Horror Industry News — Tuesday, February 24, 2026

A24 will release Backrooms theatrically May 29, 2026; feature adapts Kane Parsons’ viral YouTube Backrooms shorts (nearly 100M views). Kane Parsons directs; Will Soodik & Roberto Patino wrote. Producers include James Wan and Michael Clear for Atomic Monster; A24 is financing/distributing alongside Atomic Monster, Chernin Entertainment and 21 Laps. Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, Lukita Maxwell, Avan Jogia.

Warner Bros. has officially tapped Mike Flanagan to adapt Stephen King's The Mist — project now in development at the studio with Flanagan attached to oversee the adaptation.

Sony/Constantin-backed Resident Evil film directed by Zach Cregger aims for Sept 18, 2026 theatrical release; filming shot Prague locations and the project is now in post‑production; Cregger wrote with Shay Hatten and was given 'carte blanche' by Constantin CEO Oliver Berben; cast includes Austin Abrams, Paul Walter Hauser, Zach Cherry and Kali Reis.

New Line/Warner Bros. released the first trailer for Lee Cronin’s The Mummy; North American theatrical/Imax release set for April 17. Cronin wrote and directed; producers include James Wan, Jason Blum and John Keville; Michael Clear, Judson Scott and Cronin exec producing. Cast: Jack Reynor, Laia Costa, May Calamawy, Natalie Grace, Veronica Falcón. Note: Cronin’s prior Evil Dead Rise grossed over $147M worldwide.

Deadline reports an EFM pre-sale/WW pact for Skeletons valued at $25M+; J.J. Abrams producing, JT Mollner directing, Brie Larson attached—Sony handling worldwide distribution via the EFM deal.

Blumhouse–Atomic Monster and Behaviour Interactive have hired David Leslie Johnston‑McGoldrick and Alexandre Aja to write a Dead by Daylight feature; Aja is not directing (he’s attached elsewhere), writers are working and producers are now searching for a director — the game has over 60M players.

Laurence Fishburne has joined Mike Flanagan’s new Exorcist film starring Scarlett Johansson; film shoots in New York City and is slated for a wide theatrical release in March 2027 — produced by Blumhouse‑Atomic Monster and Morgan Creek with Flanagan writing/directing under Red Room Pictures; Jason Blum and Ryan Turek attached as producers/EPs.

Paramount set Paranormal Activity 8 for May 21, 2027; Ian Tuason directs, Melrose co-financing with Blumhouse-Atomic Monster. Producers include James Wan, Jason Blum and original creator Oren Peli; EPs Michael Clear and Judson Scott. Article reiterates franchise ROI story—original cost ~$15K (plus ~$200K post) and $194M worldwide—and notes franchise has earned north of $900M global.

Blumhouse-Atomic Monster promoted/hired Shudder’s Sam Zimmerman as SVP, Development & Acquisitions; he reports to Blumhouse President Abhijay Prakash and Atomic Monster President Michael Clear. Zimmerman will shepherd a focused slate of emerging filmmakers, overseeing projects primarily in the $2–8M range and championing films under $5M, and will liaise between the two companies post‑merger.

Sundance relocates to Boulder for an inaugural festival Jan 21–31, 2027 with venues across university and civic sites; festival chiefs cite arts/tech hub strengths; Screen Daily highlights that A24 paid believed-to-be more than $10M for Olivia Wilde’s The Invite at the final Park City edition.

Evil Dead 7’s official title has been released and the production status updated—confirms active production on the next Sam Raimi franchise entry and provides the film’s marketed name (details in article).

Ed Skrein cast as Baldur on Prime Video/Sony/Amazon MGM adaptation; two-season order in place; Ronald D. Moore is showrunner/EP; ensemble includes Teresa Palmer (Phoebe/Sif), Max Parker (Heimdall), Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (Thor), Alastair Duncan (Mimir), Jeff Gulka and Danny Woodburn; EPs include Roy Lee, Maril Davis and others.

Lead actor states the Carrie series will arrive this fall — corroborates October/seasonal release targeting and signals promotional timeline beginning this year.

