HHN 2024: Most Anticipated House

[Brian G.]

Most Anticipated House?

 

[AlexanderMBush]

It's finally time!!

Gonna go from 8 to 1 on this one; but a weird bit of context: none of the houses are those I am genuinely dreading. Hesitancy be present with a few; but I'm excited for one thing out of all of the 8 houses. Hope I can explain things in that.

___

8.) Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire - Someone had to be on the lower end, but I'll give it this: 2019 was a really fun time. Flaws and all; it was the Ghostbusters experience I wanted and the one I had a lot of fun with. Really excited to see what they do with the venue it's in--with how effect heavy H-Lot N is. If there's a scene I am hoping is great, it's definitely the introduction of Garaka's presence.

Also, hoping this house is understandingly cold.

7.) Dead Exposure- So discounting the element of AI art used in promotional, the thing that fascinated and interest me from the getgo is how Murdy seems to be tackling this one compared to Scarecrow. Whereas that one felt more of an art house; of something that is more of an examination of an era of time...Dead Exposure seems to be almost more personal from his research.

Think that's what interests me the most. To see why Murdy chose Dead Exposure on a research level to be the next one compared to Scarecrow. That, and the intensity of the house (something 4.) and this share).

6.) Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines - From what we've seen visually; from what is present at the facade, and that I liked what I saw of Bride in 2021; I am genuinely more up to see what Murdy does with a continuation of a story than a standalone one. Excited as hell to walk into SS12--to see it's size and scale compared to SS15.

And alongside that; that facade looks jaw dropping. Hoping this is a scenic dream.

5.) A Quiet Place - First time for UBE with the venue hopefully black boxxed! Actually more interested to see execution and quality-control in this house compared to the rest, due to the absolute scale of the Death Angels. Hoping we get Chucky-like animatronics.

Also, the ASL Representation is exciting as hell; and I hope it stays for the full run of the event.

4.) Insidious- This one requires understanding of past Insidious houses + my feelings of the franchise. The latter is simple: I have never seen the films past the introduction of Darth Maul from the first film. He triggered a fight/flight that I don't know why it happened.

Which is why it's exciting. Because knowing the reputation that the past Insidious houses have been for Hollywood; I am pumped to be genuinely terrified and scared while going through it. Debating on treating it as an original; as I feel no context might allow me to be much more unaware of what this franchise throws at me.

3.) Texas - So this house sounds like a new step of what Murdy did on Chucky. And not only that; but it's with the only IP that sent me running out of a house when I experienced it as a kid. Make no mistake, the main 3 on this list are my main 3 anticipated; and for Texas, it's a simple thing.

I want to see them go better than what I consider to be the most intense house I've ever experienced; with 2012's. I want to be genuinely terrified in this house; and I am excited to see the love and care that Murdy has with this franchise, given an original space to thrive.

2.) MonstruDOS - In the houses that I missed out on last year due to the move to Seattle; two houses stick to mind of fomo. Chucky: Ultimate Kill Count. And Monstruos 1 from Parisian. I am genuinely estatic to see El Cucuy for the first time; excited to see the El Cadejo Puppets, and I am hoping this is a visual spectacle like what I saw of the original and of past Latin American houses.

This also as of right now: has the best facade that I think we've ever seen in Parisian. It feels like a theme park facade with how well it interconnects with the adjacent cafe's next to it, and I hope that's an indictive sign of the quality of the house to come.

1.) The Weeknd: Nightmare Trilogy - I won't lie. I am biased.

Weeknd: AHN is still probably my all time IP house in what I loved from it. It to me, was a near perfect HHN house that only had one issue and that was on actor intensity.

DawnFM is one of his best works period and translates immediately to what HHN does best with. And the fact we are getting the new album in this Trio; makes me giddy if it means we get to hear remixes of songs like Hold Your Heart and Wake Me Up. And alongside that; I just love music houses. The creative passion of Murdy and the Hollywood team always shines in a way that I cannot not love.

 

[Freak]

It's that wonderful time of year again! Here's my hype list:

Monstrous 2: Yeah, this was an easy one for me. Considering last year's rendition was one of the most beautiful, most intense houses HHN has ever done, this is easily my-most anticipated. That gorgeous facade looks even better than last year's! This is gonna be a winner I can tell. Parisian is such an underrated venue for how compact it is. It forces them to get creative with the space making some really intense scares and some really solid set design. Can't wait for this!

