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!