ScreamWire Daily

A24 released three new stills from Kane Parsons’ liminal-horror Backrooms, highlighting the film’s signature yellow/suburban aesthetic and confirming cast Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Lukita Maxwell and Finn Bennett ahead of its May 29, 2026 wide rollout.

Director Baltasar Kormákur confirms Apex was originally planned for theatrical release but shifted to Netflix, framing the move as a platform-model decision and underscoring streaming-first strategies for high-production survival thrillers.

Neon has greenlit Mora, expanding Sam Evenson’s viral short into a feature to be written/directed by Evenson with Neon handling worldwide rights; producers include Roy Lee, Steven Schneider, Ken Kao and Jessica Biel—the package signals Neon's continued aggressive investment in contemporary/tech-themed horror.

Sara May launched Sonderworld, a French production banner focused on elevated action and genre films with Goodfellas attached for international sales/co‑prods; Sonderworld is packaging six films (two action, two elevated genre, one urban, one dark comedy/crime) and plans rapid scaling and creator-first use of tech including ethical AI.

Alex Proyas is reviving his long-gestating sci-fi satire Heaven via Ex Machina Studios and K5 International as an AI-assisted production aimed at controlling previously prohibitive $80–$100M costs; the project will be shopped to buyers at Cannes and intends to use proprietary AI tools to build large-scale worlds while keeping human actors central.

Universal has tapped M3GAN director Gerard Johnstone to adapt Mattel’s Monster High dolls into a feature film, signaling Universal’s continued investment in horror-adjacent IP and franchise-building from toy brands.

Hulu has acquired Close Protection from Universal Television — a romantic thriller about an American bodyguard protecting a British princess — co‑created by Dean Georgaris and John Fox, with John Davis (Davis Entertainment) executive producing; casting and production timeline remain TBD.

Hachette (Run for It) will publish Jen Julian’s Appalachian gothic horror novel The Winter Folk on July 21, 2026 — a Deerhaven-set folk-horror about a young woman drawn back to a secret lodge, presented as trade paperback with evident adaptation potential.

Netflix has begun production in Atlanta on live-action Scooby-Doo: Origins with casting led by Maxwell Jenkins (Fred), Tanner Hagen (Shaggy), Abby Ryder Fortson (Velma), and Mckenna Grace (Daphne), marking a major franchise production for the streamer.

James Gunn confirms Clayface is set in the main DCU and takes place before Superman, making it an early (but chronologically out-of-order) DCU film—the project originated from a pitch by Mike Flanagan and stars Tom Rhys Harries with James Watkins directing, opening Oct 23, 2026.

Paramount is pursuing a second Bayonne production facility at the former Seahorse warehouse (69-73 LeFante Way) to supplement its 10-year lease at 1888 Studios; the New Jersey DCA is expediting permits with a July 1 target and the site would qualify for a 40% base Film & Digital Media Tax Credit.

IDW's Event Horizon: Inferno #1 (written by Christian Ward, art by Rob Carey) picks up 200 years after the film and reveals Lt. M.K. Starck survived; the series sets a Dante's-Inferno-meets-Aliens tone with a billionaire antagonist and teases a recurring mystery across upcoming issues.

Sam Raimi's Send Help is scheduled to hit Hulu in May — the Raimi title landing on the streamer updates the film's release window for viewers and adds a high-profile genre name to Hulu's catalog.

Dark Horse releases the Hellboy one-shot Hellboy in Love: Black Eyes #1 featuring a ghost investigation with retired B.P.R.D. agents and a story that pulls on Hellboy’s supernatural roots—early preview art has been posted.

Paradigm hired former WME agent Elizabeth Wiederseim to its LA talent division after WME layoffs; several of her clients are expected to follow and Paradigm positions the hire as a boost to its creative/talent slate.

Phoebe Dynevor and Whitney Peak discuss on-set anecdotes for Netflix’s shark horror THRASH, emphasizing a comedic and lighthearted atmosphere between takes despite the film’s horror premise.

Hannah Davis left WME to join CAA’s Motion Picture Literary department, bringing a roster of writers and directors and further bolstering CAA’s high-profile literary slate.

Following WBD shareholders approving the Warner Bros. Discovery–Paramount Skydance merger vote, Trump attended David Ellison’s private DC dinner; the deal still faces federal review and state AG scrutiny, includes a $7 billion termination fee if blocked and a quarterly 25¢ per-share ticking fee after Sept. 30 if not closed.

Higher Ground Productions is ending its Netflix exclusivity and shifting to operate as an independent company able to work across studios — the move follows a 2024 renewed first‑look deal and could redirect in‑demand projects (including genre titles in development) to other streamers and traditional studios.

