Horror Industry News — Tuesday, March 3, 2026

Scream 7 opened No.1 in U.K./Ireland with £3.8M (~$5.1M) debut per Comscore; Vertigo Releasing is simultaneously running horror title Dolly in the market — genre still visible amid March studio slate.

Update on Maniac Cop revival: Nicolas Winding Refn attached historically as producer; project has cycled between plans for a Refn-directed remake (Ed Brubaker script, John Hyams attached previously) and a proposed HBO series — current report indicates Lustig says production may finally move forward under Refn but no financing or schedule is disclosed.

Raimi is producing a sequel to his earlier alligator-horror film five years after the prior entry — producing credit signals Raimi's continued IP stewardship and potential franchise development, though production timeline and distributor unspecified.

Bruce Campbell announced on X that he has a treatable (not curable) cancer diagnosis; he'll scale back convention appearances to focus on treatment but intends to promote and tour his upcoming film Ernie & Emma later this fall.

Leone discusses the franchise's future, implying Terrifier 4 is intended as a finale but leaving open possibilities ('you never say never'); reiterates script progress and spring pre-production target.

YA horror‑comedy Buzzkill cast announced: Siena Agudong and Brec Bassinger set to star in Tubi YA horror comedy (project titled Buzzkill). Casting signals Tubi is investing in youth‑skewing genre comedy originals.

Review: Shudder’s Honey Bunch (directors Madeleine Sims-Fewer & Dusty Mancinelli) is presented as a gothic, romantic-leaning thriller with distinct 1970s cinematography and Canadian indie production values; positions it as a high-quality streamer pickup but contains no distribution/deal new terms.

Duplicate/expanded review: Honey Bunch praised for fever-dream visuals, deliberate film grain, and 1970s palette; notes Canadian indie budget and clear auteur approach — no financing or acquisition details disclosed.

Butter Wines launched ButterZero™, a line of alcohol-removed wines (under 0.5% ABV) in four varietals—Sparkling Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir—positioned as premium non-alcoholic options with ~65 calories per glass and 750mL bottles.

Production started in South Australia on Wolf Creek: Legacy; Cineverse/Bloody Disgusting hold exclusive North American distribution and plan a wide theatrical release; John Jarratt returns as Mick Taylor; Greg McLean producing; Sean Lahiff directing from a Duncan Samarasinghe script; producers include Kristian Moliere, Bianca Martino and Jeremy Bolt; the first two films grossed $35M+ globally.

Author Tanya Smith's new psychological thriller THE HOA arrives March 3, 2026; Smith's prior memoir sparked a 27-offer Hollywood bidding war won by Universal Pictures with Janelle Monáe attached to star and produce — Smith will executive produce that adaptation; THE HOA is being positioned as Get Out–meets–Big Little Lies and is likely to be film/TV interest given prior studio attention.

Mometu launched the Short Film Showdown: monthly genre-based showcases (up to 25 films/month) streaming on its AVOD app; 85% of net ad revenue is paid to finalists (60/30/10 split), 15% seeded to a Short-to-Feature Development Initiative that will finance one short’s expansion with backend participation for the filmmaker.

S&P placed Paramount (Paramount Skydance tie) on negative watch citing the $111B estimated cost to acquire WBD (including assumed debt and $2.8B Netflix termination payment); S&P flagged pro forma leverage would exceed its 4.25x downgrade threshold and noted potential $650M quarterly ticking fees after Sept. 30, 2026.

Democratic lawmakers demand documents about White House and AG Pam Bondi's meetings with Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos and question whether those contacts influenced Netflix dropping out of the reported $83 billion bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, possibly aiding Paramount/Skydance; letter cites timing during DOJ antitrust review.

SODEC announced updates to its production and emerging-creator programs, revising eligibility and funding streams to streamline support for Quebec-based producers and early-career filmmakers.

Versant (spun out of NBCU) reported 2025 revenue of ~$6.69B (down 5.3% YoY) and net income down 31%; digital properties (including Rotten Tomatoes and Fandango) rose 3.9% to $826M; company shifting toward DTC revenue (19% of 2025 sales) and launching an ad-supported Fandango streamer.

