HHN 34: Most Anticipated Haunted House

[Brian G.]

Most Anticipated House. Discuss!

 

[Kichkinet85]

Artista is my number 1 for sure! Really excited for that one. Just hope we all don't hype it up so much it's a flop. Grave is next followed by Terrifier (wet path)

 

[ThemeParks4Life]

1. Fallout - It's a white whale IP for me, and I loved season one of the show. I'm not expecting it to be HOTY, but as long as it's a mid-to-upper tier house, I'll be happy.

2. El Artista - Everything that's been revealed about the house so far makes it feel like the most creative original this decade. Very excited to see what's in store.

3. Galkn - Norse mythology hasn't been explored at the event too much, so like El Artista, it's exciting to have another original house concept that feels fresh.

4. Five Nights at Freddy's - It's another white whale IP for me, but since the house is based on the film, I'm a bit more cautious about its quality. A lot can go right or wrong here depending on the puppets.

5. Grave of Flesh - Based on what's been said, the cast will make or break this house. If they deliver, I'm sure it's going to be an uncomfortable walkthrough.

6. The Horrors of the Wyatt Sicks - Bringing WWE to the event already makes the house feel like a true passion project for the design team. If done well, it opens the door to many more unique IP collaborations, which is exciting in its own right.

7. Dolls: Let's Play Dead - Dollhouse of the Damned holds a place in my heart being part of my first HHN, so I'm excited for another dollhouse concept over 10 years later. That said, I'm slightly worried it's a house focused on concept and setting only versus scares.

8. Hatchet & Chains - As discussed when this was first announced, I don't think this is the concept from Slaughter Sinema 2 I would've adapted first. I am open to being surprised though!

9. Jason Universe - Cool that we finally get Jason back at the event, but given all the rights issues with the franchise, it remains to be seen how well this house flows between films (especially in the F&F queue).

10. Terrifier - I'm very curious how the dual path ending works (and I will definitely partake in the wet ending at least once). Aside from that, I am not a fan of the Terrifier franchise, so there's little excitement for me going into the event here.

 

[Spooky_Bitz]

My personal most hyped house of the year is Dolls: Let’s Play Dead. Dollhouse of the Damned is one of the houses from the past I really wish I had experienced and the blurbs we have gotten for this one is giving me those vibes. Also, I really loved Puppet Theatre from 2021 so if this gives those kinds of vibes as well, then I can definitely see this being one of my favs this year

 

[Returning-The-Reaction]

I am intentionally (mostly) keeping myself in the dark this year, so this could vary wildly from my actual ranking...

1. Jason
2. Grave of Flesh
3. Galkn
4. Artista
5. Dolls
6. Terrifier
7. Fallout
8. H & C
9. FNaF
10. WWE

 

[Killer Klown]

It’s the time again!

First, in general this is one of the more exciting recent lineups for me. I’d put it somewhere around where my hype levels were for years like 28 and 32 which is a big compliment. Also, as always I expect my hype list and my actual rankings to look very different from each other since that’s just how it goes for me haha. Nevertheless, onwards!

10. WWE Presents:The Horrors of the Wyatt Sicks - While I am happy that Mike and the team are getting to do a house based on something they’re very passionate about, I myself just simply don’t care about the WWE and didn’t know who the Wyatt Sicks were until like seven or eight months ago. Because of that, I’m just not interested in this house. That said, it can win me over if it leans into the twisted Mister Rogers vibe that the Firefly Funhouse has.

9. Grave of Flesh - It seems like there’s a lot of internal hype for this one so there’s a fair chance it ends up higher on the actual house rankings, but truth be told, the house art and description simply isn’t connecting with me for whatever reason. Also the premise itself doesn’t really make much sense to me either. If we’re already dead, then why does the creatures being flesh eaters matter? Wouldn’t it make more sense if they were trying to eat our souls instead?

8. Hatchet and Chains: Demon Bounty Hunters - We’re already at the houses that I’m very excited for and this one in particular I’ve debated moving up because I actually really like the sound of the plot here and the house itself sounds like a blast. I would not be even remotely surprised if this one ends up significantly higher on the house rankings. I have it this low because westerns aren’t my thing and it’s not the SS2 film I would’ve personally picked to make a house out of. It’s all going to come down to the design of the lava demons and their effects for me.

