ScreamWire Daily

HAF relaunched a dedicated genre focus at the Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum showcasing five in-development genre projects and one WIP seeking production partners and financing — the slate lists budgets (e.g., In The Name Of Right $5.65M; The Power Plant $1.67M; The Grass $800K) and prizes including HAF awards (~HK$100,000 each) to incentivize financing.

Specialty distributor 3388 Films secured international theatrical rights to Vietnamese dark psychological thriller Bunny!! (a domestic hit that grossed over $16M in Vietnam) and will roll it out across multiple territories starting March 26, positioning the film for broader festival and commercial exposure.

BIFFF returns to its usual venue for its 44th edition (3–18 April) with 130 features including multiple genre and dark‑horror entries (Glenn McQuaid’s The Restoration at Grayson Manor, Pål Øie’s Kraken, Hanna Bergholm’s Nightborn, Romain Daudet‑Jahan’s Kyma) plus new strands, jury picks and Lifetime honours for Asia Argento and Adrienne Barbeau.

Netflix’s live-action Assassin’s Creed series (greenlit July) added Claes Bang and Nabhaan Rizwan as series regulars; Roberto Patino and David Wiener serve as creators/showrunners and the cast now includes Noomi Rapace, Sean Harris and others — project adapts Ubisoft’s high-selling IP (230M+ units), following the 2016 feature that grossed ~$240M worldwide.

Grind, a SXSW world-premiere horror-comedy anthology co-directed/curated by Brea Grant, Chelsea Stardust and Ed Dougherty, assembles multiple genre directors (Gigi Saul Guerrero, Brea Grant) and horror personalities to deliver workplace-themed absurdist nightmares — positioned as a well-curated anthology with crossover comedy appeal.

Salem Horror Fest announced its 2026 Jury Award winners: Best Feature Blood & Guts (directed by Carlye Rubin, Katie Green and Tina Grapenthin), Best Interlude Very Prosperous Men (Josiah Walker), and Best Short Mangittatuarjuk (Louise Flaherty), spotlighting diverse indie horror voices.

Leonine Studios struck a multi-year licensing deal with Prime Video in Germany and Austria giving Prime exclusive SVOD rights for six months in the pay-2 window for Leonine's theatrical slate from Jan 1, 2026 — the package covers local hits plus international titles including A24's The Drama and The Housemaid.

FilmLA data shows L.A. soundstage occupancy remained weak in early 2025 (62% average) with total shoot days down 8% year-over-year and scripted TV shoot days down 23%, exposing spare stage capacity despite new builds (Echelon, Stocker Street) and state tax credit tweaks aimed at steadying production.

At EFM/Berlinale industry panels, TikTok execs and partners argued #FilmTok is a structural discovery engine that measurably drives box office and streaming — citing data that viral TikTok titles accounted for 15 of Europe’s 20 biggest theatrical hits in 2025 and case studies linking creator-led campaigns to revenue spikes.

WTFilms boarded Indonesian martial-arts thriller Ikatan Darah for international sales (excluding select Asian territories); the film — produced by Legacy Pictures, KG Pictures and Uwais Pictures with Iko Uwais as executive producer — premiered at Fantastic Fest and is set to release in Indonesia from April 30.

Bitters End closed initial sales for Japanese psychological thriller Sai: Disaster to France, South Korea and Taiwan after its San Sebastian Competition premiere; the film opened in Japan Feb 20 and earned ¥50m in its first 13 days while further territory negotiations (US/UK/Spain/SE Asia) continue.

Bangkok’s Shinesaeng Ad.Venture launched production arm Common Ground with four projects including Kongkiat Komesiri’s $2M action drama Prasert, supernatural thriller No Caller ID (medium-using revenge-on-scam-centre logline), and $1.5M action thriller All Forgotten Now — the slate reunites the company with Kongkiat after his horror hit Our House.

Netflix will premiere Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 on April 23, but the first two animated episodes will play theatrically in 34 U.S. cinemas on April 18 as a fan event with collectible swag and limited engagement ahead of the streaming launch.

Hulu renewed Dan Fogelman's post‑apocalyptic political thriller Paradise for Season 3 (renewal announced while S2 airs), citing strong consumption metrics (30M+ hours for S2; nearly 12 billion minutes across two seasons).

Mark Heyman's Facebook-set thriller Xoxo was reported picked up by Lionsgate with production overseen by Alli Shearmur and Mike Paseornek and producers Darren Aronofsky and Michael London still attached; positions the script as a 'Fatal Attraction for the digital age.'

