Netflix & Screamfest Horror Film Festival

Congress has formed a bipartisan Film & TV Production Caucus to push a federal tax credit as U.S. shoots keep sliding. The MPA says a national incentive could generate nearly $250 billion in gross value between 2027 and 2035 and support 143,500 full-time jobs annually.

Universal’s horror feature ‘Ollie’ is casting now, with ‘Freefall’ also on the hunt for talent. The alert signals active staffing on the studio’s genre slate, though no names or deal terms are attached yet.

Astrolatry, David Gordon’s satirical horror debut starring Ethan Daniel Corbett, lands its world premiere at Sitges Oct. 8-18.

Alter has picked up Kaz PS’s award-winning short A Good Death after a 30-festival run and double-digit award haul. The Tracie Thoms-starring gothic horror was targeted to Alter for its 3.87M-subscriber reach and near-billion-view footprint.

IndustryWorks Studios is launching international sales on The Freeze at TIFF; Grace Caroline Currey, Natasha Henstridge, Milo Gibson, and James C. Clayton star in Trevor Mirosh’s refrigerator-set horror feature.

TIFF’s first formal film market gave buyers and sellers a new financing-and-sales hub, but the launch exposed early growing pains as the festival tries to become a true marketplace.

Ripcord's inaugural Halloween Film Festival runs Oct. 19-29 with 50 horror, sci-fi, thriller, and fantasy shorts competing for a $200,000 prize pool.

Screamfest has unveiled its first 2026 wave, led by the world premiere of The Night Driver plus 8 world premieres, 6 North American premieres and 3 West Coast premieres overall. The fest is also adding ScareScore biometric audience tracking and multiple Michael Dougherty events, including a 4K restoration of Season’s Greetings.

Rocko Zevenbergen's horror-comedy Flapjax bows at Fantastic Fest on Sept. 17; the alien fast-food premise stars Gabriel Cagan, Georgia Kate Haege and Madeline Barbush.

Banijay Kids & Family boards distribution on JP Ahonen’s webcomic adaptation as the animated series bows first-look stills and premieres at Helsinki’s Love & Anarchy. Season 2 is already in development, with the project pushing a black-metal, satanic family-comedy premise built for international rollout.

Netflix is developing Ravenloft, a live-action Dungeons & Dragons gothic-horror series from John August, Alfonso Cuarón and Hasbro Entertainment. Another premium IP play for the streamer, with the Ravenloft setting giving the project built-in horror-fantasy brand recognition.

Wonder Studios is expanding in Los Angeles after saying 90% of its revenue has come from U.S. clients since launching in 2025. The AI-native studio is backing the push with senior hires pulled from CAA, Westbrook, Fremantle and A24.

Gersh adds Isa Mazzei, the horror/thriller writer-producer behind ‘Cam’ and the Netflix-acquired ‘How to Blow Up a Pipeline’; she’s currently producing ‘Faces of Death’ and adapting ‘The Third Hotel’ with Michelle Garza Cervera.

Netflix pushes Haunted Hotel into the Halloween corridor with an October 9 Season 2 drop and eight new episodes, after the adult animated horror comedy earned a fast renewal on the strength of Season 1. Matt Roller, Dan Harmon, Titmouse and the returning voice cast give the streamer a clear franchise lane.

Hudson Williams is topping the cast of Crave’s Canadian thriller ‘Yaga’; the title adds another domestic genre play to the streamer’s original slate.

Talestorm develops Deconstructing Dahlia as a real-time Black Dahlia investigative docuseries; the 1947 Elizabeth Short murder case anchors the true-crime package.

Lisa Jewell’s first Audible Original lands Matthew Rhys, Ruth Wilson, Phoebe Dynevor and Harriet Walter; the dark psychological thriller launches Nov. 2 with localized releases in French, Spanish, Italian and German.

Netflix preempts Scope, a mystery action thriller from Ray Mendoza and Jaume Collet-Serra; the spec came from Charley & Vlas Parlapanides and Scott Charnick and was brokered through Jadis Collective.

The Horror Collective has worldwide rights to Jeffrey Primm’s 90s slasher; U.S. premiere hits Screamfest after a FrightFest bow, with Studio Dome on international sales and release timing still pending.

Warner Bros.’ The Mist has moved into active writing, with Mike Flanagan setting a Halloween deadline on the script and signaling the Stephen King adaptation is beyond idle development. The project follows his Doctor Sleep run for the studio and is being framed as a fresh take rather than a remake of Frank Darabont’s film.

Cregger is already mapping a Resident Evil sequel contingent on box office; The Flood is in early prep for a summer 2027 shoot, while a Barbarian prequel centered on Aunt Gladys is in development with Cregger scripting only.

BOOM! Studios is launching two new ongoing Hellraiser comic lines, with Hellbound Hearts by Mike Costa and Jan Bazaldua and New Parables by Sarah Gailey and Savanna Mayer. Penguin Random House handles global distribution; preorders open now ahead of January and April 2027 releases.

Briarcliff sets Kevin Lewis’ holiday horror comedy for an October 30 wide theatrical rollout, with the teaser leaning Halloween over Christmas to sell the tonal hook. Thomas Lennon, Ron Livingston and Beverly D’Angelo headline the cast.

Dark Sky Films sets Who’s Watching for digital and select U.S. theaters on Sept. 18; the limited theatrical rollout hits Roxy Cinema in New York and Laemmle’s Glendale in Los Angeles.

Fantastic Fest world premiere next week; Mike P. Nelson’s survival-horror creature feature Beware Boiúna stars Kiana Madeira, Jessica Rothe and Logan Marshall-Green before a nationwide theatrical bow next month.