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USA TODAY

Hope you aren’t afraid of clowns: See Spirit Halloween’s 2024 animatronic line

Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY
7 min read

The "Carnevil" is coming to town this Halloween season with Spirit Halloween's 2024 lineup.

Creepy clowns, a raucous ringmaster and popular horror properties abound, Spirit's animatronic props this year are a mix of ornery original characters and beloved figures from classic horror cinema.

While the collection was previewed in June, not all products will be available for sale until August when the Carnevil officially opens in stores. Early shoppers will be pleased to find there is no shortage of options, including some side oddities and return favorites to round out the main attraction.

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Don't be afraid - come one, come all to the Carnevil show.

When does Spirit Halloween open? Halloween in July is happening. But Spirit Halloween holds out for August.

Emily and Victor of Corpse Bride

The Emily and Victor figure are sold separately but are motion and audio compatible when placed together.
The Emily and Victor figure are sold separately but are motion and audio compatible when placed together.

What's Halloween without a little bit of Tim Burton?

Lovers of "The Corpse Bride" can take home the beloved main characters this year thanks to Spirit's Emily and Victor animatronics. Each half of the undead duo are sold separately but come together with compatible voice lines and movements to keep the romance going.

Emily, the titular corpse bride herself, stands 5.8 feet tall and is a perfect replica of the animated movie character. Wearing her ripped white bridal gown that exposes her bony rib cage, Emily clutches a bouquet in front of her as she smiles out from a face of light blue skin. Her blue hair and flowing white veil almost distract from her skeletal arm and exposed pockets of bone.

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Emily's movements include eyes that blink, a head that tilts and a torso that moves side to side. She speaks several lines from the movie scene in which she and Victor stand at the altar.

Victor, on the other hand, looks very much alive, standing tall at 6 feet and dressed in his Sunday best suit jacket, striped pants and tie. He is holding a wedding band in his outstretched hand and gives a small, Tim Burton-y smile.

Victor also has eyes that blink, a tilting head and a torso that moves from side to side. His voice lines include snippets from the vows between the two, perhaps the most famous quotes from the film.

How to get it:

Deluxe Ghostface

The Deluxe Ghostface comes with two interchangeable masks and weapons.
The Deluxe Ghostface comes with two interchangeable masks and weapons.

If there's one thing Spirit Halloween is going to do, it's get some iconic IPs on the docket.

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Ghostface of the "Scream" series is a quintessential Halloween character - his screaming mask is impossible to mistake. This version of Ghostface is the "deluxe" one, standing 6.2 feet tall and draped in a hooded black leather gown.

The Deluxe Ghostface comes with two interchangeable masks: the original and a blood-spattered one. He also comes with two knives that can be swapped out, one classic hunting knife and one bloodied machete.

The animated character tilts his head side to side and his arm moves in a frenzied stabbing motion, emulating what we know Ghostface does best. His voice lines include quips from the movie voiced by the authentic Roger L. Jackson himself, knife-slashing sounds and the screams of his victims.

How to get it: Deluxe Ghostface is priced at $279.99.

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Spooky icon: How Spirit Halloween appears each fall in vacant storefronts nationwide

Michael Myers

The realistic, licensed Micheal Meyers animatronic is exclusive to Spirit Halloween.
The realistic, licensed Micheal Meyers animatronic is exclusive to Spirit Halloween.

We're not quite done with the stabbing slasher stars yet. Michael Meyers also plans to pay a visit to the Carnevil this year, bringing with him a pair of blood-spattered coveralls and his signature white mask.

The 6.3-foot Michael Meyers animatronic moves his head and torso from side to side as he searches for his next victim. His hand holds a bloodied knife, which he moves up and down in a stabbing motion as he prepares to take down yet another citizen of Haddonfield.

The Michael Meyers figure plays heavy breathing sounds and, of course, the "Halloween" theme music.

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How to get it: The officially licensed Michael Meyers sells only online for $279.99.

