ScreamWire Daily

Connor Storrie is in talks to star opposite Melissa McCarthy in Craig Zobel's thriller Turpentine — a Black List script by Justin Varava — with T-Street and ShivHans Pictures producing; Storrie is also circling other high-profile projects amid breakout buzz.

André Øvredal’s horror feature Passenger (Paramount) received an R rating from the MPA for 'strong violent content, some gore, and language,' clarifying its content level ahead of its theatrical release next month.

Josh Ruben’s sci‑fi horror Green Bank has begun production this week with a refreshed cast that includes Brittany O’Grady and Kumail Nanjiani among the announced players, per The Hollywood Reporter.

Netflix releases the survival thriller Apex (directed by Baltasar Kormákur) on April 24 — a two-hander starring Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton about a grieving climber chased by a deranged hunter, filmed on location in Australia.

Director Darren Bousman is staying with Twisted Pictures — signaling continuity for the Saw franchise and related Twisted-shared IP development (short headline/excerpt: talent-company retention).

Netflix's shark-disaster thriller Thrash remained No.1 on the platform with 34.5 million weekly views through April 19 — signaling continued audience demand for high-concept creature/disaster genre fare on streaming.

Panic Fest 2026 closed after screening 150+ films; top awards include Best Feature Film Obsession (dir. Curry Barker), Best FX Frogman Returns, and Best Short My Severed Arm — festival showcased large filmmaker attendance and multiple long-form/short winners.

Julianna Margulies has been cast in season three of Hulu’s post-apocalyptic drama Paradise, which was renewed for a planned three-season arc; production and role details are being kept under wraps.

The Horror Collective is developing 213 Bones, a retro slasher set in the 1990s that leans into ’90s nostalgia and will feature a throwback soundtrack in the style of recent slasher revivals.

FSC will market the social-media-obsession thriller Pretty Ugly at Cannes, starring Mary Stuart Masterson and Nicola Peltz-Beckham, with FSC president Andrew Herwitz positioning the film for broad buyer interest thanks to its erotic tension and visceral set pieces.

ORIGAME DIGITAL's Lovecraftian horror title Penguin Colony was picked up by publisher Fellow Traveller for a 2026 release on PC and Nintendo Switch 2, signaling continued platform support for cosmic-horror indie games.

Event Horizon: Inferno is a new comic miniseries set 200 years after Paul W.S. Anderson’s 1997 film; Christian Ward returns as writer with Rob Carey on art for issue #2 and the series continues the film’s sci‑fi horror mythos.

Jordan Peele reflects on the emotional toll of Hollywood and how 'scars' from the business feed his creative work, noting 'spectacle' as a thematic north star (citing Nope) and advising filmmakers to find balance between wonder and exploitation.

Hulu’s Sarah Paulson-starrer Run will open Nightstream’s virtual festival, giving the streamer-backed thriller genre visibility within Nightstream’s programming slate.

Lionsgate Limited is issuing a Vestron Collector’s Series 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital Copy of cult werewolf film Ginger Snaps on May 19 with extensive archival extras and a Lionsgate-exclusive feature.

20th Century Studios' Sam Raimi survival-thriller Send Help is out on a 4K Ultra HD/Blu‑Ray/Digital combo pack (no standalone Blu‑Ray) with an extensive bonus package — feature-length commentary by Raimi & producer Zainab Azizi, deleted/alternate scenes, making‑of featurettes, and a Dolby Atmos 4K transfer praised for HDR/Dolby Vision presentation.

Ariana Richards (Jurassic Park) will return from a decade-plus hiatus to star in 25 Miles Out, a 1960s‑inspired horror short created as an Earth Day charity project benefiting the World Wildlife Fund.

Fangoria offers an exclusive preview of Bro ken Bird, an upcoming visceral horror-drama (described as autopsy horror) opening in theaters this weekend, positioning it as a guts-forward indie release.

Scream Factory will release a Paranoiac collector’s edition Blu-ray with new release details and extras, continuing the label’s focus on restoring and monetizing vintage horror/thriller catalog titles.

Director Jorma Taccone discusses blending large-scale gore with comedy on Over Your Dead Body, signaling a deliberate horror-comedy tonal play from a director known for absurdist comedy; interview focuses on creative approach rather than deals or release terms.

Voidance, a sci‑fi time-loop thriller from Marianna Dean starring James Cosmo, closed Sci‑Fi‑London May 17 and will be released digitally May 25–27, 2026.

Occult horror‑western Souls Chapel, directed by Jack C. Young and inspired by a real legend, is now available on DVD and VOD via Deskpop Entertainment on Apple TV and Amazon.

FilmLA launched a six-month 'low impact' permit pilot to speed and cut costs for small indie shoots in L.A. — qualifying productions (≤3 locations over ≤3 days, ≤30 cast/crew) can bypass certain inspections and could see permit costs for a three-day shoot reduced by an estimated 58%.

