I've been following this closely and I don't think it was a matter of leadership since they did fully intend on it, not meaning to tease us. I've heard from reliable sources that the intent from leadership was the event was gonna go on. Apparently, all the houses were finished minus some more minor aspects. They still tried to prepare which is why no official announcements ever went out and the Twitter account remained vague. Apparently the nail in the coffin from what I gather (again a rumor, but from a few sources so cannot confirm and I doubt we'll any word from Universal on it) was that a state health official came in within the last few days to do a once-over of the event and they gave it the axe saying it wasn't doable, which unfortunately they cannot argue.
Universal has already dealt a big blow with a massive lay off that included HHN show director, Patrick Braillard, so I'm sure they did not mean it to fall like this. They did everything they could to keep it moving, but some things you just can never plan for. It's why we've had things like what happened in HHN11 in 2001 with having to remove the gore and cutting Eddie within a month or more recently HHN27 where AOV had to come up with a new show in days after their set got destroyed by Irma as well as Festival of the Deadliest being re-worked. Construction has to start at a certain point or it won't get done, same with tickets and casting, the timeline can't be changed it was either go ahead or don't and a lot of things already started before the pandemic even hit.
I understand being upset I had sent in my audition the other day and not gonna lie my initial reaction was not exactly pretty. At the end of the day, placing blame on leadership isn't gonna bring the event back or make this all better. Best thing to do is look forward to 2021, support Universal as well as those displaced by this (lots of scare actors had already been hired), wear your masks, social distance and hope for the best.
