'Walking Dead' to invade Universal Studios Hollywood

Zombie walkers aren't just for Halloween anymore at Universal Studios Hollywood.

The Walking Dead's shambling flesh-eaters, a seasonal scourge at the Halloween Horror Nights maze, will become part of a walk-through attraction at the Southern California theme park this summer. The announcement of The Walking Dead Attraction came Sunday on Talking Dead, the chat show that follows weekly episodes the the hit AMC drama.

Here's a 'Walking Dead' recipe for not-so-tasty zombies

Universal Studios Hollywood says the permanent addition, which gets its own structure, will raise the bar on previous efforts, with "authentic walker makeup effects, sophisticated animatronic walkers, substantially more detailed set design and costuming, and highly recognizable props replicated from the series."

The attraction will have Dead's grisly seal of approval, with executive producer Greg Nicotero and his special-effects makeup team at KNB EFX Group on board to give the walkers a lifelike – make that death-like – appearance. Based on a show that follows a hardened group of survivors who navigate a harrowing, post-apocalyptic existence, the attraction is not intended for children under 13.

The 5 best Harry Potter-inspired foods (excluding Butterbeer)

In an exclusive interview with USA TODAY, Nicotero wouldn't offer specifics, but says Dead fans will get to see favorite vignettes and characters from the six seasons of the show (Sundays, 9 p.m. ET/PT). The attraction, which will combine live performers and animatronics, will focus on the zombie walkers rather than living characters on the show.

"There are moments from the television show that we'll get a chance to recreate much more faithfully than we would in a maze," says Nicotero, who is working with Universal Studios creative talent on the project. "You'll get some great opportunities to see things from Season 1 and some stuff from Seasons 3 and 4. It's a little bit of a walk down memory lane for us."

Joining attractions that celebrate The Fast and The Furious, The Simpsons and Harry Potter franchises is a big deal, Nicotero says. "I love it. I think it says a lot that we're getting an opportunity to be part of a Walking Dead experience that's 365 days a year."

'Walking Dead's' Greg Nicotero sculpts zombie scourge

The theme park is excited about the collaboration, too.

“The Walking Dead is a phenomenon that has successfully and consistently affected the psyche of viewers on a global basis, since its debut,” Universal Studios Hollywood president Larry Kurzweil said in a statement. “We’re taking its intensity to the next level by collaborating with the show’s award-winning production team to create an authentic living representation of the series that can only be experienced at Universal Studios Hollywood.”