ScreamWire Daily

A24 releases director Kane Parsons’ feature adaptation of his viral YouTube Backrooms series theatrically May 29; stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass and others; co-financiers/co-studios A24 and The North Road Company/Chernin; producers include 21 Laps and Atomic Monster; Parsons (20) is A24’s youngest filmmaker; article cites indie Iron Lung surpassing $43M global.

Paramount sets Paranormal Activity 8 for May 21, 2027; Melrose lot will co-finance with Blumhouse-Atomic Monster; producers include James Wan, Jason Blum and original creator Oren Peli; producers/EPs Michael Clear, Judson Scott and Steven Schneider attached. Article cites the original film's ultra-low budget ($15K + $200K post) and ~ $194M worldwide gross, franchise totals north of $900M.

Sam Zimmerman (formerly Shudder) named SVP, Development & Acquisitions at Blumhouse-Atomic Monster; he'll oversee films roughly in the $2–8M range, act as liaison between the merged companies, remain based in NYC, report to Abhijay Prakash and Michael Clear, and work on the Divide/Conquer overall deal.

Mike Flanagan is writing and directing a new film adaptation of Stephen King's The Mist and says it will be a distinct reimagining (not a remake of Frank Darabont's film); project is actively in development.

Sony/Constantin's Resident Evil feature aiming for Sept 18, 2026 release; shot in Prague and now in post-production. Zach Cregger (director/writer) co-wrote with Shay Hatten; Austin Abrams leads; Paul Walter Hauser, Zach Cherry and Kali Reis co-star. Constantin CEO Oliver Berben says Cregger was given 'carte blanche.'

StudioCanal acquired a 51% stake in Italy’s Lucky Red; founder Andrea Occhipinti retains 49% and stays in charge; financial terms not disclosed; StudioCanal CEO Anna Marsh named.

HBO and A24 have extended/continued their distribution relationship, maintaining HBO/HBO Max as an outlet for A24 titles (ongoing output/distribution alignment rather than a one-off deal).

Profile of Crave's U.S. growth strategy: expanding international licensing and originals (including genre titles like Heated Rivalry) to raise the streamer’s profile beyond Canada.

Actor described as the 'demon child' on Flanagan’s Exorcist film says principal photography will begin in a few weeks and that he hasn't watched the original Exorcist.

Sundance relocates to Boulder, CO for Jan 21–31, 2027 with screenings across multiple university and civic venues; announcement cites Boulder as a long-term home. Festival exec Eugene Hernandez named; piece notes A24 paid 'believed to be more than $10m' for US rights to Olivia Wilde's film at the last Park City edition.

Blumhouse-Atomic Monster has optioned/adapted IDW's The Exorcism at 1600 Penn; Jason Blum producing with Ryan Turek exec-producing alongside creator Hannah Rose May and IDW CEO David DiJonas; Blumhouse seeks a filmmaker to scale the political-possession thriller.

A24’s producer indicates the new Texas Chain Saw Massacre TV series will focus on Leatherface’s early years/origin story; project expands A24’s franchise activity into serialized TV (no platform named).

Collider reports Blumhouse has staffed its Dead by Daylight adaptation with experienced horror writers (names/details vary across outlets); the project is actively consolidating a writers’ room/creative team.

Backrooms targets May 29 theatrical release; A24 and Chernin co-financing; produced by Roberto Patino (screenplay), Shawn Levy/Dan Levine (21 Laps) and James Wan/Michael Clear (Atomic Monster). Feature marks director Kane Parsons' debut (20 years old); cast includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, Lukita Maxwell and Avan Jogia.

Send Help posted an unusually strong third weekend hold, defying typical steep horror drop-offs and indicating solid word-of-mouth and longevity.

Neon is in talks to sell a significant ownership stake to Department M; terms and valuation not disclosed — potential change to Neon’s investor/ownership structure.

Fangoria Studios is producing Luke Barnett's practical‑effects short Goodbye, Monster (starring Barnett, Patton Oswalt, Tina Majorino); creature makeup by Dan Crawley. Barnett also has Epilogue, a feature co‑written by him set post‑zombie apocalypse with Kate Siegel and David Dastmalchian attached and Mike Flanagan producing.

Obsession, written/directed by Curry Barker and produced/executive produced by Jason Blum and others, will open in theaters May 15 via Focus Features/Blumhouse; film premiered at TIFF and won Sitges People’s Choice Award — trailer debuts tomorrow.

