Tuesday, July 28, 2026

Fantasia's 30-year run is positioned as a model for how genre festivals now function as R&D for transmedia IP; the piece uses Ultraman and Tsuburaya Productions to show how horror, sci-fi, toys, games, and live events now fuse into one media ecology.

Shudder sets Oct. 23 for Jordan Downey’s The Cycle; Deborah Ann Woll and Jeffrey Donovan star, with James Harris producing and Downey co-writing. The feature blends horror and crime-thriller elements with supernatural touches.

New Line Cinema wins a bidding war with at least 10 bidders for Theo James Krekis’ horror package Jealous People Are Ugly People. The feature adapts Krekis’ SXSW Midnight Madness short; Krekis writes and directs, with Temple Hill producing.

Michael Johnston is in early talks for Universal’s The Mummy 4 as Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz close return deals; Radio Silence directs and Universal has set an Oct. 15, 2027 theatrical release.

Obscured Releasing lands North American rights to Emily Robinson's SXSW body-horror debut Ugly Cry; the film rolls out theatrically this fall before a digital window, with Ryan Simpkins, Aaron Dominguez and Robin Tunney aboard.

April 23, 2027 launch for Neon’s A Place in Hell; Paramount handles international, Neon co-financed with MRC and Republic Pictures, and T-Street produces. Test screenings are tracking well, and the move gives the thriller a cleaner pre-summer runway.

Warner Bros. Discovery snaps up 'Kill Jackie' rights for Spain, Portugal, the Nordics, France and Belgium; the eight-part revenge thriller already has AMC+ U.S. and Prime Video territory sales and is set for a 2026 debut.

Horror Island 2026 adds a cross-Atlantic partnership with Mexico’s Intermitencia, names Fabio Frizzi, Antonio Tentori, and Poison Rouge to its first jury slate, and lines up DAGON FILMS as boutique distribution partner for select festival entries. Submissions are open now for the independent horror fest’s 2026 edition.

Midsummer Scream hits its 10th year with 50,000 attendees expected, 350 vendors on deck, and a heavy industry footprint from Universal Horror Nights, Knott's Scary Farm, Six Flags' Fright Fest, and 13th Floor Entertainment.

Mike Flanagan is rebuilding The Mist as a fresh Stephen King take; he says the new adaptation will diverge sharply from Frank Darabont's film and that King signed off on the approach.

Shaquille O’Neal executive produces ID’s six-part Game Day Murders, which premieres Monday, July 27 at 10 p.m. PT/ET and airs six consecutive Mondays; it streams live on DirecTV, Philo, Sling and Hulu + Live TV, with episodes later on HBO Max.

$2.99/month or $29.99/year tier launches July 28 with a seven-day free trial, delivers ad-free access to new and archival 20/20 episodes and narrative series, includes exclusive subscriber Q&As with co-anchor Deborah Roberts, grants early access to the first three episodes of What Happened to the McStays and the debut episode of Burden of Proof: Luigi Mangione on Aug. 7 ahead of an Aug. 10 public premiere, episodes to drop weekly; Burden of Proof is hosted by legal analyst Brian Buckmire, who previously fronted Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy.

Amazon's Warhammer 40K adaptation adds Mike Flanagan on script after initial outlines, with Henry Cavill and Vertigo still aboard. Games Workshop says the live-action push and a separate animated series will take years to bring to market.

Gina Prince-Bythewood’s Children of Blood and Bone trailer shows Thuso Mbedu’s Zélie seeking to restore magic to Orïsha, with Chiwetel Ejiofor as King Saran and Damson Idris as Inan. The Paramount adaptation also stars Lashana Lynch, Viola Davis, Cynthia Erivo, Amandla Stenberg and Idris Elba.

Build 42 lands July 29 for Project Zomboid after two years in the works; The Indie Stone is rolling out a major sandbox overhaul rather than a simple patch.

Mad Cave Studios’ Our Soot Stained Heart lands two 2026 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards at SDCC, with Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou taking Best Lettering and Stipan Morian named Breakout Artist. The dark-fantasy title gets a visibility bump in front of genre readers and potential IP buyers.

Oni Press and Archie Comic Publications unveil new details on Archie in Hell, a horror-tinged Archie relaunch timed to the franchise’s 85th anniversary. The comic extends Archie IP deeper into dark genre territory ahead of launch.