Director Scott Derrickson publicly honored James Ransone after the 2026 Oscars omitted him from the televised In Memoriam; the Academy did include Ransone on its website and Derrickson noted Ransone appeared in five of his films, including Sinister and The Black Phone franchise.

Sony Pictures and Macro Film Studios signed a multi-year exclusive first-look, co-financing and distribution pact; Sony will have first-look on Macro projects and commit to release at least one Macro-produced, co-financed feature per year, building on Macro’s recent commercial hits (GOAT ~$163M global; One of Them Days $51M on $14M).

Taiwan’s Wanin International launched its Filmart slate led by Aaron Kwok's fantasy comedy Don’t Father Me and three genre titles — horror Hold To Death: Hand In Hand (opening April 17), action thriller Kill At Once, and horror-thriller Host by Danny Pang — with Hold To Death close to CIS and Southeast Asia deals.

Producers and Daniel Kwan (Everything Everywhere All At Once) presented The AI Doc at SXSW and warn AI is an existential industry challenge while urging creators to practice intellectual humility, reclaim consent, and build pro-social tools.

Lionsgate Limited is issuing a SteelBook 4K UHD + Blu‑ray + Digital edition of The Ninth Gate (1999), newly restored in 4K with Dolby Vision/Atmos; the release is priced at $34.99 and includes director Roman Polanski commentary and special features.

Edko Films unveiled the star-studded cast for Cold War 1994 (prequel in the Cold War franchise) including Tony Leung Ka Fai, Chow Yun Fat, Aaron Kwok, Louis Koo, Aidan Gillen and Hugh Bonneville; production shot in Hong Kong (with some London scenes) and is expected to premiere later this year — Edko and partners Wanda Pictures and Ruyi Films back the film and the Cold War franchise has previously grossed over HK$100m (~$13m) across two films.

Scream 7 director Kevin Williamson says he tried to secure Emma Roberts for a cameo as Jill Roberts from Scream 4, but the actor did not return for the new film.

Dream Maker and Nob Productions are expanding into the Thai theatrical market with three local features—dark comedy-drama Behind the Screens, supernatural mystery-thriller Televil (about a TV that pulls people into its world) starring Weir Sukollawat, and Boys’ Love-inflected Tea Lounge—positioning the slate for wider Asian distribution via local and international partners.

Vampires of the Velvet Lounge, a horror-comedy featuring Stephen Dorff, opens in select theaters March 20 via Strand Releasing; Bloody Disgusting premiered an exclusive clip.

Remedy Interactive released a major 'Open House' update for FBC: Firebreak that adds five new arenas (inspired by Control) and gameplay/balance improvements, expanding the game's Endless Shift mode.

Home‑video roundup: new 4K/Blu‑ray releases and catalog restorations include Sam Raimi's Send Help with extensive extras, James Gunn's Slither getting a 4K Steelbook, Criterion's June slate, and Lionsgate's Vestron Series reissues.

A JoBlo retrospective examines why Guillermo del Toro’s Blade II leaned harder into horror—introducing the Reaper strain and a darker aesthetic—and recounts development hurdles that delayed the sequel until del Toro’s involvement convinced New Line to greenlight him.

Creator Jason Cordova discusses a new 'complete' edition of his analog-horror–inspired tabletop RPG Public Access, explaining design intents around memory, mystery, and collaborative GM/player mechanics; release details and expanded content noted for this edition.

IndieWire questions whether The Movie 'Sinners' faced anti‑horror bias for Best Picture despite winning four Oscars in individual categories, framing awards politics around horror’s historical struggles at the Academy.

A Halloweenies retrospective revisits Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson’s troubled werewolf project Cursed, framing it as a high-profile what-if tied to the collaborators' Scream legacy and noting behind-the-scenes interference including Weinstein-era issues.

Director/star Grace Glowicki is positioning midnight feature Dead Lover as a theatrical novelty using scratch-and-sniff “Stink‑O‑Vision” cards to drive in-person attendance and emphasize the film’s midnight‑movie, experiential marketing angle.

iHorror curates five overlooked 2025 horror releases (Good Boy, Rabbit Trap, Dangerous Animals, etc.), highlighting festival pedigrees, strong critical praise (Good Boy 90% RT, Sundance premiere for Rabbit Trap) and Shudder availability — a watchlist of low‑noise indie hits that slipped under the year’s bigger headlines.