Send Help held strongly with only a 0.8% weekend drop; global box office context notes Wuthering Heights led worldwide charts with $82M—useful weekend hold and comps data for theatrical performance modelling.

Shudder is scheduling Bodycam to stream on a Friday the 13th, using the genre calendar date to drive attention to the found‑footage title and boost platform engagement.

Project starring Eddie Redmayne directed by Hirokazu Kore‑eda is in the works at Searchlight; no production timeline or financials provided.

Black Phone 2 has delivered a strong box‑office performance that materially improved Blumhouse's 2025 slate after prior underperformance.

Blumhouse’s Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 delivered another major box office weekend, driven by the game’s fanbase and sustaining the franchise’s theatrical momentum.

Ever After is a completed feature now crowdfunding final funds for festival submissions on Indiegogo; campaign has raised over $7,000 to date (original $3,000 goal) with four days left. Film already shot and features horror icons Kane Hodder, Michael Berryman, Malcolm McDowell and Bonnie Aarons; director Laszlo Illes.

Send Help is topping recent North American box office tallies, overtaking the lifetime gross of Kubrick’s The Shining (1980) in the market comparison used by the article; theatrical performance framed as a win for Sam Raimi’s return-to-horror profile.

Shudder acquired North American rights to the horror thriller Hellcat (exclusive sale); territorial deal confirmed but financial terms and producer/seller not disclosed.

Abbey Morris has been hired as SVP of Development & Programming at Blumhouse Television; she reports to Chris Dickie and will work with President Melissa Aouate — Morris arrives from Irish Cowboy (EP on Umbrella Academy S4) and has overseen Horizon Zero Dawn development.

Shudder will premiere the documentary 1000 Women in Horror on March 20, 2026; film was written by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and adapts her 2020 nonfiction book surveying women's contributions to the genre.

Published today by Macmillan/Minotaur Books; Lindy Ryan's third novel DOLLFACE positions as '90s slasher satire and is receiving mainstream praise; Ryan's prior novel Bless Your Heart is currently in development for television.

Actress Odessa A'zion has exited A24's Deep Cuts amid casting backlash; she says she hadn’t read the source book prior to the casting controversy.

Gravitas Ventures acquired distribution for Undergods (dystopian thriller); separately Matthew Penn attached to direct Citizen Skull's Badge Of Trust — acquisition and a new director attachment signal festival/indie distribution activity.

Fangoria Studios is producing Luke Barnett's practical-effects short Goodbye, Monster; Barnett directs and stars alongside Kue Lawrence, Patton Oswalt and Tina Majorino; creature effects by Dan Crawley. Barnett's feature Epilogue (co-written) has Kate Siegel and David Dastmalchian attached with Mike Flanagan producing.

Flanagan reports Stephen King is 'very happy' with Dark Tower season 1 scripts — signals a completed draft stage with author approval and forward momentum toward production/prep.

No deal terms disclosed; Searchlight has signed a first‑look agreement with Blanchett’s Dirty Films covering theatrical and streaming projects.

Toho is positioning a Reiwa-era renewal of its 1962 kaiju property as a modernization push for the franchise — reporting indicates development intent to reintroduce the classic to contemporary theatrical markets.

IFC Films and Shudder released the trailer for Forbidden Fruits; film stars Lili Reinhart, Lola Tung, Victoria Pedretti, Alexandra Shipp and Emma Chamberlain; trailer timed to Galentine’s Day.

Third outlet confirms Wingard is no longer attached to the Face/Off sequel; flags potential search for a new director and possible schedule shift.

René “Residente” Pérez Joglar signed with UTA for representation across all areas; UTA will also represent his production company 1868 Studios; Porto Rico (his directing/screenwriting debut) features Bad Bunny, Edward Norton, Javier Bardem and Viggo Mortensen with Alejandro G. Iñárritu as executive producer; screenplay co-written with Alexander Dinelaris.

Production updates: Seance On A Wet Afternoon in production in the UK with Rachel Weisz and Matthew Macfadyen; No Way Off filming in Northern Ireland starring Maria Bakalova and Peter Mullan; A24’s The Riders (Brad Pitt) shooting in Ireland.