A Quiet Place: I know a lot of people are "eh" about the IP, but I think this will be the underdog. At the very least I'm looking forward to seeing how they pull off the death angels. Also this is our first house in this spot that will be built from the ground-up for the first time in two years so I'm looking forward to how they utilize the space.

Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines: The Universal Monsters houses have always been great....well, last year was a little underwhelming but still enjoyed it despite its flaws. This time the house will be inside of the sound stage where they filmed the Bride of Frankenstein! The fact alone that this will be in the Voice stage makes me excited.

Insidious: The Further: I've always enjoyed the Insidious houses and enough time has passed to where I don't mind it being back. Insidious 2015 was an all-timer for me and I feel like there's a chance this could top that. We'll see! It should at least be pretty intense!

The Weeknd: Nightmare Trilogy: I enjoyed Hollywood's Weeknd house from two years ago. It wasn't amazing but I enjoyed it. I really like Dawn FM so I'm looking forward to them repping that. Should be a good time.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire: The movie was fine as a GB fan. I wasn't exactly screaming for this movie to be turned into a house but here we are. I think it will at least have some cool effects.

Dead Exposure: Patient Zero: Look, I'm all for having originals, but I have a feeling this is gonna feel like a rehash of Black Sabbath from 2013. I mean it will likely reuse the nuclear blast scene, components from the 3D houses (The blend-in wall, etc)....IDK...I could be wrong but I think this is gonna feel rehashed from previous houses. I have a feeling this will be the budget house.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Legacy of Leatherface: While I feel like this could be very intense....I'm just tired of this IP. The concept sounds like a generic slaughterhouse theme.

 

[Brian G.]

1. Monstrous 2
2. Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Legacy of Leatherface
3. Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines
4. The Weeknd: Nightmare Trilogy
5. Insidious: The Further
6. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
7. A Quiet Place
8. Dead Exposure: Patient Zero

 

[DTH]

8. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire - I hated...no...LOATHED the first Ghostbusters maze. In my all time bottom five. Does this have more potential to be more scary? Sure, but I already got a bad taste in my mouth from the first go. And no HHNH maze has ever been successfully cold, so I can already throw that out the window. I'd be shocked if this went higher than one or two places up my best of list.

7. The Weeknd: Nightmare Trilogy - Guess what is also in my all time bottom five mazes? I'd put this last, but the trilogy aspect has me intrigued. I have no idea what to expect from the final third section of this maze. I hate that I have to endure After Hours stuff again though. As much as I love The Weeknd, I have to say -- I dislike most music mazes, I hated the last maze, and to be honest, SS15 just hasn't had a winner in it yet for me, so...this isn't faring well so far for Abel and I. I'll be open minded but I'd be shocked if this wins me over.

6. Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Legacy of Leatherface - I had this last but I am bumping it up a bit because...honestly, pretty much everything from 3 and below sounds lackluster equally, but I am splitting hairs here. The different Leatherfaces should be fun to see how they move and fill their spaces differently. I'm more curious about the tone of the maze which I think will work in its favor and at the very least be "scarier" than Ghostbusters and Weeknd. I am sick of the IP but...trying to look forward to something here. Honestly, all they have to do is use the music from the remake and you have a freakin' winner. That music creates almost all the dread for you. But who am I kidding, no way they'll do that........

5. Dead Exposure: Patient Zero - Nothing about this maze speaks to me. Honestly, you could put this as number 8 and I wouldn't disagree. Something about the theme doesn't work for me. With that said, I have no idea what to expect and for all I know, this could be the dark horse this year that could steal it all and jump to the top.

4. Insidious: The Further - The first three Insidous mazes were good. I expect this to be at least decent.

3. Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines - UCM wasn't at their best last year, but I am going to forgive that for now. Am I tired of the approach to these mazes? Yes. Do I want to hear another Slash scored maze ever again? Absolutely not. But I am excited to see if they did anything with the scope of this maze being in SS12. The history alone makes this more exciting than almost all the other ones.

