Horror Industry News — Wednesday, April 22, 2026

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.

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.

The Horror Collective is developing 213 Bones, the retro slasher feature, 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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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. — Deadline ( today ) · Deadline (

Following a $49.9 million box office run, Iron Lung is preparing for digital and Blu-ray release as Markiplier builds a new self distribution model.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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. --------------------------------------------------

Neon will release queer supernatural horror Leviticus in theaters on June 19 and has dropped new official trailers and posters; 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. Wed. Apr 22 · 47 stories · 25 watchlist hits · 323 sources