7. Jason Universe - It’s great to have Jason back! Not only that but it’s also nice to have a more classic feeling IP back in the fold since the last few years it feels like there’s been more focus on “current” IP entirely. I would love to have this higher but unfortunately there’s one significant thing holding it back, location. I have some serious concerns about the house format itself and the size of the tent portion. Maybe it’s just Chucky PTSD but I’m afraid for this house’s length and scenic design. I hope my concerns end up being for nothing.

6. El Artisa: A Spanish Haunting - Love the vibe I’m getting from this one. It feels like a blend of Gothic and Dead End which sure sounds good to me! Also really love how this house is tied to the overall event theme, like a pseudo icon house. I have high expectations for this one but there is the ever so slight concern that it comes off as a generic haunted house which is why it’s here.

5. Dolls Let’s Play Dead - I’m a sucker for these kinds of premises. There’s clear Sid from Toy Story influence here and I’m all for that. The design of the dollhouse itself will be big for me. Hoping that it has a sense of whimsy and fun to it and doesn’t just look like any old house. Not a fan of what we’ve seen from the facade so far but what’s inside the house should hopefully be a good time.

4. Five Nights at Freddy’s - A year later than expected but here we are! It’s always exciting when a white whale gets its due. Im always draw to the technical houses and this is definitely going to be that, at least it should be haha. A bit concerning that it’s based on the film since there’s barely any horror in it but bad films have made for good houses before so there’s definitely some hope. I’m excited to see how they pull this one off between the animatronics and adding some extra scares to a mostly tame film.

3. Galkn: Monsters of the North - Very nice to see another fantasy house, it’s a very welcome recent trend. Goblin’s Feast last year felt loosely Tolkien/LOTR based and this one feels like it’s going to have A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones feel to and I like the dichotomy. Excited to see what specific norse folklore they tap into as well as the general house aesthetic and whether it ends up being a “cold” house or not.

2. Fallout - Still kind of in shock that it’s actually coming. I’m a huge fan of the franchise and have wanted to see it for a while but never actually expected it. There’s so many interesting and fun creatures here and the 50s vibes should make it feel different from your typical post apocalyptic house. I also think a new tent is an excellent location for it. Beyond the house itself I’m extremely excited for the food they decide to bring to life.

1. Terrifier - For me this comes down to a few different things, 1. Art is a fantastic villain and should thrive in a haunted house setting. 2. There are a plethora of scenes and locations for the house to pull from and I’m very excited to see how they accomplish it and 3. The dual path aspect is intriguing and adds an extra sense of mystery to the house that I’m drawn to and 4. The soundstage 25 location is extremely exciting in itself. I understand that this franchise isn’t for everyone, but personally I’m a fan and I think it’s awesome to see this little indie horror franchise becoming one of the headliners of the world’s largest Halloween event when just two years ago most of us thought there was no chance of this ever happening period let alone as one of the main players.

 

[mccgavin]

1. Hatchet & Chains: Demon Bounty Hunters - I love all things revolving around westerns, and Hatchet & Chains was my favorite scene in SS2 last year. I was hoping it would get promoted to a full house, and I'm pleasantly surprised they decided to go through with it.

2. Jason Universe - The classic slashers have generally been my most wanted IPs to return to the event, as Halloween at HHN31 is among my all time favorite mazes. I've never had a chance to experience a maze with Jason Vorhees yet, but I'm hoping it will contain a faithful recreation of the classic films.

3. Five Nights at Freddy's - Another IP I've been hoping to see for a while, as I was personally invested in the FNAF franchise when it started, and have been amazed to see it come all this way. While still enjoyable for me, the movie left a bit to be desired, but the novelty of a house based around killer animatronics should not be understated.

4. El Artista: A Spanish Haunting - From what we're hearing, this sounds like it could be the most ambitious house this year. Hoping it delivers on fantastic scenic designs and creative scares, as the creative team has implied.

