Universal Studios Hollywood has faced online criticism after announcing that Nikki, the cursed female character from the hit horror film Obsession, will appear at Halloween Horror Nights. Critics argue that presenting her as a scare attraction is insensitive because the film depicts her as deprived of autonomy and unable to consent, while others say horror has long featured victims of abuse or possession as frightening figures.

Obsession, made for about $750,000, has earned $488 million worldwide since its May release and made its 26-year-old writer-director Curry Barker a major new name in Hollywood. The debate centres on whether viewers wrongly regard Nikki as the villain rather than Bear, the insecure man whose wish magically compels her devotion; Universal’s announcement described her as a victim of the One Wish Willow curse. Halloween Horror Nights runs from 3 September to 1 November and will also include a Sinners-themed haunted house.