Lee Cronin describes his Mummy as 'one part Poltergeist and one part Seven' — signals a blend of supernatural and gritty-psychological influences shaping the reboot's creative direction.

Alexandra Heller‑Nicholas's documentary 1000 Women in Horror — adapted from her 2020 book — premieres on Shudder March 20, 2026; poster revealed exclusively.

Smile 2 confirmed as a Parker Finn-directed sequel for Paramount+ with Naomi Scott attached — sequel moving to streamer release and keeping Finn as creative lead.

Completed feature has already filmed; director Laszlo Illes is crowdfunding final festival/submission costs on Indiegogo and has raised over $7,000 (original goal $3,000) with four days left; cast includes Kane Hodder, Michael Berryman, Malcolm McDowell and Bonnie Aarons; film is seeking festival play/distribution.

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

Published today by Minotaur Books; trade praise (Variety) and genre praise cited; author Lindy Ryan’s earlier novel Bless Your Heart is already in development for television.

BAFTA acting categories produced surprises: Robert Aramayo won Best Actor (for a British indie still U.S.-ineligible), Sean Penn won Best Supporting Actor; Frankenstein’s Jacob Elordi had earlier Critics Choice momentum—creating less certainty for the Oscars' acting races.

Early reactions frame Sam Raimi’s first R-rated horror in 26 years as a return-to-form, noting tone and gore level compared to his earlier work (reviews aggregated; no deal or box-office terms disclosed).

Dread Central highlights Shudder’s trailer for Bodycam, emphasizing the officer POV/found‑footage angle and signaling the streamer’s marketing rollout ahead of the March/Friday‑13th launch.

Odessa A’zion joins Netflix's animated Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 as Nikki Baxter; series premieres April 23, 2026 and debuts new neon-drenched character art in Collider's exclusive preview.

Early review: first four episodes of the Scrubs reboot deliver material close to the show’s first eight seasons; airdate noted as Feb. 25; Bill Lawrence credited as creator.

Toho and director Takashi Yamazaki are targeting a late‑2026 theatrical release and remain in active production/planning on the sequel.

Audiences reportedly walked out over rape scenes in Jennifer Kent's The Nightingale — indicates the film's content is provoking strong festival/early-screening backlash that could affect distribution and content warnings.

Imaginary posted a Week‑2 box‑office hold for Blumhouse’s latest that’s the studio’s best second‑week performance since M3GAN, signaling stronger-than-expected audience legs (no grosses provided).

Sources say Cregger is circulating/attached to a project titled THE FLOOD; reporting frames it as a creature-feature that previously stalled and may be resurrected — no studio, budget or production timeline disclosed.

Reid delayed Unrivaled from Sept 2026 to June 2027, citing slower writing after worsening Parkinson’s symptoms; she teased additional announcements later this week to ‘soften the blow.’

Deal announced at EFM: Blue Fox acquired two Tubi Originals — 'Summer’s Last Resort' and 'Buzzkill' — in market sales activity.

Josh Ruben and Chris Landon are collaborators on Heart Eyes, positioning the project as a rom‑com slasher blending comedic and horror sensibilities with festival/genre potential.

Actress Odessa A'zion has exited A24's Deep Cuts amid casting backlash; she states she hadn't read the book prior to taking the role—no replacement, production delays or financial details reported in the excerpt.

Vermila Studios and Blumhouse Games are developing Crisol: Theater of Idols, a single-player horror-FPS where player health equals ammunition; creative ties to Spanish folklore, protagonist Gabriel, and integrated 'Blood Memories' narrative instead of cutscenes; Vermila CEO David Carrasco quoted on religious/sacrifice themes.

The Mortuary Assistant is now available to stream on Shudder—article praises it as a recommended watch and signals continued acquisition/curation of indie horror titles by the streamer.

Reached #1 on Netflix’s Top 10 Non‑English TV Series list (listing dated February 12, 2026).

Coverage credits Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme with becoming A24’s highest-grossing title; article framing suggests a box-office milestone for the filmmaker and the label but the excerpt contains no concrete grosses or release-window context.

Shudder has added a slate of Lionsgate library titles to its March lineup—indicates another licensing round between Shudder (AMC) and Lionsgate to bolster the streamer’s catalog for the month.