5 Dolls Let's Play Dead - I've heard Dollhouse of The Damned is a fan favorite, so hopefully this can offer a unique spin on that concept. I'm hoping they go all out with the sense of scale, and create some pretty gnarly designs for the disfigured toys and dolls.

6. Fallout - I'm familiar with the Fallout franchise, but I've never been fully invested in it. I've only played a little bit of the games, and have seen the first episode of the show, but I'm hoping they can deliver on the franchise's distinct aesthetic and world. I'm little worried this one might over-prioritize recreating moments of the show above scares and the overall experience.

7. Terrifier - I've never seen the Terrifier films, and I'm not sure that I want to, but I'm hoping that this will be a solid slasher house with plenty of interesting scares throughout.

8. The Horrors of The Wyatt Sicks - I'm not familiar with the WWE, but everything we've heard about the house sounds promising. This sounds like a passion project from the creative team, so hopefully they can deliver.

9. Galkn: Monsters of the North - Norse mythology is a very cool concept for a haunt attraction, but details have been a bit sparse beyond the initial description. Hopefully there's some surprises in store.

10. Grave of Flesh - Personally, this one doesn't sound too interesting to me. Hopefully the set design is interesting, as it has been claimed. There is potential for some intense scares if it's handled correctly.

 

[Kooks]

Most excited: Gálkn. I’ve always loved the northern wintry vibe. Antlers, pelt collars, cabins, snow, tall trees give me it all! Super excited to see how they pull this one off.

Least excited: Grave of Flesh. From the description, it sounds like it will be repetitive. Lots of caves and nightingale-esque creatures, but nothing that will really stand out visually. I hope I’m wrong, and that it surprises me, but it’s the one I’m the least hyped about.

Not excited, but “curious”: WWE. I don’t think I’ve ever watched a single WWE match. Lol. I know nothing and couldn’t care less about the sport or the Wyatts. But, knowing what HHN did with The Weeknd, and hearing about the passion on this project from the creative team, I’m definitely looking forward to what they come up with.

Honorable mention: Fallout. I recently watched the show and really enjoyed it, but I don’t think there’s much material to work with. All of the creature scenes took place in daylight, so I don’t expect any of these scenes to be recreated.. and if creatures are featured, like the Gulper, they’ll feel out of place.. I don’t think it’s going to have that “iconic”, straight from the screen feel like Ghostbusters or Killer Klowns. And, I’m not expecting it to be scary by any means. But I think it will be fun, so I’m looking forward to it.

 

[Tobias]

Okey dokie, so I thought this year was gonna' be an easy year to rank in anticipation. When the rumors of the houses were coming out some were falling into place pretty easily...but once things were officially announced and details came out...oh no, this turned out trickier than I thought! This is by no means a complaint, because this is quite the lineup of big IP's and very intriguing originals. So how does it all rank up for me?

As a usual preface, my actual #1 is never placed at #1. I am always a firm believer that overhype is often self-inflicted, and just keeping myself in check with a simple lower placement has honestly worked very well, so I'm sticking with it! Now on with the rankings, from the bottom-up!

10.) Terrifier - Now normally I'd have another preface that I'm fine with all ten houses, so here's a first, a house I truly don't care for. I've already said a lot, but to keep it simple. I'm not fond of this series, and the selling point for house being one of the bloodiest/goriest house doesn't move the needle for me. I will say I am intrigued by the wet/dry ending aspect to it, and as usual I'll go in with an open mind since in the past there have been houses I loved which are based off movies I don't care for. But when it comes to anticipation for me, it's very logical this is at the very bottom.

9.) Five Nights at Freddy's - Here's an IP that's at the polar opposite for me, for FNaF is a DREAM IP of mine! So why is it near the bottom, simple! Even though I am a big fan of the series, I will acknowledge this is a tricky one to execute especially when the iconic characters are giant animatronics. Also, this is based off the first movie which I'm not a fan of. Though of course, the house can turn out more fun than the movie. But most importantly, I go back to avoiding overhype. And I feel a DREAM IP of mine is best placed as low as I can possibly put it, but not under a house I don't care for.

