With the new info... Let's recap what we know and don't know.
Spec Recap
What we know for sure–
The entrance for the Sprung 2 house (Havoc) is where the exit normally is, meaning we have different crowd flow coming out of that house than in the past.
The façade for Jaws is built further out than normal (and is getting a true façade).
Sprung 1’s Room #8 is known in the permits as the “Rune Room.”
Three of the houses have some sort of overhang requiring sprinklers to be installed (possible a ceiling or “Up-Scares”).
None of the previous Icons are returning.
* There are at least 8 houses and 6 Scarezones (they’re not cutting back). Houses are in the same locations as last year. Scarezones are in Hollywood, New York, Plaza of the Stars, Shrek, Central Park and IFB.
* Something, similar to a scarezone, is happening in “Lucy.”
A similar font to the website can be seen in HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire.”
Auditions include asking for individuals who can speak Spanish.
* IFB seems to be a stilt-heavy zone.
Rusty pipes, gears, and water tanks have been seen in the Jaws queue
Easter eggs and wood carvings (with antlers) have been seen in disaster. Along with various home furnishings.
The Thing will be a house this year.
RIP, VIP and Unmasking the Horror tours will return this year.
The commercial was shot in June.
"Horizon Extraction Facility" has been seen painted in the Jaws queue.
What we can deduce –
* IFB = International Food Building, which is the restaurant between Animal Actors and Simpsons.
Gambling/Games is/are the predominate theme this year.
The time period and location of the icon is possibly the Big-Band (1920’s-30’s) and probably NOT Vegas.
We are having some sort of “Casino/Gambling” house this year.
* A 9th house is NOT happening this year. There has been no casting for a 9th house, no physical clues to a 9th house, no leaks of a 9th house. (It has been announced, but we can deduce it).
We are getting something that is heavily influenced by Spanish culture or history.
Our mutual friend's clues seem to imply Saws and Steam house
The items in the Jaws queue seem to imply the Saws and Steam house.
The logical place for The thing would be a sound stage (namely SS 22)
What we know isn’t happening –
We aren’t getting a literature-based event this year.
* Cindy as an icon this year.
Major Rumors and Spec (Not confirmed) –
“Death” will play a major part this year (stems from a perceived clue from Catacombs last year).
* There will be a WWI house in in the Soundstages.
* Character Code-Name Spec – All character code-names can be found at HHNRumors
* General Spec says that “Sprung 2” is our Casino house, although that is not confirmed or a consensus.
General Thoughts and Spec –
Not all of the characters we know from the past were actually Icons, which means people (Monsters? Spirits? Zombies?) may come back.
The Queen of Spades has a dagger and red hair… take that for what it’s worth.
The Ace of Spades is known as the “Death Card.”
* Everyone’s Fate is Death.
Not all the houses and scarezones have to tie in with the theme.
It takes two cards to hit 21.
"Lady Luck" has been speculated as the icon.
”Official Clues” From a Mutual Friend –
”In heaven, the three with whom I would talk? Eoin Colfer, Steve Jobs and Peter Falk.” – The accepted interpretation of the riddle is that, “All die in the end,” or, “All meet the same fate.” There can be more to it, but that has yet to be confirmed.
"One stands to lose their body's bounty, If they return to God's Own County" - Implies Yorkshire (the only place called God's own COUNTY. Saws and Steam took place in New Yorkshire. The "body's bounty" would be blood or the flesh in general. In Saws and Steam they extracted water from bodies.