Assemble Entertainment and Tainted Pact Games are releasing PSX-styled horror game The Skin Stapler for PC on Steam in 2026; a demo is available during Steam Next Fest.

UK/Ireland release calendar lists Scream 7 opening Feb 27 (Paramount) and genre titles including Don’t Be Prey on March 20 and Scarlet among March releases — calendar is editable by distributors.

Release-date update announced for Evil Dead 7 (new date or confirmation implied); article provides scheduling news for the franchise but no production budget or distributor terms in excerpt.

Luca Guadagnino is attached to direct a reworked American Psycho remake from Scott Z. Burns (Guadagnino signed late 2024); Austin Butler, Jacob Elordi and Patrick Schwarzenegger have been names considered for Patrick Bateman, and Bret Easton Ellis says the new script is 'a completely different take' rather than a straight remake of Mary Harron’s film.

Netflix and Take-Two are aiming to coordinate the BioShock film’s release with a new game launch, signaling a cross-media marketing push that could compress the film’s production schedule and prioritize tie-in timing between studio and publisher.

Maggie Gyllenhaal's The Bride! — a subversive Bride of Frankenstein take starring Christian Bale and Jessie Buckley — opens in theaters and IMAX March 6; film is R‑rated and produced by Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Talia Kleinhendler and Osnat Handelsman Keren.

Film Independent named six Amplifier Fellowship recipients; each receives a $30,000 unrestricted grant and a 12‑month mentorship program backed by Netflix’s fund for creative equity; projects include Akil Rashad Anderson’s Mr. Negro, a fiction feature about a man whose deadbeat son becomes an otherworldly creature.

Winona Ryder was cast in Wednesday season 3 as a guest character named Tabitha; production is already underway near Dublin and Eva Green is joining as Morticia's long-lost sister, Ophelia; additional casting includes Chris Sarandon, Noah Taylor and others.

Noseeums (dir. Raven DeShay Carter) hits digital and VOD on February 27; credits include writers Jason-Michael Anthony & Hendreck Joseph, producer Lisette Estrella Delgado, executive producers Reb Braddock/Paul Cohen/Vicky Meyer, and a cast led by Aleigha Burt.

Kevin Williamson says Scream 4 was written as the first film of a new trilogy: his original plan had Emma Roberts’ Jill survive Scream 4, become a celebrity 'new Sidney' in college (Scream 5 would follow as Jill hunts for the killer who threatens to expose her), and a Scream 6 treatment involving Gale Weathers rebuilding her life without Dewey.

Dan Trachtenberg’s Predator: Badlands set a new franchise box-office record, becoming the highest-grossing Predator entry to date.

Hulu's Paradise returns with Season 2; first three episodes aired February 23, 2026, shifting setting and mission for Sterling K. Brown's Secret Service lead Xavier Collins and promising a darker tone.

Titan Books will publish an official making-of book for Event Horizon this fall, expanding ancillary IP for a long-running cosmic-horror cult title.

Producer confirms Psycho Killer 2 is planned and clarifies the satanic slasher character's fate heading into the sequel—project appears in early development rather than active production.

Developed by David Kajganich from Dan Simmons' novel; Jared Harris stars as Captain Francis Crozier; Ridley Scott served as producer on AMC's first-season anthology, The Terror.

UK implements 2024 Media Act rules bringing VoD platforms with >500,000 UK users into Ofcom 'Tier 1' regulation; accessibility quotas set (80% subtitled, 10% audio-described, 5% signed) and maximum fine per breach £250,000 or 5% of qualifying revenue — applies to Netflix, Prime Video, ITVX, Channel 4 and other major streamers.

Paramount (David Ellison) has an all-cash $108.4bn bid for WBD at $30/share after multiple offers; Paramount offered a ticking fee and proposed to cover WBD’s $2.8bn termination fee to Netflix; WBD shareholders vote on March 20; deal subject to regulatory approval.

New trailer released and tickets are on sale for Five Nights at Freddy’s 2; film directed by Emma Tammi and scheduled for a December theatrical release.

U.S. Digital HD release set for February 24 after festival run; stars Antonia Thomas et al.; Schuetze and Visser co-wrote/co-directed; received Heartland Best Horror and Manchester Best International Feature.

Well Go USA is circulating a new trailer for The Yeti; Jim Cummings headlines the snowy creature feature set in Alaska and the film is now in marketing.