8.) Hatchet & Chains: Demon Bounty Hunters - While not my 1st choice for a movie to get a full-blown house from SS2, there's some fun potential here as an action-adventure kind of house.

7.) Grave of Flesh - From the sounds of it, this is one of the houses to keep one's eye on as it could be a pretty hair-raising house. That said, that probably means the house will heavily depend on the intensity of its cast. Fingers crossed they bring it.

6.) Fallout - Okie Dokie! Fallout is a pretty fun series with its quirky black humor and retro aesthetic, and the tv series this house is based off of is an absolute blast! I'm pretty intrigued to see how they pull this off, let alone the possible food and drink options that'll most likely be at the event!

5.) Jason Universe - When it comes to legacy slashers, I will say I've got a soft spot for F13. Through all the ups and downs and weird left turns this franchise has taken, I always enjoy our resourceful hockey masked killer doing his thing. And with this house, even knowing it's going to feature multiple different Jasons along with the newest one...I have no idea how this is gonna' go, and that's exciting! The only thing I can see is the aerials of that literal outdoor scene in the venue, and that's intriguing as heck!

4.) The Horrors of the Wyatt Sicks - Being a fan of the late Bray Wyatt and the Wyatt Sicks, I'm pretty darn excited for this one. I think there's a lot of fun potential when it comes to settings, characters and so forth. And there's zero doubt this is a big passion project for the team, so I look forward to seeing what they pull off.

3.) Gálkn : Monsters of the North - This is the house where I knew making this anticipated list was gonna' be hard. The upper half of the list was already getting crowded, and then this one comes flying in with a theme that hits so. many. buttons. of mine.

2.) Dolls: Let's Play Dead - When it comes to haunt themes, twisted dolls/toys can be a favorite amongst many, and I'm one of them. And from the sounds of things, this one's gonna' get twisted indeed, to where I think the report the house is "kind of" a comedy house might end up becoming an inside joke.

1.) El Artista: A Spanish Haunting - With the way I do my anticipated rankings while also trying to avoid overhype, picking the #1 spot can be pretty hard. But in the end, I feel El Artista has all the requirements for it. It's very much linked to the overall setting/theme of the year, it has an absolutely killer concept, it sounds like it could be very rich in atmosphere and scares. If it delivers, we're in for a wild ride!

 

[TheCodeMan95]

Alrighty, gonna try to keep this relatively short. Let me start with this caveat: I am excited for every single house this year (except maybe #10 - a little).

1. Fallout - like others, this is a white whale. It was my #2 wishlist IP for a long time, and it became #1 after TLOU came to the event. The only pause I have is the location!

2. El Artista - this seems like a passion project for the creative team. 3 facades? With it being apparently designed by the same guy who did DMP, Blood Moon, and Goblin.. yeah. This is exciting.

3. Galkn - I'm really excited to see what they do with this. I'm a sucker for snowy houses - and if they manage to make this super cold? Chef's kiss.

4. Wyatt Sicks - I haven't watched WWE in years, I knew the old version of Bray Wyatt and I have a surface level understanding of the Wyatt Sicks. But this is just PURE intrigue. They seem incredibly passionate about this and that gives me a lot of excitement.

5. Jason Universe - This honestly should be higher. Jason has been a white whale for me personally, because I never saw him at the event. But.. the Jason Universe concept gives me some pause. This could easily turn into Voorhees: Ultimate Kill Count.

6. Five Nights at Freddy's - I only played the first 2 games and saw the movie. The entire concept of a "haunted Chuck E Cheese" is perfect for a haunted house, and I'm really excited to see how they execute the animatronics!

7. Hatchet & Chains - this is not the one I would have picked for Slaughter Sinema 2, but I think the western setting combined with the demon aesthetic could make for a visually gorgeous and fun house!

8. Dolls: Let's Play Dead - this would be MUCH higher if they didn't say this is more of a comedy house. Would much prefer this to really lean into the demented and scary aspects of dolls. But either way - killer dolls should be fun!

