Derren Brown’s new ride at Thorpe Park is about to take on a darker persona, with the attraction set to travel “to a horrifying new destination” in 2017.

Renamed Derren Brown’s Ghost Train: Rise of the Demon, officials at Merlin have promised a “new deeper, darker, more intense journey” for the dark ride, which merges grand illusion, live action, virtual reality, special effects and physical movement to create an all-new experience, reimagining the ghost train concept for the 21st Century.

The Ghost Train, which opened last year, was built for purpose to introduce new journeys over time, meaning it can be continually tweaked and updated to offer a new guest experience. Merlin’s creative team used the ride’s debut year to learn about the attraction’s operations, identifying how to heighten the realism of the VR experience via leveraging the behaviour of guests on the ride.

In upping the fear and enhancing the ghost train experience, Derren Brown, Merlin Magic Making and Figment Productions have worked together to explore the VR filmmaking field. With the ride already installed, a camera crew was able to shoot new footage on the ride during the park’s off-season, with footage live-streamed to a VR headset, allowing the director and producers to monitor performances from outside the train.

“As the new Divisional Director of Thorpe Park for 2017, one of my roles here at the park is to listen to guests’ feedback which I went through on appointment and it was clear that we have a very brave audience as they all wanted more intense scares in the Ghost Train,” said Thorpe Park’s new divisional director, Dominic Jones. “We have built up the tension and alongside Derren have decided to give you a little bit extra, but I can’t reveal any more as that would spoil the journey.”

In addition to the ride’s redevelopment, there are also plans afoot for new IP additions to the park’s popular Fright Nights staged during the month of October. The park reopens for the 2017 season on 23 March.