Shudder's adaptation of the video game The Mortuary Assistant is now available for critical viewing; this non‑spoiler review concludes the premise doesn't effectively translate to live action despite being faithful to the source material's concept.

Obsession—written/directed by Curry Barker and produced with Blumhouse—opens in theaters May 15 via Focus Features/Blumhouse; it premiered at TIFF and played Fantastic Fest and Sitges (won Sitges People’s Choice); Jason Blum is among executive producers and the cast includes Michael Johnston and Andy Richter.

Early reactions to Sam Raimi's first R-rated horror in 26 years are strongly positive, framing the film as a return to his horror roots and signalling solid festival/release buzz.

Josh Ruben and Chris Landon discuss Heart Eyes as an intentional genre hybrid (rom‑com slasher); positions the film to exploit crossover marketing and genre-fest circuits rather than straight studio horror placement.

CJ ENM and UK-based Fifth Season announced a formal co-production framework targeting European production hubs and shared financing/production pipelines for Korean IP — aims to fast-track multi-territory shows and streamline local partner deals.

Netflix’s animated Stranger Things spin-off Tales From ’85 premieres April 23, 2026; Odessa A’zion cast as new character Nikki Baxter and exclusive character posters released — expands Hawkins canon with fresh threats and characters (series continuing franchise expansion, merchandising/brand implications).

HBO and A24 have renewed/continued a distribution relationship; public reporting does not disclose financial terms or length in the excerpt.

NEON’s Keeper underperformed relative to Oz Perkins’ recent streak (Longlegs, The Monkey), ending his run of consecutive hits for the distributor.

Unrivaled delayed to June 1, 2027; author Rachel Reid cites worsened Parkinson’s symptoms and increased demands after the Heated Rivalry TV adaptation’s breakout success; pre-orders remain active.

Blue Fox has acquired two Tubi Originals—Summer's Last Resort and Buzzkill—announced at EFM; acquisition moves those AVOD titles into Blue Fox's distribution slate.

No new figures provided beyond the headline —

Parker Finn directing Smile 2 with Naomi Scott attached; sequel is headed to Paramount+ (streaming premiere rather than theatrical).

Baz Luhrmann confirms a stage musical adaptation of Elvis is in active development but says he will not direct; no production timeline, casting or creative team has been announced; his concert film EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert opens wide Feb. 27 via Neon/Universal.

Vermila Studios and Blumhouse Games are developing Crisol: Theater of Idols, a single-player horror FPS where the protagonist Gabriel uses blood-as-ammo; game leans on Spanish folklore and integrates story through in-game 'Blood Memories' rather than cutscenes.

Crave is positioning itself for cross-border growth; the piece notes the streamer is promoting titles like Heated Rivalry to build awareness in the U.S. and internationally and is expanding original commissions.

Dark Places will receive a big‑screen premiere and then launch on AVOD Tubi and genre streamer Fawesome (plus additional platforms), indicating a hybrid premiere strategy aimed at festival/press attention followed by free streaming distribution.

Essay argues true-crime podcasts can romanticize murder more than slashers; notes Shudder release Good Boy (features dog Indy) and discusses audience sensitivity to animal peril in horror.

Reports note Wingard recently signed on to direct a ThunderCats movie—separate from the Face/Off project—but details on studio attachment or schedule are not provided.

IMDb reports speculation that Cregger’s next project may be titled Flood (different spelling/iteration of THE FLOOD); no official announcement or production details provided.

Getaway Entertainment's conspiracy thriller Tilt begins principal photography in greater Los Angeles in early April; leads Briana Middleton and Kyle Allen attached, Sophia Banks directing from Arwen Elys Dayton's script — Banks, Dayton and Damiano Tucci are co-founders/producers under Getaway Entertainment.

Titan Books will publish an official making‑of book for Event Horizon this fall, packaging behind‑the‑scenes materials for the film's growing cult audience.

Luca Guadagnino signed to direct an American Psycho remake from Scott Z. Burns; script reportedly reworked into “a completely different take”; Austin Butler, Jacob Elordi and Patrick Schwarzenegger have been under consideration for Patrick Bateman.