9. Grave of Flesh - the rumor that this is mostly caverns dampens my excitement a bit. It sounds like the facade is great, but I'm a big set design guy - so I'll be very disappointed if this whole house is tight, dark caves.

10. Terrifier - hate the movie. Watched the first, never watched the sequels. I'm sure it will be fun because it's a slasher house, and the wet/dry endings should make for a nice twist. I am sure this will end up higher than #10 on my final ranking, but I can't place a house for an IP I hate above anything else lol

@Brian G. are we gonna get yours?

 

[RedRightDan]

If El Artista wasn't here, this would be much more difficult. But, as it is now, it's a big battle for my #2.

 

[Neo]

Figured I'd do my hype list a little differently this year as we had the Spec Map being 95% accurate so early on, but had some interesting rumors and assumptions on my part that really changed my list up between then and when each house was announced with the synopsis.

1. Ja50n Un1v3r53 - This was 7th on my very first hype list because there were crazy rumors/rumblings that it might not have Jason, might not have Crystal Lake, etc. But after the announcement, it shot to number one for me. In my opinion, there are 40 slasher movies in the Friday, Nightmare, Halloween, & Chainsaw franchises and there should be one of them every event. When you ask most people what they think of first when they hear "horror" it will be one of them before Conjuring, Quite Place, etc.
   
   
2. El Artista - I got Museum vibes from this on the Spec Maps, so it was at 6 originally. It might be artificially high on my list based on the fact that it's the house we have the most official information about, but it is what it is.
   
   
3. Five Nights at Freddy's - Never played the games, but was pleasantly surprised by the movie. This was at 5 originally, but moved up a bit with the Henson involvement and that the animatronics will be animatronics and not "man in suit" Godzilla type things. This has the ability to be my #1 overall...or #10 post event, but I can't wait to see how they pull off the animatronics.
   
   
4. Galkn - This was #3 when it had the image of the Viking Ship because I LOVE houses that have ships. They've all been bangers in my book. When they replaced the ship with a book, it moved way down my list but with the announcement, moved right back up.
   
   
5. Hatchet & Chains - This was #8 because I really didn't remember anything from Slaughter Sinema and felt that soooo many of the other movies would have been better to do. Hearing more about it moved it up a bit, but other houses really falling was more responsible for it's current ranking.
   
   
6. Wyatt Sicks - Was #9 as I have no interest in WWE or anything. But hearing the rumors of what the facade might be and the announcement moved it up quite a bit. This could be the surprise house of the year for me.
   
   
7. Fallout - This was #4 on the Spec Map. LOVE the games, I invested hundreds of hours playing Fallout 3 and then a decent amount of time with the Vegas one. Then found out it was the Amazon show. So I then watched it and while it was decent, it didn't scream HHN house to me and it fell way down my list.
   
   
8. Grave of Flesh - This was #2 when it was just a cemetery house, but when it was announced it plummeted down my hype list. So I'm dead, OK, and then creatures are trying to eat my flesh? Sounds good to me, that's quick and better than worms and maggots eating my flesh over years. The premise just doesn't do it for me, but with Legacy talking about it, I have a feeling it might end up close to #2 again post event.
   
   
9. Dolls Lets Play Dead - This was #1 when it was just Toys or Dolls. Sign me up! Dolls are so freaky. Then I found out they "Honey I shrunk the kids-ed" it. Uggggh. Small dolls are terrifying, 5 foot tall ones, not so much. I hated the Chucky house that you were shrunk down to his size, so this would have done the never-before fall from #1 to #10 if it weren't for...
   
   
10. Terrifier - God I hate these movies. I don't get it at all. All they needed to do was give Art some kind of backstory (the movies have NO STORY whatsoever). Like he was a clown that people hated and tormented and ended up killing. Then he has some kind of motive at least. Like Jason kills people tangentially responsible for his death or who disrespect/desecrate the place of his dead most of the time. Then he just stabs them or chops their heads of with a machete. He doesn't chop one arm off, then the other, then one leg, then the other, then put salt on all the wounds, then chop the guys !@#$ off, then rip the flesh of his face, then crap on him. Just hate these. Was #10 from the instant it was announced, is #10 now. The house on it's own might be 100x better than the movies for me as it will just be the aftermath of the kills so if anything else really sucks, it could move up a couple spots. But no thanks.