2. A Quiet Place - Mostly just curious to see how they pull this off. Not a huge fan of the movies and I can't think of any particular environments that will be scary to be in, but who knows. If they can somehow succeed with secluding noise between rooms and getting guests to be quiet, this could be a real treat. If not, I am not sure if this will be anything special.

1. Monstruos 2: The Monsters of Latin America - Excited to see El Cucuy return and excited to go down this trip again. Would it have been my first choice just to do another mash up of Latin American monsters? No, and for this to be my number 1 maze is sadly disappointing to me, but it is what it is -- with that said, the first one knocked it out of the park, so I have no reason to believe this can't achieve similar results.

*sigh* this year, man....this year...........

 

[Spookies n' Stuff]

I kinda dropped off the face of the earth after ghostbusters got announced so this announcement season has been such a blur lmao, i genuinely forgot there was even one left to announce before today lol. Needless to say I have a lot to yap about.

1.) Monstruos 2 - Monstruos 1 was a big favorite in my group, it was the very last house we did on our last night there 3 minutes before official closing, so we have high expectations for this one to meet, but I believe they have something here, they haven't fumbled it yet. That said, I really hope the key art gets touched up for the actual event, and it really shouldve at least been called Monstruos Dos if not something more creative to be more fitting of a title to the anthology format.
2.) The Weeknd: Nightmare Trilogy - It seems to be an unpopular opinion now, but I still really loved what they did with The Weeknd in 2022 on both coasts. Was it the best house of all time? No, but the atmosphere is something you really don't get from this event much, and it's a vibe I've wanted to recapture ever since. That said I'm also a big fan of his music, and 2022 was the one year I've actually been able to make it out to Orlando, so obvious bias.
3.) Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines - Only real criticism, don't like the name, too generic, just call it Scream Queenz again. That said, super fun concept to me, I'm glad we're seeing more of the Bride of Frankenstein Lives timeline and I'm doubly glad that this isn't just Bride and Van Helsing vs Dracula's Daughter, as much as that would have been fine, having the full assortment from the scarezone just feels right, and being in a soundstage let alone *the* soundstage used for much of Bride of Frankenstein sets my hopes high.
4.) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Legacy of Leatherface - Leatherface is still probably my favorite horror fella, so the fact that this isn't a repeat of the first movie is enough for me to be satisfied here, I like that its mostly original, and I like that we're basically getting the Leatherface sampler when we've gotten one version for so long. That said, this will probably smell too bad for me to do it much and that bums me out, I absolutely could not handle the smells in Exorcist last year. Either way, given this proves they have at least partial rights to the imagery, I better see a fully fledged TCM 2 maze next time we inevitably see this series again.
5.) A Quiet Place - Dunno how to feel about this still. The few crumbs we've heard about unique design elements excites my designer brain big time, but when this got announced I felt a lot of nothing, and for the most part thats still lingering there. This is a good location for it, I'll give them that, I just didn't care for the movie and it's hard for me to care here, not bad though, glad its new IP, technically the only entirely new IP we have this year unless you wanna make a long shot for m3gan on terror tram and I guess frozen empire, in a way.
6.) Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire - Again, don't know how to feel, I would've preferred them taking another shot at GB 1 and 2, or even a smattering of Afterlife with the new increased budget and increased freedom for animated effects we've seen following 2023, but like, this isnt offensive or anything, its fine. We haven't gotten a full wintery house since 2016 with Krampus so I hope they lean hard into that, it's out in a tent so I don't expect any of those actual chilly rooms but who knows, I hope they have them at least. Kinda just feels like a strange choice more than a bad one, could be a sleeper?
7.) Dead Exposure: Death Valley - When this was announced I was honestly looking forward to it a lot, but as time has gone on its just gotten more and more overshadowed, and I'm just not as excited for the premise as I initially was, this is maybe the first case where I wouldve actually prefered a straight adaptation of the Orlando house over something original. The fact I straight up forgot the name and had to look it up again cuz I kept thinking it was Patient Zero probably doesn't help that sentiment. This could have been and imo should have been Exterminatorz. The usage of AI in the promo art is also just disgusting to me and massively turned me off from this house in general, obviously no dig on the artists and performers who have and will work on it and will give it their all, it was just such a bad first impression.
8.) Insidious: The Further - I have no vendetta against Insidious as a concept, but my god this feels so cynical. It's bad enough to have a fourth iteration on this concept in a span of 10 years, but the fact that these houses are actively decreasing in quality over time as the movies themselves also do really gives me nothing to be excited about here. Even the title itself feels like someone just didn't have time for this, we went from Into, Return to, and Beyond the Further, to just The Further. The title itself is a literal step back from the previous iteration lol. If it turns out to be as scary as 2015s was I'll be happy but as it stands this house has a lot to prove to justify it being a good choice over something like FNAF as the house-based blumhouse rep of the year.

