** SAW XI: Confusion has bloomed following comments by acclaimed horror filmmaker James Wan at a special screening of 2004's SAW at the Sundance Film Festival. Over six months ago, Blumhouse successfully acquired the rights to the franchise while Wan's Atomic Monster label joined forces with Blumhouse recently – effectively bringing the SAW franchise back under Wan's purview.
Wan confirmed at the screening that the next film will serve as his comeback after nearly two decades of not being involved with the franchise, saying he and Whannell are heavily involved in the creative development of SAW XI:
"All I can say at this point is… we're gonna do one. We are going to make one. I don't want to say too much. It's very early still. Needless to say, the franchise has actually come back to Leigh and me. So we're very excited… yeah, that means a lot.
We want to hark back to the spirit of the original film. We want to be mindful and be respectful of what fans have learned about the soapy nature of the entire franchise. We know there's a lot of love for the world, but we definitely want to go back to the spirit of the first film. We want to make another scary SAW movie. That's the goal." (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** SCREAM 7: Here's a new teaser trailer and poster for the upcoming sequel.
** BLOOD BARN: Premiering on Screambox - February 17, 2026. A group of teens throw a barn party to cap off their last summer together. As night falls they realize this summer…might be their last.
** GAUA: A dark Basque fairy tale blending macabre fantasy, folk horror and sexual liberation.
** Synapse Films and Red Shirt Pictures: Coming soon from Synapse Films and Red Shirt Pictures.
----- February 3rd, 2026 -----
** ALL AMERICAN MASSACRE: After twenty-five years, the wait is almost over. You can finally be part of one of the most sought-after lost films in horror history ALL AMERICAN MASSACRE.
** V/H/S: Los Angeles-based genre label Spooky Pictures and Image Nation Abu Dhabi have acquired rights to the popular found-footage horror anthology series V/H/S from Studio71.
The deal to jointly produce forthcoming titles within the franchise — which debuted at Sundance in 2012 and became a launch pad for up-and-coming genre talents — marks a further step in the six-year partnership between the U.S. genre label, headed by Steven Schneider and Roy Lee, and the deep-pocketed UAE-based studio. (thanks to Variety.com)
** THE EXORCISM AT 1600 PENN: Blumhouse-Atomic Monster are reportedly developing a feature adaptation of Hannah Rose May's comic book series THE EXORCISM AT 1600 PENN. The supernatural thriller sees the White House becoming a demonic battleground during the first term of the first female president of the United States. She must balance boiling political tensions, the threat of World War III, being a mother to two teenagers, and a rapidly shifting media landscape.
Jason Blum will produce the film with Ryan Turek and Davidi Jonas executive producing. A sequel to the comic, THE EXORCISM AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE is already out. Turek says in a statement:
"What immediately drew us to THE EXORCISM AT 1600 PENN was how grounded and urgent it feels. Hannah has created a story that fuses classic possession horror with contemporary political tension in a way that feels bold and deeply human. It is exactly the kind of material we look for when we think about expanding horror into new spaces, and we are excited to identify a filmmaker who can bring this world to the screen with the scale and perspective it deserves." (thanks to DarkHorizons.com)
** DOLLY: Macy fights for survival after being abducted by a deranged, monster-like figure who wants to raise her as their child. Exclusively in Theaters March 6.
** MIMICS: Down-on-his-luck impressionist Sam Reinhold makes a dangerous pact with Fergus — a wicked puppet with strings attached — in exchange for a shot at stardom. But as fame creeps closer, a nightmare begins to unfold, threatening everything and everyone Sam loves.
----- February 2nd, 2026 -----
** ULU: Alliance Media Partners is launching world sales on ULU, a "high-concept survival thriller" set in Borneo, at the European Film Market. The film is produced by Borneo Pictures and co-produced by Traucki, with visual effects led by Steve Boyle, founder of Formation Effects.
Written and directed by Andrew Traucki, the film's synopsis reads: Set deep in the rarely-filmed river systems and rainforests of Borneo, ULU follows a group of outsiders and locals drawn into a remote river basin, where a series of violent incidents reveal that a massive, highly territorial crocodile – long believed to exist only in legend – has been driven into deadly proximity with the humans. (thanks to Deadline.com)
** DRACULA 4K UHD: DRACULA 1958 is coming soon to 4K UHD from Hammer Films. When Jonathan Harker rouses the ire of Count Dracula for accepting a job at the vampire's castle under false pretenses, his friend Dr. Van Helsing pursues the predatory villain.
** THE HATCHERY: Here's the poster for the upcoming film.
** TEACHER'S PET: On the verge of escaping her toxic foster home for Yale, brilliant high school senior Clara finds herself drawn to her new teacher's mentorship—until his fascination turns obsessive. When she uncovers his connection to a string of mysterious deaths, Clara must use her intellect to survive a deadly game of wits with a killer who sees her as his newest star pupil.
** BLOOD COVENANT: A once-promising horror writer is at the lowest point of his life: years without success, drowning in debt, and on the verge of collapse. In desperation, he performs an occult ritual to summon a demon that will grant him the stories he can no longer write. The pact works—but at a terrible cost. Each tale he creates demands a sacrifice: a pound of flesh. As his fame grows, his body and soul deteriorate, and inspiration becomes inseparable from pain.