 

[velocicoasterswife]

Popping back over here just to participate!

1. El Artista - What can you even say? The hype around this one is palpable. Love the vibe they're going for, if they pull it off this will be a true all-timer.

2. Wyatt Sicks - I never thought I'd be this excited for a WWE house, but Bray Wyatt was a genuine visionary and the Sicks, even if they aren't the best wrestlers in the world, have some extremely cool designs and fun lore. The Firefly Fun House and the Wyatt Sicks' first appearance are just too perfect.

3. Fallout - Bounced off the show the first time I watched it, but I gave it another shot when the house was announced and I really loved it. Got me into the games, too. Even if this is just a Fan Fest Nights style walkthrough, I like this setting enough that I'll take it.

4. Jason Universe - This is a real wary number four. Final Chapter and Jason Takes Manhattan are some of my favorite slashers ever, and even the lesser Fridays are a good time. This shouldn't be hard to pull off. But the whole "Jason Universe" brand carries such corporate slime that I can't help gritting my teeth a bit. Fingers crossed!

5. Galkn - I kind of like this as an anthological "sequel" to Monstruos. Houses focusing on monsters of myth from different cultures is such a cool concept, they may as well do one of these every year!

6. Five Nights at Freddy's - This should be number one. The first FNAF game is the only horror game that sincerely scares me so much I have to turn it off after a while. Maybe that's just because it burrowed into my brain when I was young enough to be easily startled, but I honestly think it's just a great concept, well-executed. The movie on the other hand is a nonsensical concept with no identity and less than no horror. Shrug. Hope it surprises me.

7. Terrifier - The first Terrifier is a mean-spirited non-movie with a few gnarly kills. 2 and especially 3 are over-the-top, grisly, often silly movies with really cool environments and sets. Great house fodder, but my honest appraisal is that this might end up a tiny bit generic. Without the nauseating gore, Terrifier doesn't have that much of its own identity. We'll see!

8. Hatchet & Chains - Yeah, I dunno. Cowboy-themed house: awesome idea. Cowboys vs Demons: A little hat-on-a-hat, but still pretty cool. Cowboys vs Lava Demons: this conceit is getting messy. Could be fun but it just seems like too crowded of a pitch for all the ideas to really come through. Worried it's gonna be more "zany" than western.

9. Dolls Let's Play Dead - Haunted dolls are awesome, but they're not haunted house awesome in my humble opinion. The thing that's scary about them is that they are small, inexpressive, and largely motionless. Just doesn't translate to a bunch of scare actors in makeup.

10. Grave of Flesh - Still don't really get what's exciting about this. Sounds astonishingly generic.

 

[EAS]

Here is mine:

1. Terrifier - Although the originals are often the best, I have to admit that the first time I went to Halloween Horror Nights was in college in Los Angeles when they had Freddy, Jason, and Leatherface, and the right IPs still have the ability to excite me like nothing else. Slasher movies are comfort food, and Terrifier really is the first major slasher franchise made my people of my generation, based on their love of the same movies I grew up watching. This is really a tight race between Terrifier and Jason Universe, but what gives this the slight edge is that Damien Leone and the filmmakers are involved here, so I think it will feel like the true Terrifier experience. Should be gnarly, funny, weird - exactly the mix of gore, extremity, and humor I like.

2. Jason Universe - Hand in hand with Terrifier - I always am thrilled when we get one of the OG slashers, and I can't believe we get two big slasher icons in one year. Jason Universe could easily go to #1 if it is handled properly, because the mythos of these movies - silly and generic as they are - is really deeply ingrained for me. Plus, Camp Blood was one of the first houses I ever did at HHN way back in 2008! I do have some concerns about the F&F location, and about Jason Un1v3rse turning this a bit generic, but I think there is so much potential, and I am so excited we get Jason back.