CJ ENM opted out of a potential acquisition of Korean streamer Watcha, leaving the platform’s court-supervised rehabilitation and open bidding process in doubt after Watcha revealed negative equity (~87.5 billion won / ~$59M) and mounting losses.

Feature on Apex’s climbing accuracy: production hired climbing consultant Beth Rodden, trained Charlize Theron, shot on Norway’s Troll Wall and Australian cliffs, used real wall replicas and on‑set climbing safety teams to increase realism.

The Ankler rounds up Q1 streaming film winners/losers using Nielsen (through March 29) and flags distribution/streaming traction; piece also flags investor connections (Thrive Capital’s stake in A24 and Bob Iger advising Thrive) plus executive pay and corporate moves affecting studio strategy and streaming windows.

Canada and Korea signed a modernized audiovisual co-production treaty, lowering barriers and updating rules for joint film/TV financing and production — a strategic win that should expand co-production opportunities, foreign tax incentives and access to Korean and Canadian funding pools for genre projects.

Peacock reported 46 million paid subscribers and surpassed US$2 billion in Q1 revenue, with Comcast management projecting a path to profitability in Q2—signals that could affect genre commissioning budgets and distributor strategy across streaming services.

Mayoral candidates in Los Angeles are courting Hollywood as runaway production and interstate incentive bidding threaten local jobs; the piece frames the election as consequential for keeping film/TV projects in L.A. and U.S. production more broadly.

VRT Canvas and VRT Studios are actively commissioning and co-producing ambitious Flemish documentary series — including the true-crime femicide-focused En nu is ze dood (A Woman Was Killed) — leveraging co‑pro partnerships and support from the Flanders Audiovisual Fund to push local nonfiction to international markets via festivals like Canneseries.

Creator Matt Braly confirms Amphibia returns via a new comic series (Amphibia: Strange Voyage) from TokyoPop this November focusing on the Plantars, and notes he’s launched a new animation studio, Fantasy Project, which is developing a darker indie Nutcracker‑inspired project Clara And The Below.

Grady Hendrix has relaunched his Super Scary Haunted Homeschool podcast for a second season, expanding the horror-history series and adding collaborator Chris LaMartina to explore haunted house lore.

A.V. Club review finds Housemarque’s Saros a solid but overly familiar Lovecraft‑tinged sci‑fi shooter—gameplay echoes Returnal heavily—notes Rahul Kohli (a Mike Flanagan regular) voices protagonist Arjun Devraj, with the story sharpening later around a ~25‑hour mark but overall fewer bold innovations.

MovieWeb notes that Taylor Sheridan's Hell or High Water will leave Netflix on May 1 — flags availability window for a high-profile neo‑Western (not horror) and reminds stakeholders to clear viewing/rights before departure.

Shudder revealed its May programming slate featuring exclusives and premieres — including Heresy (folk horror), Tales from the Crypt (streaming exclusive), The Terror: Devil in Silver, plus a lineup of classics and the Horror Noire documentary.

Wanda Film has been renamed Ruyi Film Entertainment following a 2024 change in control to Ke Liming/China Ruyi Holdings; the company (operator of 700+ Wanda cinemas) forecasts a 2025 net profit of $70.4M–$80.6M and signals a strategic push to reimagine theatres as diversified entertainment complexes.

Veteran makeup effects artist Ve Neill has moved into producing on the project THE WOLF AND THE LAMB, with Fangoria running exclusive behind-the-scenes images highlighting her new production role.

Comcast Q1 earnings show NBCU doubling down on sports to drive Peacock and broadband revenue; the write-up outlines how heavy sports spending is shaping Peacock’s content and long-term monetization strategy.

Marvel will publish Predator vs. Planet of the Apes, a five‑issue limited series by Greg Pak and artist Alan Robinson arriving July 29 (with giveaway prelude on Comics Giveaway Day May 2), marking the first official crossover between the two franchises in comics form.

Paradox Interactive and The Chinese Room confirmed major updates and the Loose Cannon story DLC for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, with an April 27 update (fixes to saves, movement and melee) and DLC that lets players play rogue cop Benny Muldoon.

Recap/spoiler: The Boys S5 elevates Homelander to quasi-religious/political power—Vought positions him as a prophet and builds the Democratic Church of America—escalating his threat level and political influence ahead of the season’s endgame.

Movistar Plus+ CEO Daniel Domenjó was dismissed after 14 months and will be replaced by Alfonso Gómez Palacio as Telefónica reviews its audiovisual strategy; staff reductions and potential platform restructuring were reported, raising questions about the streamer’s future investments in original content.