 

[EAS]

#1: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Legacy of Leatherface. Much like Chucky was must #1 most anticipated last year, TCM is number one for me. I appreciate there are those who would say that’s very basic, old school, just want the slashers of your childhood, etc. That’s fair. For me, the original 1974 film is a landmark of cinema. Perhaps from growing up in the south, Texas Chainsaw feels like the realest and most intense of all of the marquee slasher franchises. My first HHN in college was ’08, and Texas Chainsaw Back in Business was to this day the most impactful haunt I’ve experienced. A love letter to the franchise and an intense slaughterhouse-themed house are perfect for me, and I can’t wait to see how it develops.

#2: Monstruous 2: The Nightmares of Latin America. I only started going again last year so I missed the La Llorona house, but it looked amazing; I did go last year and Monstruous was incredible. The mix of creatures, the authenticity of the lore, the huge animatronics, and the visceral gruesomeness of the El Silbon section in particular were very memorable. The grouping for this year looks incredible too, and I am excited to be able to witness an El Cucuy section, which feels—even from the façade with the tree and the abandoned dolls—brutal and sad in the most horrific way. I think we have learned never to underestimate what HHN Hollywood can do with Latin American lore.

#3: Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines. I worry a bit about this house, because if it is a straightforward story about the Bride and Saskia kicking butt and taking names, that could be more popcorn film than horror. But it ranks high for me right now because the idea of having vampire, werewolf, mummy, and creature (bride) all in the same house is exciting; the gothic sets could be amazing; and most of all, having this house in Soundstage 12 is going to be really special.

#4: Insidious: The Further. I am mildly positive at best on the Insidious franchise. The first one is good, the concept of the Further is really neat, and the Darth Maul ghost is a great visual, but Insidious is one of those franchises I associate with PG-13 jump scare horror, which is not my thing. (See above, preferring the old school slashers.) Still, I think Insidious will translate very well to a haunt, especially if they are going all out to make it a legacy house untethered to the narrative of a given film.

#5: The Weeknd: Nightmare Trilogy. I did not get the chance to experience the After Hours house and would never know anything about The Weeknd without the HHN association, but I did take the opportunity to watch the various music videos and walkthroughs of the prior house. This one could definitely go either way, but I think the mix of imagery and themes in the music videos, combined with the energy of the house, could make this one fun.

#6: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. I have fond memories of Ghostbusters and The Real Ghostbusters cartoon from childhood, and both Afterlife and Frozen Empire have been fine. I think this house could be a lot of fun—it has the potential, oddly like The Exorcist: Believer house, to exceed the movie by a good amount—but I also don’t think Frozen Empire has the best material, it’s not the Ghostbusters material I am all that excited about, etc.

#7: Dead Exposure: Death Valley. This one could easily end up being better than my ranking of it, because I can imagine it being very intense, the irradiated zombies looking cool, etc. But generally speaking, zombies are not the most exciting creatures to me, and the whole kind of military base, post-apocalyptic vibe (similar in a lot of ways to The Last of Us, IMO) is a bit played out for me personally. It’s all a matter of taste, though—I could do a million Texas Chainsaw mazes and am less excited about zombies, but fair enough if someone is the exact opposite!

#8: A Quiet Place. I just don’t really care for the movies, which are so sentimental and so kind of tame that they don’t do a lot for me. This could be really neat, I will be excited to see how they handle the noise element and to see the giant monsters, but it’s just not an IP I am all that excited for, and so hard to see how it will be one of my top experiences of the year.