The Stunt Guild (TSG) was relaunched by Lee Sheward with 90+ initial members to support stunt performers, but some joiners report alleged bullying and threats from British Stunt Register (BSR) members causing at least 14 resignations; BSR denies intervening or issuing threats.

Neon has signed viral filmmaker Sam Evenson to adapt his short Mora into a feature — an AI-corruption horror — with producers Steven Schneider and Roy Lee (Spooky Pictures), Jessica Biel and Iron Ocean’s Michelle Purple among production partners; the feature marks Evenson’s debut and packages established horror producers behind the project.

A24, which secured Texas Chainsaw Massacre rights, tapped director Curry Barker (Obsession) for a reimagining feature while Roy Lee and Steven Schneider (Spooky Pictures) produce; JT Mollner is separately directing a Chainsaw TV series with Glen Powell producing — no release date yet.

Director Lee Cronin says The Mummy is not based on a true story but draws on his personal grief; the film is produced by Blumhouse and Atomic Monster and was titled with Cronin’s name (at Jason Blum’s urging) to signal a distinct auteur-driven reboot.

Media Res International has secured a first option on John Ajvide Lindqvist’s follow-up novel Summer of 1986, positioning the company to extend the Stockholm-archipelago coming-of-age thriller/mystery universe after Summer of 1985’s Canneseries premiere and international sales via Fifth Season.

Don Mancini confirmed at Steel City Comic Con that he's scripting a new Child's Play entry intended as a 'soft reboot' that returns the franchise to a darker tone while ambiguously acknowledging the TV series.

Netflix has begun production in Australia on a live-action Gundam feature directed by Jim Mickle, starring Sydney Sweeney and Noah Centineo with Jason Isaacs, Javon Walton, Michael Mando and Nonso Anozie; the film tells an original Gundam-set story and will be released on Netflix (no date yet).

Analysis argues Netflix's The Hunting Wives (adapted from May Cobb) has franchise potential similar to You or Mindhunter due to malleable premise and cliffhanger renewal into Season 2, positioning it as a durable psychological-thriller property for the streamer.

A roundup lists 17 new horror novels (and 13 upcoming titles) for 2026 — highlighting launches from established genre authors (including a new Stephen Graham Jones teen slasher among others) and signaling robust publishing activity feeding horror IP pipelines for adaptations.

UK indie CMG Productions and podcast firm Stak have formed a development partnership to co-create a slate of sport- and crime-focused podcasts (four initial projects) intended to expand into scripted premium docs and drama, and are in talks with platforms and commissioners.

Dark Horse will publish The Foundry: In Peril on the Seas, a four-issue Hellboy Universe mini-series by Mike Mignola and Chris Roberson debuting August 12, 2026 — expanding Hellboy IP activity and franchise tie-in publishing.

A No Film School list argues several '90s genre titles (Dark City, Event Horizon, The Faculty, Strange Days, The Game) merit modern reboots — flags existing IP with strong genre hooks that could attract studios or indie producers interested in nostalgia‑driven horror/sci‑fi remakes.

Canadian culture minister Marc Miller has established an audiovisual advisory panel to provide industry guidance on federal audiovisual policy and strategy, signaling Ottawa's stepped‑up coordination with the screen sector (panel membership and mandate to be detailed by Playback).

Neon will release queer supernatural horror Leviticus in theaters on June 19 and has dropped new official posters ahead of the trailer release; the film is rated R for violent content and comes from a noted indie distributor.

Natalie Erika James’s Australian supernatural body‑horror Saccharine — about a weight‑loss craze using human ashes — will open theatrically May 22, 2026 from Independent Film Company with Shudder attached as a distributor/partner.

Chandler Riggs headlines Hacked: A Double Entendre of Rage Fueled Karma, a horror-comedy revenge film receiving a limited theatrical run in May and a VOD/digital release on June 2.

Emberflight Games' bodycam horror game It Reaches is launching on May 18 for Steam, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series, with a playable demo available now on Steam following its February announcement at Perp Games.

Dead Island 2 celebrates its third anniversary with a free crossover update featuring Devolver Digital's Quarantine Zone and additional in-game events, signaling sustained post-launch support from Deep Silver and Dambuster Studios.

Brainstorm Media released the trailer for BT Meza's feature debut Affection — a Jessica Rothe-led time-loop/sci‑fi horror — which premiered at Screamfest and other genre fests and opens in select US theaters May 8, 2026.

Odyssey, a genre-bending thriller about a London real estate agent drawn into a dark underworld, will be available on Digital and VOD April 28 from Cineverse.

Netflix is fast-tracking a political thriller starring Michael Fassbender with first-look images released; project is moving quickly in production development though no budget, release window or additional creative deals were disclosed.

A24 will open David Lowery’s psychological thriller Mother Mary nationwide April 24; the final trailer highlights Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel in a character-driven, tension-led release.

Trailer for Speed Demon debuted, pitching a Speed-meets-The Exorcist premise where William H. Macy and Katie Cassidy fight possessed passengers on a runaway train.