3. El Artista - For the same reason many people have been saying, this feels like it will be something special. With references to things like the pepper ghost effect, I can envision a version of The Haunted Mansion - truly one of the great Disney attractions - that is more extreme and disturbing, and that sounds amazing. The Goya and Gaudi artistic and architectural influences sound very good. And, I have always thought of haunted house stories, stuff like The Haunting or Hell House or Stephen King's Rose Red, as among the most epic of horror tales, and I think El Artista could really be epic.

4. Grave of Flesh - This one is giving me a mix of gnarly and extreme gore on the one hand, and existential dread on the other. It could end up being just a generic catacombs with monsters and fall much lower on the list. But on the other hand, it could be something really special - I am thinking of inspirations like Clive Barker's Nightbreed, The Descent, and more. I hope this one is visceral, full of grotesque monsters, and that they find a way to play on the fear most of us have about death. With all that said, I am a bit bummed we didn't get an Urban Inferno house, because that sounded really punk rock in the best way.

5. Galkn - Could definitely go either way. The cold setting is very appealing, and the idea of different mythological monsters sounds amazing. My fear during spec season was that this would hew too close to Game of Thrones - Vikings versus skeletons as a riff on Nights Watch versus White Walkers - but it seems that we are instead getting the better version of this concept. If it has trolls, wolves, and other creatures along with the big, Garraka-esque villainess, it could be amazing.

6. WWE: The Horrors of the Wyatt Sicks - I am not a big wrestling fan, and so WWE would be my easy last place in most circumstances. If, for example, there was an actual wrestling ring and a lot of wrestling lore, it wouldn't be for me. But it seems like what they are doing instead is drawing on the mythology that Bray Wyatt created, and the designs of the Wyatt Sicks gives me very strong Rob Zombie / Firefly Family vibes, which is much more appealing. If this has the Louisiana cult aspect, the grimy Rob Zombie aesthetic, and the creepiness of the Fiend's Exorcist-like Let Me In demands, it could actually go much higher on my list.

7. Hatchet & Chains - This was not one of my favorite rooms in Slaughter Sinema 2, but I understand why the ones I liked better don't fit as well (Mardi Gras Murders is too close to Terrifier; Blood & Chum is tough to do as a full house; Mummy Strippers as a whole house might be a bit daring even for Universal). Western and horror go well together when done right (see, e.g., Bone Tomahawk), and I think H&C has potential to have a fun vibe that takes you back to childhood, with cool monsters and neat designs. But, since the original room was just okay for me, I could see it going either way.

8. Five Nights at Freddy's - The movie is really not very good, sanitizing the animatronics and injecting far too much plot into a very simple premise. While Matthew Lillard is one of my favorite actors, and he is awesome - so a Matthew Lillard stand-in and Springtrap villain are cool in my book - I worry this house is going to get muddled down by the movie's plot, especially since featuring a fakeversion of Josh Hutcherson and the ghost kids would be a way to save on budget but still follow the movie. With all that said, I am still excited, because I played the first game earlier this summer in anticipation of the house, and it was pretty good; if FNAF is closer to the original game - claustrophobic, uncanny valley, jump scares from the animatronics themselves - it could be really cool.

9. Dolls: Let's Play Dead - I was really excited for this one when it sounded like it was going to be a toy store gone wrong, and really excited for this one when it sounded like it was going to be an attic full of toys that had grown resentful against an owner who had abandoned them. Going the Toy Story route with a Sid stand-in who tortures the toys is probably the least appealing version of this premise for me personally, and I am not sure how I feel about the mix of that plotline and the statements that this will be more of a comedy house. I actually really like haunted dolls and stuff (Stuart Gordon's Dolls rules, for example), so as with most of these, it could really climb up the list.

10. Fallout - I watched the TV show and enjoyed it, but I don't have a deep connection to the franchise. This is much more appealing to me than some of the IPs from recent years like A Quiet Place or Stranger Things, but it winds up on the bottom just because I think this is a very stacked year, and because I think the upper potential of this house is lower for me personally. I am excited for the giant Gulper and the Rad Roaches, but I tend to find post-apocalyptic houses a bit drab, and I have a feeling this one will have a lot of generic human scareactors - raiders, good guy characters, etc.