Knott’s Scary Farm will expand the family tree of the best known character in the 52-year history of the annual Halloween event by giving starring roles to Sarah Marshall’s two sisters who stood by her side at the trial of the Green Witch.
The Knott’s Berry Farm creative team has tied together the backstories of Mary Worth (better known as Bloody Mary) and Sarah Marshall (better known as the Green Witch) by making them sisters. A Scary Farm backstory involving the third Marshall sister is currently in development.
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The new Mary — The Haunting of Worth Home haunted maze will be part of Knott’s Scary Farm at the Buena Park theme park on 28 select nights from Sept. 18 through Nov. 1.
The 2019 Origins: The Curse of Calico haunted house that tells the origin story of the Green Witch remains in this year’s lineup — a long run for a Scary Farm maze in the modern era.
Knott’s has been developing the supernatural backstory of the Green Witch over the past half century, according to Knott’s Scary Farm creative designer Jon Asperin.
“In our lore, Sarah had two sisters. We’ve never talked about the sisters,” Asperin said during a walk-through tour of the Bloody Mary maze. “We left it ambiguous for a reason. What we’re starting to do now is open up that lineage and lore to expand the Sarah Marshall story a little bit.”
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During the 1980s, the Green Witch was the star of “The Hanging” that featured a screaming woman protesting her innocence as she was hauled through the streets of Calico and hanged for being a witch. As the backstory evolved, Calico townswoman Sarah Marshall transformed into the Green Witch on the gallows, turned her accusing neighbors into monsters with a wicked curse and vanished in a puff of smoke with a cackling laugh.
An Easter Egg hidden in the new Bloody Mary maze will reveal the family connection of Mary Worth and Sarah Marshall.
“It’s something that the guests have to find,” Asperin said.
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The Worth family tree can be found in the dining room hallway of the Bloody Mary maze — but only if you have the Knott’s Scary Farm Haunted Lantern.
The $43 interactive lantern triggers more than 100 special effects in haunted mazes and scare zones throughout the Scary Farm event — including an ultraviolet effect that shows Bloody Mary’s twisted family lineage.
“It ends up being the Marshall timeline,” Asperin said. “Mary happens to be one of the sisters of Sarah Marshall.”
Mary Marshall’s name changed when she married into the Worth family.
The backstory for the Bloody Mary maze follows the mournful tale of Mary Worth after the tragic death of her family. Mistaken as the murderer, Mary is stoned and buried alive in a shallow grave by the enraged townspeople. Aggrieved and pained, Mary returns from the grave to exact revenge on anyone who steps inside her family home.
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The Green Witch won’t show up in the Bloody Mary haunted house — but the sisters know each other.
“There’s a third sister, but we haven’t talked about her yet,” Asperin said. “It’s actually shown on the family tree, but there’s blood all over it. So you’re left wondering who’s the third sister.”
Scary Farmers won’t have to wait long to meet the third Marshall sister.
“We’re working on developing the character right now,” Asperin said. “It’s coming along pretty well. Hopefully within the next few years or so we’ll introduce her.”