Under the UK Media Act, VoD services with >500,000 UK users become Tier 1 regulated by Ofcom; new accessibility quotas require at least 80% subtitled, 10% audio-described and 5% signed catalogue; maximum fine per breach is £250,000 or 5% of qualifying revenue.

Daniel Burman will become Head of Original Content for Disney+ Latin America on March 25, reporting to Eric Schrier and working with Martín Iraola; he will lead development across LATAM and integrate local storytelling into Disney+’s global slate; recent Disney LATAM executive departures and organizational shakeups noted.

Sony CEO Tom Rothman confirmed a reboot of its Spider-Man villain/spin-off universe with new creative teams; Tom Holland remains the studio's primary Spider-Man; 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' due in July; article cites Venom's $856M worldwide as an outlier and calls out Madame Web and Morbius underperformance.

Dan Trachtenberg’s Predator: Badlands has become the highest-grossing entry in the Predator franchise, setting a new box-office benchmark for the series.

First teaser trailer released for BACKROOMS (director Kane Parsons); film opens theatrically May 29; stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve — project evolved from Parsons’ original viral Backrooms upload.

Warner Bros. schedules Maggie Gyllenhaal's The Bride! for theatrical and IMAX release March 6; R-rated Frankenstein reimagining stars Christian Bale and Jessie Buckley, supporting cast includes Peter Sarsgaard, Annette Bening, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Penélope Cruz; produced by Gyllenhaal with Emma Tillinger Koskoff among producers.

Netflix and Take-Two are pursuing a coordinated launch of a BioShock feature alongside a new game release; timing and platform-window strategy are being aligned but no release date or financial terms disclosed.

Kevin Williamson reveals Scream 4 was conceived as the launch for a new trilogy where Jill (Emma Roberts) would survive and become a celebrity 'new Sidney'—Scream 5 would have focused on her being hunted and Scream 6 on Gale rebuilding life without Dewey.

Kubrick’s The Shining received an IMAX re-release and climbed back into the national top 10 box office after the reissue.

Film Independent's Amplifier Fellowship awards six filmmakers $30,000 each plus a 12‑month mentorship; cohort includes Akil Rashad Anderson whose feature project 'Mr. Negro' is a nightmarish, otherworldly-tinged fiction feature (horror-leaning). Netflix funds the grant program.

Season 3 of Netflix’s Wednesday is shooting in Ireland (near Dublin); Tim Burton directs and EP; new cast additions include Winona Ryder, Chris Sarandon, Noah Taylor, Oscar Morgan and Kennedy Moyer alongside Eva Green and returning leads Jenna Ortega, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzmán. MGM Television produces.

Discussion centers on BAFTA broadcast failing to edit an audible racial slur directed at Sinners stars Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo; ABC’s The View says BBC/BAFTA edited political content but not the insult and sources say Warner Bros. requested removal after the fact.

Rebecca Ferguson-led Stephen King adaptation has returned to free streaming on AVOD (Tubi) after prior platform/window; availability may boost longtail discovery for the title.

Hulu’s Paradise returns for Season 2 with first three episodes aired Feb 23, 2026; new season resets setting and raises darker stakes for Sterling K. Brown’s Secret Service character Xavier Collins — early reception indicates the tonal shift is working for viewers/critics.

Touch Me opens in NY March 20, expands to select theaters March 27 and arrives on Fandango at Home April 2; stars Jordan Gavaris, Lou Taylor Pucci and Olivia Taylor Dudley. Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead executive produce for Rustic Films; Sundance reviews noted.

Well Go USA released the first official trailer for The Yeti, a snowy-monster horror set in Alaska — indicates distributor backing for North American release; production company/creative team not disclosed in excerpt.

Apple TV+ released the first trailer for Monarch: Legacy of Monsters season 2 and set an early-2026 premiere; the trailer teases Kong and a new mysterious sea creature.

Anacoreta opens on U.S. Digital HD Feb 24 after festival play; cast includes Antonia Thomas, Jeremy Schuetze, Matt Visser and Jesse Stanley; Schuetze co-wrote and co-directed with Visser; film won Best Horror at Heartland and Best International Feature at Manchester Film Festival.