SeventyOne

I don't know, original contract should have been clear if movie. TV show, or some combination of both. New Line (?) could try to muscle in some more TV material but ultimately a contract is a contract. Even if they did--sucking it up and using the new mask rather than the old (the only possible creative sticking point I can imagine) has got to be cheaper than re-doing a house and your entire marketing campaign. Not looking to jeopardize anyone's job here, but do look forward to hearing the full story eventually.

To me, this is the bigger issue. I have to assume printing on t-shirts, Publix displays, Burger King tray liners/cups, etc. is already done. (I work in publishing, not with marketing materials, but we have to get books to the printer a month out--I imagine this is a similar timeline.) That's a potentially not insignificant chunk of change, even assuming they have a fourth IP ready to go to fill the Scream spot. Assuming your manufacturer can still work you in and doesn't have other jobs lined up.

This is what interests me most. I can't imagine committing money not only to designing/building a house but also to developing a marketing campaign (brochures, shirts, Publix displays, and a hundred other things) without an iron-clad contract guaranteeing the right to use the IP.

Of course, that's the corporate-speak answer. In real world terms, Run 1 was heavily inspired by "The Running Man," while Run 2 was even more heavily inspired by "Hostel". Back when it was hard to get actual IPs to play with.

With Halloween on a Saturday, that will eat up a lot of the potential crowd (every bar in town throws a costume contest, people with kids have to go trick or treating). If they don't lift the restriction on Frequent Fear passes--up until 2014 I'd say it was a given, now not so sure--I imagine Halloween night will be quite manageable for the first time in half a decade.

"Spark" = Cindy's involvement?

Said on Twitter, "The only IP I know of that's marketing based is TWD. Maybe one of the other ones, but it's a good property so *shrug*". I could see FvJ being that potentially marketable, good property. Also put the kibosh on Krampus, FWIW.

Might be a little too ... cerebral for typical HHN goers, but I would love this. Anything that gets the troupe a larger audience would be great in my book. Could maybe do a full show in pieces throughout the night.

Other than crowds, my #1 complaint. Let the scare-actors scare, learn what works and what doesn't.

I also thought this was an average year, but I don't mean that as a slight. Let's face it, I've continued to buy tickets after below-average years. Other than Halloween, nothing making my top 25 houses, but nothing in my bottom 10, either. Enjoyed the SZs--Purge more than the others--but don't think I'll remember them in 5 years. Got some laughs from B&T, but seen the show both better and worse. That's average. Still glad I went to the event.

Wow, that's awesome. Probably should give her a shot at the whole show next year. (I kid, I kid ... I actually was probably the biggest fan I know of the 2012 show, and enjoyed 2013--anybody can have an off year)

I realize other than Frozen and GotG movies were sort of weak this year, but the show feels too heavily based off of cable TV. Guessing the writers watch a lot of Netflix.

Back to the subject of this year (but still touching on next year) ... is HHN broken? Not creatively--I like most of the houses this year, and even cynics have to admit Halloween and DollHouse are strong--but in terms of ops? Thursday night was very busy inside the park, pretty much from opening, and a nightmare trying to leave around 12:30. Mardi Gras level traffic--on what is traditionally the first Thursday and slowest night of the event. (Remember, started early this year). Last night, around 8:30, traffic jam trying to get into the garage stretched back Universal Blvd. to I-4. I bailed, but I've heard lines inside to match. Again, it's not Hell Week yet. This is the normal baseline on which busy nights will be compared. I don't know how UNI handles the crowds later this month without doing something different. They need more shows ASAP, maybe need to look at throwing money at JKR to open Diagon all night. Even then, tho, things like parking are not so easily fixed. Next year, almost certainly need to raise the price of multi-day tickets exponentially, and/or go to a two-park layout with more houses. The event is just too popular not to adopt drastic measures.

