MANSFIELD, Ohio -- There’s a terrifying twist coming to the “Shawshank Prison.”
If the infamously eerie Mansfield Reformatory isn’t spooky enough, the former prison is spiking up the screams.
Hollywood horror movie mastermind Robert Kurtzman and his crew are making headlines again by announcing a new nail-biting addition for Halloween thrillseekers at the prison's seasonal haunted attraction.
New in 2016, brave guests can select the “Touch Pass.”
Organizers say this will “make your experience even more intense as the monsters and mad men will be able to touch you.”
This is only for people who choose to participate.
App users can see photos from 2015's haunted event at the Mansfield Reformatory HERE.
Earlier this year, news surfaced that Kurtzman, who is a legend in the special effects industry, was hired to bring his sinister spin to the historic prison’s haunted house.
It’s called Paranormal Penitentiary: Monster Lockdown.
“We are bringing to life all new characters and creature creations with more scares and fantastic visuals,” Kurtzman said in a Facebook post. “We are going to pull out all the stops to make the 2016 Halloween experience better than ever.”
Paranormal Penitentiary: Monster Lockdown will unlock the horror starting Sept. 23.
WKYC app users can see photos of the 2015 Mansfield Reformatory haunted house HERE.
Kurtzman is known as the “K” in KNB EFX, the award-winning Hollywood effects trio of Kurtzman, Greg Nicotero and Howard Berger. He has worked on a plethora of films dating back to the 1980s, including numerous movies in the Nightmare on Elm Street series, Misery, Pulp Fiction, From Dusk Till Dawn, Scream, Boogie Nights, Spy Kids, Austin Powers in Goldmember and loads more. In total, he has been involved with more than 400 flicks -- six of which he's directed, including 1997's cult horror favorite, Wishmaster.
Just outside the prison's shadow, Kurtzman owns and operates his self-named “Creature Corps.” in Crestline. It's in this wicked workshop where he and his minions make movie magic by crafting props and effects for films being made around the world. Creature Corps. is the largest special effects makeup studio in the United States outside of Los Angeles.
The Mansfield Reformatory, which features the world's tallest free-standing cell block, closed in 1990.
Since then, the ominous, castle-like structure has been showcased in numerous films like The Shawshank Redemption and Air Force One.
Many also believe it’s one of the country’s most haunted locations, which is why it has been splashed across national TV on shows like Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures.
The prison is now a popular tourist destination, which offers self-guided tours and opportunities to hunt for ghosts.