BritBox’s four-part dramatization The Lady, based on the real Jane Andrews case, premieres March 18; Mia McKenna-Bruce and Natalie Dormer lead the series (Dormer has publicly distanced herself and donated her salary).

Director Jia Zhangke discussed experimenting with AI in two short films and urged measured curiosity — advocating understanding before protesting or investing — while speaking at a Filmart masterclass and noting AI’s potential to change film expression and production modes.

104 Films has launched D-Horror, a BFI Creative Challenge Fund-backed development programme to guide 10 disabled UK creatives over four months to produce market-ready horror projects and 'reclaim the genre,' featuring creators from Reunion and We Might Regret This.

Lionsgate has acquired the killer-crocodile survival-thriller spec The Death Roll, written by Kas Graham Rebecca Pollock, with Glen Powell executive producing via Barnstorm alongside Dan Cohen and Bryan Haas of Chasing Epic Pictures; project now moving into development at Lionsgate.

Brian K. Vaughan — acclaimed comics/TV writer — co‑wrote Dune: Part Three with Denis Villeneuve; the film adapts Frank Herbert's Dune Messiah and hits theaters in December.

Collider (and other outlets) report Tommy Lee Jones is joining Season 2 of Hulu’s Ethan Hawke-led noir The Lowdown — framed as a high-profile casting coup and Jones’ first regular TV role in ~40 years, reinforcing Hulu’s commitment to prestige genre drama.

A24 is financing and distributing a reimagining of Bloodsport written and directed by Michaela Coel, with Marc Toberoff and Alberto Lensi producing and Stuart Manashil and Peggy DiSalle as EPs.

John Valley’s indie slasher American Dollhouse premiered in SXSW’s Midnighters and is getting strong audience reactions for its local Austin production values, lead performances (Hailley Lauren, Kelsey Pribilski) and striking third-act production design — noted as a likely pickup target for distribution post-festival.

Andy Weir says the Artemis adaptation is likely on the backburner after studio shifts but confirms interest remains and suggests Jenna Ortega would be an appealing choice to play Jazz if the project moves forward.

PCCW Media and SK Global’s Hong Kong-set limited series The Season — a White Lotus–style high-society revenge drama starring Jessie Mei Li — will launch in the U.S. on Hulu (and Hulu on Disney+) in June 2026, with Fremantle handling international sales and Viu/Now TV covering Asia and Hong Kong.

Apple TV+ has premiered Imperfect Women, an eight-episode adaptation of Araminta Hall’s novel starring Kate Mara, Elisabeth Moss and Kerry Washington; early reactions online are strongly positive and the series will drop episodes weekly through April 29.

Malaysia renewed its Film in Malaysia Incentive (FIMI) with RM300 million (~$76M) allocated over five years and a further RM300 million for audiovisual infrastructure, continuing a 30% cash rebate (plus 5% cultural bonus) and broadening the legal definition of 'film' to include TV, docs, animation and AI content while adding worker protections.

Producer Molly Conners is launching Phiphen International with Abu Dhabi’s Mondevo Group to create an international co-production platform and media fund across EMEA/APAC, expanding Phiphen Games and positioning Conners as CEO to back multi-genre film and games slates.

Bratislava Industry Days awarded the Cineuropa Work in Progress prize to Terézia Halamová’s The Hour Between Dog and Wolf and recognised several regional projects across pitch and WIP strands, highlighting CEE festival pipeline activity.

Starz and Sky Atlantic released a first look image of Ella Purnell as Rhiannon Lewis for Sweetpea Season 2, signaling the return of the serial-killer coming-of-rage thriller later this year.

Austrian supernatural horror Smother (aka Heimsuchung) — a generational-trauma folk/psychological horror in the vein of Relic — will be released on DVD and digital April 7 via IndiePix Films; trailer now circulating.

First-look images released for The Complex, an indie psychological/surreal thriller directed by and starring Merek Alam about an apartment that becomes a hostile, nightmarish sealed environment; produced by Bright Afternoon Productions LLC with release details forthcoming.

Australian found-footage folk horror Water Horse — which blends true crime with Celtic mythology — is out today with a plot following disappearances at a lake and a paranormal investigator team documenting the mystery.

Snoring Dog Games announced Thorner, a pixel-based horror visual novel arriving on Steam later this year, positioning the studio’s sophomore title as a wilderness-set psychological horror follow-up to The Flayed Man.