Less of an emphasis on online memes this year--tho the may be one I'm unfamiliar with--mostly movies and cable TV shows. In terms of the show, found it a step down from the past two years. Too much, "look, it's X," without any real element of parody. Obvious pop culture choices are missing, while we get a lot of, "yeah, I guess that was a thing." Also, with the exception of one pop music star at the end, none of the characters remotely resemble the real life celebs they're mocking. No Taylor Swift or Ron Burgundy this year. And the show shamelessly rehashes a joke from last year, and while I've heard the rationale, it still comes off as cheap and unfunny--setting up a gag that may or may not pay off in 4 years. That said, the bits aren't comedy gold--they're comedy platinum. An entire show that caliber would rival even 2006.

Filled up pretty quickly last night, at least in that back. I think every AP turned up for the AP early entry, certainly felt like it. On top of that, literally dozens of RIP tours for hospitality industry/corporate partners (you could tell by the nametags). That number of people, you feel the loss of their top two E-tickets (Rockit, Diagon Alley). Lines stayed consistently over 30 for even the unpopular houses through 11:30.

For those of us APs who got in at 4:00, close to it.

If they go the "greatest hits" approach, this season seems the most tailor-made for an HHN house. Of course, that probably presumes we don't get a fourth year of TWD ... if the ratings hold this season, or if the spin-off is another pop culture juggernaut, I don't know that that is a safe assumption at all.

What what what??? Crazy. Probably a rights issue then.

I remember that Dracula house being particularly bad. Frankenstein/Wolfman were alright, if not ideal, coming in during daylight, but Drac was just darker, walked into a scare-actor or two myself.

Smart move, with that iconic theme song.

If FDTD queue takes over Minion Way, does that mean no cross-over from IoA this year?

All I can think is the area became too much of a cluster last year, with zombies practically unable to move through the crowd. Why I assumed MiB and the area in front of London are off-limits as well.

For the fun of comparing again in September and November ... Houses 1) AvP - AWiL set a high bar last year, hoping this at least matches it 2) Roanoke - the historical houses are generally strong (Catacombs, Poe, Nightengales), and I've been intrigued by the Lost Colony since I saw In Search Of... as a kid 3) Giggles & Gore - love dark comedy done right; would be #2 but for its reported short length 4) Dollhouse of the Damned - clever concept, but will depend entirely on the execution 5) Dracula Untold - scoff all you want, that trailer made me think this might have potential, especially being in a soundstage 6) FDtD - Demon Cantina may still be my #1 house of all time. Not sure anything can live up to my nostalgia at this point. Also afraid it will be neutered to the point of seeming silly. 7) Halloween - I respect the movie but don't really love it; other than the theme song outside, I fear this will play out as generic slasher in suburbia house 8) TWD - So played out. At least hoping the nail the mega mart scene. SZs 1) Face Off - hoping they recapture the magic of 7 2) Bayou of Blood - sounds like a lot of detail going into set pieces, should be impressive (if cliched) costumes 3) Maskerade - should be good, but don't see it rising to great 4) Purge - another could be scary, but not something we'll remember 5 years from now

Solid house line-up on paper. Would like something--anything--more thematic in the back half of the park. Sounds like you can walk from Richters around to Central Park without seeing anything Halloween-related other than queue entrances. Walkway in front of London too narrow for a SZ I guess, but it would be nice to have something in the MiB/Coke Refreshenator area. Or ideally some Treehouse of Terror elements in Springfield if I'm dreaming.

A minor quibble with an excellent post, but it actually further proves your point--Creatures was a blatant homage/rip-off of the Tremors movies. Also, "real"/licensed IPs have long been a part of HHN as well as the "inspired by" houses. Mummy, Fear Factor, Doomsday, etc. I think they aren't well-remembered because (1) the houses weren't great and (2) the IPs were relatively obscure so that people looking back on a list might not realize, say, "Curse of Mary Shaw" was actually a movie, not an original concept. (Mary Shaw actually was a very good house, btw, just using it as an example.)