Paramount produced a surprise, stars-and-directors-heavy short filmed in seven weeks for its CinemaCon presentation — Jon M. Chu directed segments (Tom Cruise voiceover) and the piece featured cameos from creators and genre names including James Wan and Parker Finn to signal studio momentum under new leadership.

ShoStak launched a creator-focused platform and its First 150 competition to surface and develop serialized story worlds (micro-series to longer formats), promising IP ownership for creators and a public, engagement-driven path to production — a model that could open new routes for indie horror creators.

Comics news roundup: Ward and Pearson unveiled a new title called THE PATRON; the digest also flags a Dracula tie-in 'Operation: Iron Coffin', Sony revealing villains for a Spider‑Noir project, and a release date set for Heartstopper Forever.

Producer Tomik Mansoori launched Revival Films in Texas to focus on feature development, creative producing and production services for internal and third‑party projects, citing Texas' scale and locations and relocating from LA to Dallas–Fort Worth.

Locus published the preliminary 2026 Ditmar Awards ballot for Australian speculative fiction categories, listing nominees across Best Novel and Novella/Novelette including titles from Third Eye, Tordotcom, Midnight Sun and Titan.

Emmanuel Lubezki has exited Ang Lee’s Gold Mountain (shoot begins May 18) and has been replaced by Joshua James Richards; producers delayed the shoot after missing California tax rebate deadlines, forcing a 2026 push and likely scheduling conflict for Lubezki.

Producer Fauzan Zidni was elected chair of the Indonesian Film Agency (BPI) for four years and plans a Cannes‑centred international push to expand co‑productions and festival access; his team includes Nazira C. Noer and Yulia Evina Bhara, and he signals openness to partnerships with studios and distributors to grow Indonesia’s exporting pipeline.

Roadside Attractions and Saban Films acquired North American rights to Casper Kelly's debut feature BUDDY (a Sundance favorite) and set a wide theatrical release for September 4, 2026; produced by BoulderLight Pictures and Low Spark Films — a notable indie-to-theatrical pickup.

Midsummer Scream will host the premiere of The Jester 2 this August — the sequel to Dread’s viral horror hit — marking a high-profile fan/haunt-festival debut for a digital-era franchise follow-up.

IDW’s July 2026 solicits span broad IP launches and horror-leaning titles — highlights include TMNT #300, new Dracula and 30 Days of Night graphic novels, plus The Horror of Godzilla (Kai‑Sei Era) and other licensed crossovers.

Trailer/announcement for Fun-Size Pieces of Sharp Candy, a high-energy anthology in which a horror host ties together three seasonal segments (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter) featuring clowns, dolls and holiday-set kills — marketed as a fast, anthology horror piece.

International trailer released for Killer Whale, an R-rated survival horror starring Virginia Gardner that hits UK digital rental/AVOD May 18, 2026; directed by Jo-Anne Brechin, co-written with Katharine E. McPhee, produced/executive-produced by a slate including Lionel Hicks and others.

Developer Hey Bird! and publisher Critical Reflex launched a Steam playtest and new trailer for occult detective adventure Inkblood, inviting players to request access and explore its dark inquisitorial mystery mechanics.

New trailer for Carolina Caroline positions the film as an intense Bonnie-and-Clyde style heist/romance reuniting Kyle Gallner with his Dinner in America director and co-starring Samara Weaving.

Stingbot Games unveiled Victor’s Video Vault, a first‑person 1995 video‑store survival horror game (trailer posted), positioning it as a retro‑horror take following interest in Blood Pact Studios’ Retro Rewind.

Apple TV+'s Widow’s Bay — a Stephen King–tinged horror-comedy starring Matthew Rhys — blends character-driven scares with supernatural, slasher and witchcraft elements; early episodes excel at pacing and atmosphere, though critics note the later season grows convoluted and genre-mixes muddle the overall plot.

After Ryan Gosling exited The Daniels' untitled Universal sci-fi action-comedy, studio pursued Keanu Reeves and Brad Pitt but both declined; the film carries a reported ~$150M budget and the release date was moved to Nov. 19, 2027 as production and casting shuffle.

Watcher director Chloe Okuno has been hired to direct Bad Hand, marking another high-profile genre attachment for Okuno and indicating continued studio interest in emerging female horror directors; project status appears to be a director assignment ahead of further packaging.

Prime Video/MGM+ and showrunner Oren Uziel revealed key villains — Silvermane, Sandman, Tombstone and Megawatt — for Nicolas Cage’s Spider-Noir, which debuts May 27; series produced by Sony Pictures Television with Lord Miller and Pascal Pictures involved.

Co-showrunner Brad Caleb Kane posted a red-balloon teaser that many are reading as an imminent Season 2 announcement for It: Welcome to Derry; EPs Andy & Barbara Muschietti and showrunners Jason Fuchs & Kane have long-planned additional seasons that would revisit 1935 and the Bradley Gang as Pennywise’s non-linear time perspective expands the mythology.

