The much anticipated opening date for Universal Studios Hollywood’s new outdoor high-speed roller coaster themed after the “Fast & Furious” movie franchise has been announced.
The attraction, titled “Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift,” will open Sept. 16, theme park officials announced.
Hollywood Drift is the theme park’s first outdoor high-speed coaster, and is notable for its high speeds, vertigo-inducing twists and turns, and its (apparently) scream-inducing thrills.
- Residents of nearby Toluca Lake have complained that the screams from riders can be heard for several miles throughout the day—potentially causing a delay for the ride’s debut
An unofficial soft opening has been underway for testing of the attraction on select days as of late July.
Theme park officials said in a press release that the ride will bring an “unprecedented surge of adrenaline” and a “new level of intensity” to the Los Angeles destination.
What to expect when riding Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift
According to company officials, the coaster reaches speeds of up to 72 mph along 4,100 feet of aerial track. Built into the hillside terrain of the park’s Upper Lot, the ride features a dual-launching track system that propels trains over and under the park’s Starway escalator.
“With real estate at a premium at the Hollywood theme park destination, the visionaries at Universal Creative had the foresight to transform the hillside terrain into the backbone of the coaster, using its natural contours and vista as both the structural base and a defining element of the ride’s imaginative design,” a news release from the theme park states. “The end result delivers breathtaking panoramic views of the San Fernando Valley, the Universal Studio movie studio and the theme park.”
The track includes four separate launches, an inverted dive loop and dynamic vehicle rotation designed to allow individual cars to drift 360 degrees.
The ride is built around Universal Pictures’ film franchise, which theme park representatives said has generated $7 billion over its 25-year history.
Coaster vehicles are modeled after iconic cars from the movies, including the Dodge Charger, Mazda RX-7, Nissan Skyline GT-R and Toyota Supra. Each vehicle is equipped with an independent sound system programmed with engine sound effects specific to that car model.
Read More: ‘Obsession’ debuting at Halloween Horror Nights as ‘Terrifier’ hijacks Studio Tour
Guests waiting in the queue will pass through a replica red brick garage housing movie props, including modified stunt cars, a roll cage and a vault truck. A transparent section of the track will pass directly through the queue building.
Due to the forces and speed of the coaster, theme park officials said riders will be required to pass through metal detectors and store all loose items, including mobile phones, in complementary lockers before entering the boarding platform.
This is the second Fast & Furious attraction at the park, albeit the first dedicated thrill ride.
Fast & Furious: Supercharged 3D was the closing attraction of the world-famous Studio Tour for nearly a decade before closing last March. A stand-alone version of the ride could be found at Hollywood’s sister park in Orlando, although it officially ended its run earlier this month.
Coaster debuts just in time for Universal Studios horror season
When Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift officially opens on Sept. 16, theme park guests will have until 6 p.m. to board. The official debut of the roller coaster does not coincide with Halloween Horror Nights, which begins on Sept. 3, 2026, and runs on select nights through Nov. 1, 2026.
This year’s Halloween Horror Nights attractions, characters and haunted houses include other blockbuster hits, including “Sinners,” “Evil Dead: Burn,” and “Obsession.”
This year, the 2026 Terror Tram, which starts on the world famous Studio Tour before guests are dropped off and forced to brave the park’s backlot at night, will be themed around the “Terrifier” horror franchise and will feature its main antagonist/villain, Art the Clown.
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