 

[ghostsarejerks]

8. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire- I didn't see the movie, but it should have some fun moments, cool ghosts and great scenic with all the ice and snow.
7. Dead Exposure: Death Valley- Still weird that Murdy would choose to adapt an Orlando original known specifically for its blacklight strobe gimmick and then just not do that? But I think it'll have some fun, classic HHN vibes and intense scares.
6. Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Legacy of Leatherface- As much as I like the approach to this concept, I just can't stand how overused the Titans of Terror have been in Hollywood. When are we ever going to get some new blood like Art the Clown? This should be sufficiently disgusting though.
5. A Quiet Place- My first house and one of my favorite HHN houses of all time was 2014's AVP. The combination of immersive environments, puppetry, and intense scares was a perfect combination. I'm very hopeful they can create the creatures from this film in a way that feels big and scary. I'm also very buoyed by the creative team's commitment to other storytelling aspects like a unique soundscape and training scare actors to perform ASL. Could be the dark horse.
4. Insidious: The Further- Into the Further and Return to the Further were both solid, super scary haunts. The 2017 iteration was a little undercooked, but going by the facade and the greatest hits approach they're taking, this is going to easily be one the best haunts this year.
3. Monstruos 2: The Nightmares of Latin America- Murdy's approach has always been just repeating all the successful things until we're sick of them. I'm far from sick of these Latin American haunts. La Llorona, El Cucuy, Monstruos have all been bangers, so this will be fun to work in and experience.
2. The Weeknd: Nightmare Trilogy- After Hours Nightmare was such a fun and bold concept for Horror Nights, the perfect kind of IP haunt. Dawn FM was also one of my favorite albums of the past couple years. I've heard through the grapevine that Murdy and co have really poured everything into this, so I'm hopeful for a great time.
1. Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines- Combines the female-focused gothic goodness of Bride of Frankenstein Lives with the vs aspect of Legends Collide. Expecting lots of beautiful sets and double scares.

 

[Jerroddragon]

1) Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
2) Chucky Show
3) Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines
4) Monstruos 2: The Nightmares of Latin America
5) Insidious: The Further

6) The Rest

 

[viking_wizard_eyes]

Definitely excited for this year but agree with the general consensus that there really isn't a show-stopping headliner.

1. A Quiet Place: The latest movie really reinvigorated my fondness for this IP. I can't remember if it's going to be featured in the house, but I'm excited regardless. A big reason why I'm so hyped is because I'm not fully sure what to expect. This will be the first "new" concept going into this venue, and my hope is that the team won't just copy/paste the content into the same architecture and instead take advantage of this space to really drive home the scope and presence of the monsters. Also curious to see if they do any experimentation with sound. Just really eager to go through this one.

2. Monstrous 2: This is an obvious number two. Already love the small tidbits Murdy has shared.

3. The Weeknd: Nightmare Trilogy: High hopes for this one too, based on the little tidbits we've heard, as well as the strength of the last iteration. Funny thing is I still don't love his music, but he makes a good HHN house!

4. Insidious: The Further: The last movie was weak, but the concept in general is such a perfect fit for HHN. Expecting some great scares and good variety of set pieces.

5. Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Legacy of Leatherface: This is where the hype really starts to plateau for me. I love TCM but I'm iffy on this particular concept. The facade is incredible so I'm taking that as a signal that the house itself will also rock.

6. Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines: I love the Classic Monsters, but the premise here feels kinda shark-jumpy to me. Idk.

7. Dead Exposure: Patient Zero: I don't like getting Orlando's leftovers. Hoping that Murdy and the team really put a twist on this and make it unique to us, because I could actually see this being among my favorites if done right.

8. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire: I don't need to re-litigate this.

 

[ghostsarejerks]

Definitely excited for this year but agree with the general consensus that there really isn't a show-stopping headliner.

1. A Quiet Place: The latest movie really reinvigorated my fondness for this IP. I can't remember if it's going to be featured in the house, but I'm excited regardless. A big reason why I'm so hyped is because I'm not fully sure what to expect. This will be the first "new" concept going into this venue, and my hope is that the team won't just copy/paste the content into the same architecture and instead take advantage of this space to really drive home the scope and presence of the monsters. Also curious to see if they do any experimentation with sound. Just really eager to go through this one.

2. Monstrous 2: This is an obvious number two. Already love the small tidbits Murdy has shared.

3. The Weeknd: Nightmare Trilogy: High hopes for this one too, based on the little tidbits we've heard, as well as the strength of the last iteration. Funny thing is I still don't love his music, but he makes a good HHN house!

