdy shares a password on social media, and guests who say it to Nikki receive a One-Wish Willow keepsake. Calling the number on the box plays a special message recorded by Barker himself. Murdy has been full of praise for the performers currently bringing Nikki to life, recalling a recent visit where one of them held her unsettling smile so long that he was the one who broke character first.
Navarrette has spoken warmly about seeing Nikki embraced by fans at the event, telling Entertainment Tonight that she wants to honor the character’s experience while celebrating the chance Horror Nights has given Nikki to roam around and be seen. Her performance in Obsession has drawn widespread acclaim since the film’s theatrical release from Focus Features in May, and she has since been cast in Marvel’s upcoming X-Men film.
Nothing has been confirmed about whether or when Navarrette might make a surprise appearance, but with the invitation officially on the table, fans have plenty of reason to keep their eyes open. Halloween Horror Nights runs on select nights at Universal Studios Hollywood through November 1, 2026, giving her several weeks to make that dream come true.