Nibbles and Art the Clown

Nibbles is a take on the classic spooky clown concept and his motion-activated movement is sure to evoke a jump scare.
Nibbles is a take on the classic spooky clown concept and his motion-activated movement is sure to evoke a jump scare.

You may want to sit this one out if you're afraid of clowns.

With the carnival theme, it comes as no surprise that Spirit leaned into the killer clown trope. Enter Nibbles, the newest star in a lineup of creepy circus performers.

Nibbles stands 6 feet tall and uses motion tracking to spot and follow anyone who is unfortunate enough to enter his field of view. His head turns fully to track his victims, along with his arm and right hand.

"You've caught my eye," he says through a twisted smile baring yellowed, sharp teeth. Clad in a classic jester's hat and frilled clown suit with blue and yellow stripes, he clutches a deceptively innocent-looking lollipop in his left hand.

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Besides a cache of voice lines, Nibbles also plays carnival music and has a library of evil laughs. According to Spirit's description, Nibbles is known to stalk victims through cursed carnival grounds until he finds the perfect one to make a tasty snack out of.

Art the Clown is terrifying enough on screen as it is, but this animatronic turns up the scares with its 6.2-foot stature,
Art the Clown is terrifying enough on screen as it is, but this animatronic turns up the scares with its 6.2-foot stature,

While Nibbles is new on the scene, scary movie aficionados will recognize one of the biggest horror icons of the last few years.

Art the Clown of the "Terrifier" series is also attending the Carnevil this year, terrifying attendees with his 6.2-foot stature and movie-accurate appearance.

Adorned in a black and white clown suit and with a black top hat perched on his bald head, the Art animatronic holds a horn in one hand as he slowly waves with the other. His painted white face, black lips and evil, bloody grin are reflective of the films that scared fans out of theaters, and he comes with the yellow flower sunglasses he wears on the big screen.

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Art's movements include a torso that twists back and forth and a waving hand. He also plays a barrage of horn-honking sounds when activated.

How to get it:

Ringmaster

Every Carnevil needs a ring master and this one stands 7 feet tall.
Every Carnevil needs a ring master and this one stands 7 feet tall.

Every circus needs a ringmaster - even a soul-stealing one.

Spirit's carnevil Ringmaster looms large at 7 feet tall and cuts an intimidating figure in his red and gold tailcoat, black and gold top hat and pants and glittering gold bow tie. He holds a gold, skull-topped staff in one hand.

His mouth, twisted in a sinister grin, moves when he speaks one of his four voice lines, beckoning merrymakers to enter his big top tent.

The Ringmaster, who Spirit says got tired of being outshined by his circus acts, took instead to snatching souls from unsuspecting audience members. He uses one hand to pull his coat away from his body, throwing his head back and exposing a chest swirling with screaming spirits.

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How to get it: The Ringmaster will sell for $329.99.

Cotton Candy Dan

You may not want to buy your sweet treats from the 6-ft Cotton Candy Dan, who does more than just sell concessions.
You may not want to buy your sweet treats from the 6-ft Cotton Candy Dan, who does more than just sell concessions.

You didn't think we'd get through the headliners without at least one more clown, did you?

More of a clown-turned-snack-vendor, Cotton Candy Dan is a 6.2-foot animatronic sporting the quintessential blue, red and yellow clown costume, giant clown shoes, red nose and bright red wig.

One beady red eye peers out of his mangled face and ripped flesh stretches over an empty socket on the other side, down to his yellowed, decaying opened mouth smile.

Cotton Candy Dan grips a wooden pole planted into a container of pink, fluffy cotton candy. As he stirs, the zombified, screaming head of his first victim, a man named Jim who heckled the clown so badly he was forced to quit shoq biz, pops up to serve a sweet jump scare.

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Dan has four punny voice lines, punctuated by creepy carnival music and sinister laughter.

How to get it: Cotton Candy Dan is priced at $329.99.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Spirit Halloween 2024 animatronic line: Creepy clowns, Michael Myers

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