Jeff Nichols has begun production on King Snake in Arkansas — a Southern Gothic supernatural horror — with Margaret Qualley and Drew Starkey starring and Michael Shannon referenced in reporting; the film is now in active production.

Coverage highlights Taron Egerton's sinister turn opposite Charlize Theron in Netflix's Apex, directed by Baltasar Kormákur; critics praised performances and cinematography and several outlets argued the film warranted a theatrical release.

Netflix's animated spinoff Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 introduces a new Upside-Down–adjacent monster called the 'Queen' (aka 'Horde Prime') that evolves rapidly, can open gates back to the Upside Down, and is set up to return in subsequent seasons—expanding the franchise's monster mythology.

Peacock will remove the Blade trilogy (Blade, Blade II, Blade: Trinity) at month’s end; no new streaming home is confirmed yet, so the vampire‑horror hybrid trilogy may be temporarily unavailable across platforms.

Three weeks before premiere, Chad Feehan was removed as showrunner of the Yellowstone spinoff Dutton Ranch amid clashes with cast (Cole Hauser, Kelly Reilly), with Taylor Sheridan and Paramount backing the series and internal promotion of another Season 1 writer expected.

Richard Gadd follows his Netflix breakout with Baby Reindeer by creating and starring in Half Man, a six-episode HBO series exploring male identity that positions him as an unsettling antihero and continues his transition from indie cult success to premium-TV talent.

Curry Barker — rising horror director behind Obsession — has already shot a follow-up, reinforcing his rapid career momentum within the horror space and signalling a quick franchise/build phase.

Natalie Erika James (Relic) directs Saccharine, a queer-leaning supernatural body-horror about a medical student terrorized after ingesting human ashes; stars Midori Francis, Danielle MacDonald and Madeleine Madden and opens in select theaters May 22, 2026.

RZA’s revenge thriller One Spoon of Chocolate is headed to theaters in May; Shameik Moore stars and Quentin Tarantino is presenting the film as a mentor/producer figure—RZA emphasizes theatrical release and the film’s 'revenge-splatter' lineage.

Toho is positioning Minus One as the start of a larger MonsterVerse-style franchise, signaling studio intent to expand its monster IP into a multi-title franchise strategy.

David Lowery’s A24-backed Mother Mary is a moody, genre-tinged chamber piece/possession story starring Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel that leans heavily on religious Renaissance imagery and aims to provoke debate rather than offer easy answers.

Apple TV+'s Monarch series reframes Kong: Skull Island as a more pivotal entry within the Monsterverse, raising the profile and narrative importance of past installments as the franchise expands on streaming.

Sydney Sweeney's 2023 real-time interrogation thriller Reality (directed by Tina Satter) has resurged on HBO Max's US Top 10, peaking at #6 and highlighting streaming rediscovery for compact, critically acclaimed true-story thrillers.

Elizabeth Banks says she was told women ‘can’t direct men’ despite directing male leads in films including the dark-comedy-horror Cocaine Bear, and she’s promoting her new Apple TV+ series The Miniature Wife while advocating for more female storytellers behind the camera.

Peacock will add Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair plus a Quentin Tarantino collection (Django Unchained, The Hateful Eight, Inglourious Basterds, Jackie Brown, Reservoir Dogs) and the two separate Grindhouse films (Death Proof, Planet Terror) to its streaming lineup on May 22, 2026, expanding access to Tarantino's catalog on a U.S. SVOD platform.

Grimoire of Horror revisits Hisayasu Satô’s 1996 extreme splatter film Naked Blood, highlighting its over‑the‑top practical body horror, ero‑guro aesthetics, themes of alienation and dehumanisation, and its status as a visceral, divisive cult work.

Flickering Myth reviews the 4K Ultra HD release of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (dir. Nia DaCosta), focusing on the film’s home-video presentation and series continuity with cast including Jack O’Connell and Ralph Fiennes.

Marvel is re‑releasing Avengers: Endgame with new scenes intended as a narrative bridge to Avengers: Doomsday—Joe Russo called it a 'critical companion'—a move intended to smooth Doomsday's setup but criticized here for altering the original Infinity Saga finale.

NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution struck a programming deal to make the Battlestar Galactica miniseries, seasons 1–4, The Plan and the prequel Caprica available on Paramount+ and Pluto TV starting May 1, with a dedicated free Pluto channel running the catalog.

A thematic tribute traces modern Korean horror’s throughlines — ghosts, guilt and ritual — situating contemporary titles within cultural and folkloric frameworks and highlighting the region’s sustained global influence on genre storytelling.