Reports say Banijay is nearing a deal to combine with All3Media; a completed merger would create one of the largest global independent producers/distributors and trigger regulatory review, reshaping international format sales and commissioning power.

TGE's Scare Out has earned over US$160M worldwide in two weeks and driven roughly 12.3 billion social-media views (6.2B Douyin, 5.6B Weibo); released in 13+ territories including US/Canada/UK/Australia; TGE parent companies AMTD and AMTD Digital are promoting a global push — TGE films cumulative box office cited at $720M.

IMPACT has launched a career-catalyst platform aimed at accelerating Black producers' careers with programming focused on mentorship, financing access and industry placement.

Artists Equity (Affleck, Damon, Gerry Cardinale) signed a first-look production/distribution deal with Netflix for direct-to-stream films while keeping a separate theatrical partnership with Sony; next Netflix title is Animals (Affleck directing/starring).

Little Dot Studios renewed and expanded its multi-year content licensing partnership with Germany's ZDF Studios to broaden digital and multi-platform distribution across European markets.

Berlinale director Tricia Tuttle told German press she intends to continue in post after private talks with culture minister about a possible mutual resignation; she cited widespread industry support (3,000 signatories and staff backing) as renewing her clarity ahead of a supervisory board meeting.

Realness Institute appointed a new board including Dillion Phiri (S. Africa), Enyinnaya Omeruah (Nigeria), Moussa Sene Absa (Senegal) and Thabiso Molefe (S. Africa); launched an Alumni Advisory Council to scale training and international partnerships for African screenwriters and producers.

Maggie Gyllenhaal's The Bride! (a radical Bride of Frankenstein reimagining) reportedly cost ~$80M, will get an IMAX release, and is projected to open domestically in the $15–22M range — lower than typical for that budget; Warner Bros. leans on prior original horror hits as context for the gamble.

Paul Giamatti is attached to Jim Gavin's upcoming horror film Boutique — marks Giamatti's return to genre after ~10 years; article focuses on casting/plot teaser rather than financing or release date.

Variety-reported Aussie folklore about a black panther inspired horror-comedy Bloody Legend; Yaz Haddad attached to star — project signals continued appetite for regionally rooted horror-comedies and Australian location production, no distributor or financing disclosed.

Boston Underground Film Festival lineup includes Ben Wheatley's Normal (Bob Odenkirk attending) and a Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 screening with Bill Moseley — festival continues to program cult/genre titles and will run March 18–22 across Cambridge and Brookline venues.

Ryan Coogler's vampire epic SINNERS continued awards momentum with a sweep at last night's Actor Awards, strengthening its Oscar-season profile and industry awards trajectory.

Stephen King publicly defended Netflix's Bird Box, posting on X that he was 'absolutely riveted' and arguing lukewarm reviews may have been biased against streaming releases; Bird Box holds a 64% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes and was a major viewership hit for Netflix.

Feature retrospective on Gale Weathers positions her as Scream's enduring 'final girl' with deep franchise analysis and major spoilers — no new production or deal information; useful for franchise cultural signal and marketing insight.

NECA and Supercool Collective will produce a 1:1 limited-edition Old Age Chucky replica from the Chucky TV series — collectible release for franchise merchandising collectors; no price or release date disclosed in article excerpt.

Kurt Russell says The Madison was shot from a 'female‑gaze' perspective; the series was originally conceived as a Yellowstone spin‑off but reportedly no longer connects to that universe.

Rue Morgue premiered the trailer, stills and commentary for psychological slasher drama View From the Edge — creative materials released, signaling upcoming festival/market push; no distribution partner or dates announced.

Demo for horror fishing sim Out Fishing from Mūn Mūn Games and UNIKAT Label will release on Steam March 18; trailer dropped and Steam Next Fest miss noted — demo timing may drive indie horror-gaming interest but no monetization or platform-exclusive terms reported.

XSEED Games announced Moonlight Peaks, a gothic/cozy vampire life-sim for Nintendo Switch arriving this summer — blends pastoral Stardew-style gameplay with vampire themes; release window = summer (platform confirmed).