4. Insidious: The Further: The last movie was weak, but the concept in general is such a perfect fit for HHN. Expecting some great scares and good variety of set pieces.

5. Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Legacy of Leatherface: This is where the hype really starts to plateau for me. I love TCM but I'm iffy on this particular concept. The facade is incredible so I'm taking that as a signal that the house itself will also rock.

6. Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines: I love the Classic Monsters, but the premise here feels kinda shark-jumpy to me. Idk.

7. Dead Exposure: Patient Zero: I don't like getting Orlando's leftovers. Hoping that Murdy and the team really put a twist on this and make it unique to us, because I could actually see this being among my favorites if done right.

8. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire: I don't need to re-litigate this.

Glad to see others excited for A Quiet Place

 

[deadbydawn]

1) Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines
2) The Weeknd: Nightmare Trilogy
3) A Quiet Place
4) Monstrous II
5) Insidious: The Further
6) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Legacy of Leatherface
7) Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
8) Dead Exposure: Death Valley

 

[highdefrex]

1. Monstruos 2: I'm such a sucker for these types of mazes. I have fond memories of the original La Llorona and El Cucuy houses, for instance, and these mazes always feel like they're made with 100% passion, not with an IP holder looking over creative's shoulders and mandating what can/can't be done. They've never let me down yet, and last year's maze had one of the best vibes of the event coursing through its veins, so if that can be captured again, I'm all for it.
2. A Quiet Place: I think this one's so high on my list simply out of sheer curiosity for how it's pulled off. The deflated response to it here and elsewhere even when it was just speculation made me more excited for it, to see if it can blow everyone's apparently low expectations away, which I'm hoping it can do. Of all the houses this year, this is the one with the biggest sink or swim potential, thus why I'm looking forward to it the most because it has such a huge question mark over it.
3. Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Through spec season, I had this pretty low, as I'm Leatherface'd out, if I'm being honest, BUT with all the hype building around it -- a return to gore, to shock, to terror -- I have to admit that it crept up my list recently. One of my all-time favorite HHN memories rests in the Saw is the Law house from 2012, and if this can replicate even a fraction of that, I'll be happy. Plus, TCM houses always seem to scare the hell out of strangers more than most, probably because of the visceral nature of them, so... I'm here for hoping it taps into the feelings that made me fall in love with the event in its more edgier days.
4. The Weeknd: When the Weeknd was here before, I had very, very little interest, only to be blown away by the maze. That was also the year I went to Orlando and got to experience their version, which was great as well. Not scary whatsoever, BUT it had this infectious, propulsive energy to it that just hit the spot, a nice counterbalance to the rest of the event, and if this one can hit like the previous one did, I'll be happy.
5. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire: This is another one higher up on my list simply due to the curiosity factor of it. I'm hoping that this doesn't end up a paint by numbers thing, the exact opposite of what I love about Monstruos, but we'll see. Again, so many low expectations for this from people across the board in a way that makes me more interested in experiencing it -- I know it won't be scary, but if it's charming, fun, and quirky, I'd be happy with it in the mix. Just tempering my expectations for it being nothing more than a book report house while keeping my fingers crossed it turns out to be something more.
6. Dead Exposure: I'm hoping this pulls a Scarecrow -- that is, something I'm going to the event with zero expectations or anticipation for, only to walk away thinking it was one of the best houses of the year. Again, these types of originals have a chance to just exude passion for them without an IP hanging around their neck, so my interest is definitely piqued.
7. Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines: I always enjoy the Universal Monsters houses, but for now, this is just more of the same. Other than Legends Collide, the last time one of the UM mazes actually had me thinking it was top tier at the event was pre-pandemic and on the Backlot. That said, they're always fun, no doubt about it, but it'll take a lot to blow me away when all I'm thinking about anymore is how much I want to see the Creature from the Black Lagoon instead of vampires (all while listening to Slash music) yet again.
8. Insidious: The Further: It feels like an age since we last had an Insidious house, but I've always enjoyed it at the event, even if it's never been THE show-stealer. I imagine this'll be the "black wall house," which is why I'm not terribly excited for it, but I'm still looking forward to it regardless.