Jason Egan’s revered ‘FRIGHT DOME’ was seemingly appropriated by social media “influencer” Tony Lopez. Who wins the Horror Dome War?
You may have heard that the legendary Fright Dome is returning this fall to Circus Circus Adventuredome. That information is incorrect. A horror attraction will indeed open at the indoor theme park, but the name is Fear Dome. And it’s not affiliated with the original creator.
Any confusion between the two events appears, at least to this writer, as intentional. That’s why Fright Dome creator Jason Egan and his legal team are prepared, if necessary, to duke it out with Fear Dome‘s production company, South of Heaven, and its frontman, Tony Lopez. At stake is the intellectual property that Egan built across a decade and a half.
Egan’s Fright Dome debuted at Circus Circus in 2003. The horror-themed experience ran during the Halloween season for fifteen successful years. USA Today and The Travel Channel ranked it as one of the top “Haunted Attractions” in the nation.
Egan with “Prince of Darkness”, the late Ozzy Osbourne
According to its official website, the 250,000-square-foot Fright Dome attracted “millions of thrill-seekers from around the world.” Celebrity attendees included Michael Jackson, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, Stevie Wonder, Kevin Hart, Vince Neil, Corey Feldman, Mike Tyson, Missy Elliott, and even Vanilla Ice.
Despite its success, Fright Dome wasn’t welcomed back to the family-friendly hotel casino in 2018. The reason depends on who you speak to. Egan Productions issued a rather vague announcement at the time, suggesting there was more to the story:
“Circus Circus has informed Egan Productions that it will not move forward with Fright Dome for 2018. While we regret this bad news, we are grateful to the people of Las Vegas for supporting Fright Dome over the past fifteen years. We look forward to many successful Halloween events in the future.”
– EGAN PRODUCTIONS 8/23/18
Vital Vegas reported on 8/26/18 that Fright Dome‘s demise was “the culmination of months of drama between Circus Circus (owned by MGM Resorts at the time) and Egan Productions, the folks behind the lucrative Fright Dome attraction.” The site later issued a retraction.
Jason Egan and a friend…
Since 2018, Jason Egan’s contributions to Las Vegas entertainment have been prolific and even more exciting. Our coverage of Egan’s Escape IT attraction was one of Vegas 411‘s most widely-read pieces last month.
Immersive attractions from Egan Productions include Escape Blair Witch, SAW Escape, and the new John Wick Experience at AREA 15. Jason and his artists have partnered with major studios like Warner Bros/Discovery, Lionsgate, and Twisted Pictures.
Jason’s attractions are often built around wildly popular intellectual properties, such as the Halloween and SAW film franchises. These aren’t knock-offs, but fully licensed experiences created with the participation/endorsement of the filmmakers and studios.
Egan collaborated with legendary director George A. Romero (Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead) for a zombie attraction. His interactive Five Nights at Freddy’s was the very first theme park attraction of its kind to be based on the video game. Horror icons like Linda Blair, Sid Haig (The Devil’s Rejects), and Elvira have been drawn to the Egan brand in various capacities.
Coming out of the COVID shutdown, Egan’s Fright Ride was the very first socially distanced haunted attraction. It was a welcome return to fun in a world that desperately needed an escape. Innovation, top-level creativity, and Hollywood-quality characters are benchmarks of Egan’s creations.
The new Fear Dome (above) opens at Circus Circus Adventuredome in late September. It was officially announced in June and is being touted by local media outlets as a “return” despite a lack of participation from the previous incarnation.
Here’s a portion of the statement from South of Heaven Productions, which is behind the new attraction:
“This isn’t a revival, it’s a full-scale reinvention. We grew up in Las Vegas. It was important for us to bring back an iconic attraction at the iconic property, Circus Circus. Led by an entirely new team of visionary creatives, every element has been meticulously crafted from the ground up.”
“From the immersive haunted environments and cinematic storylines, to high-quality effects and spine-chilling thrills, Las Vegas locals and tourists alike won’t want to miss this memorable experience.”
If you haven’t heard of South of Heaven Productions, you aren’t alone. A visit to the website lists only one offering…Fear Dome. The website has a copyright date of 2025. The related Facebook page made its first post on May 16th, 2025.
VEGAS 411 reached out to South of Heaven Productions, inquiring about its creative team and backers. While we have yet to receive a response, I learned that Fear Dome involves the participation of a social media celebrity named Tony Lopez.
Tony Lopez (above) boasts millions of Instagram followers…
Mr. Lopez is a Las Vegas native-born. At twenty-five years old, he’s amassed a fan base of over 22 million through TikTok dance videos. Tony’s Instagram account is mostly devoted to workouts and fitness. He also gained attention as a cast member of Hype House, a Netflix series in which social media darlings cohabitate in the Hollywood Hills.
If you’re wondering how a perpetually topless male dancer relates to a Halloween attraction on the Las Vegas Strip, you aren’t alone. But I may have figured it out. A May 18th post covered Lopez’s fascination with Universal Epic Universe, a new theme park in Orlando. Tony’s affiliation with Fear Dome was alluded to six days later.
Perhaps the young entrepreneur has amassed a fortune large enough to challenge Universal Studios‘ own Horror Unleashed, a year-round Las Vegas attraction that opens on August 14th. Unfortunately, Lopez doesn’t have the same industry clout as Jason Egan.
Fear Dome‘s unbranded haunts will carry generic names like “Deep Containment”, “Hillbilly Hollow”, “The Birth of Glass Eyes”, and “Cotton Candy Carnage”. That’s in sharp contrast to Egan’s authorized versions of “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “My Bloody Valentine,”
The internet’s buzzing over “the return of Fright Dome” must surely irritate Jason Egan. Points of contention could include the similarity of make-up and costume designs, Fear Dome‘s apparent hiring of artists and actors who previously worked for Egan at Fright Dome, and even the mimicking of his logos and graphics.
FEAR DOME (above) versus FRIGHT DOME (below)
DJ Pauly D at Fright Dome
While this writer is excited over the announcement of any new horror attraction, Fear Dome‘s origins and approach are cause for concern. A casting call has been announced, and auditions will take place on several dates.
Find us in Meeting Room B:
Inside Circus Circus Casino → past Adventuredome, Starbucks, and the SpongeBob ride → down the escalators near the banquet halls.
Must be 18+Bring ID + Social Security CardHeadshot/resume if you have one
Costumes welcome! Come dressed as a character or
creature of your choice — show us what you’ve got!
Come ready to impress. This is your shot to join something massive.
Adventuredome is located at the Circus Circus Hotel Casino
EPILOGUE – A resolution?
As this article was being prepared for publication, the makers of Fear Dome made an unexpected announcement. On 7/25/25, the attraction’s official Instagram page posted this notification:
The Fear Dome website has been updated to include new ‘Fear Zone‘ graphics and branding (below), while its Facebook page remains unchanged…for now. Jason Egan tells VEGAS 411 that Tony Lopez and team did not reach out to him in regards to the Fright Dome branding. Then again, they never consulted with him before planning to take over his longtime “haunt”.
A revised name and marketing materials should make it clear that FEAR ZONE is an entirely new entity, one that hopefully succeeds on its own merits. The rebranding might also be a satisfactory resolution for both parties. We’ll keep you up to date on further developments. In the meantime…bring on the Halloween fun!
Previous casting call (left) and current one…
