THE WEEKLY SHIVER

Hey, Fear Fans!

Can you believe how much is happening in the horror world right now? It feels like we're in a golden age of terror, with new frights dropping constantly and our favorite classics getting some serious love! I mean, who would've thought we'd see a Saw and Silent Hill resurgence at the same time? My mind is blown!

Let's dive into this week's dose of dread...

FRESH CUTS 🩸

Get ready for the latest gruesome headlines and whispers from the dark corners of the horror universe!

• Blumhouse Snaps Up 'Saw' Franchise, Original Team Returning! Jigsaw's games are far from over, my friends! Blumhouse has officially acquired the rights to the Saw franchise from Twisted Pictures. And here's the best part: original creators James Wan and Leigh Whannell are expected to be involved! Get ready for more intricate traps and moral quandaries from the masters of horror. My heart is already racing!

• 'Return to Silent Hill' Creeps into Theaters January 2026! Based on the terrifying Silent Hill 2 game, this long-awaited adaptation is finally bringing the psychological horror back to the big screen. Follow James as a mysterious letter draws him back to a town warped by his own psyche. Are you ready to face your demons?

• 'Silent Night, Deadly Night' Reboot Slashes for December 12, 2025 Release! The controversial Santa slasher is getting a modern update! Get ready for a holly jolly bloodbath just in time for the holidays. Ho ho ho... wait, no!

• 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' Legacy Sequel Coming July! You can't run, you can't hide! The I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel is set to arrive in theaters in July, featuring returning stars and new faces facing the hook-wielding Fisherman.

• Guillermo del Toro's 'Frankenstein' Also Gets R Rating! Guillermo del Toro's take on the classic monster, heading to Netflix in November 2026, has been rated R for bloody violence. Expect a visceral, creature-filled adaptation from the master of monsters. This is going to be epic!

• 'Else' Trailer Unveils Body Horror Romance Streaming July 8! Would you merge for love? This French-Belgian body horror romance hits Fandor next month, promising a disturbing look at relationships through a gruesome lens. Just when you thought dating couldn't get any weirder...

• 'Sketch' Trailer Shows Hand-Drawn Creatures Coming to Life August 6! Described as Jurassic Park meets Inside Out, this family-friendly monster comedy looks like a wild, hand-drawn adventure opening in theaters this August.

• 'Push' Home Invasion Horror Hits Shudder Next Month! From the filmmakers behind The Boy Behind the Door, Push is a new home invasion horror flick heading to Shudder in July. Seriously, lock your doors.

• 'House on Eden' Trailer Teases Found Footage Terror! Online creators Kris Collins and Celina Myers star in this found footage horror movie. The trailer is out now, so you can get a peek before you dive into the shaky-cam scares.

• 'Ick' Trailer Promises Creature Feature Fun in July! Starring Brandon Routh and Mena Suvari, this creature feature looks set to deliver some monstrous fun in theaters this July. Check out the trailer now!

• 'Ready or Not' Sequel Wraps Production, Sets April 10, 2026 Release! Ready or Not 2: Here I Come has finished filming, and Searchlight Pictures has set an April 10, 2026 release date. With Samara Weaving, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Elijah Wood involved, the deadly game of hide-and-seek is definitely back on! My body is ready!

• '28 Years Later' Earns Hard R Rating! Danny Boyle's highly anticipated sequel to 28 Days Later, 28 Years Later, has officially received a hard R rating from the MPA, citing strong bloody violence among other factors. Looks like the Rage Virus is as brutal as ever.

• 'Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: Organic Intelligence' Set for Halloween Theatrical Release! The tomatoes are back! A sequel titled Organic Intelligence is heading to theaters this Halloween, reviving the delightfully absurd franchise.

• 'M3GAN 2.0' Featurette Highlights the Killer Doll! A new featurette focusing on the titular killer doll has been released for the upcoming sequel M3GAN 2.0. Get ready for more dances and disturbing efficiency.

• More Cast Joins 'Crystal Lake', Friday the 13th Prequel Series! The Friday the 13th prequel series Crystal Lake continues to build its cast, with Devin Kessler, Cameron Scoggins, and Gwendolyn Sundstrom joining the residents terrorized by the lake's dark history. I'm counting down the days!

• A24 Moving Forward with 'The Backrooms' Feature Film! The viral creepypasta 'The Backrooms' is heading to the big screen with A24, directed by 19-year-old filmmaker Kane Parsons. Prepare for unsettling, liminal terror. This is going to be a trip!

• Stephen King's 'The Institute' Series Coming to MGM+ in July! The MGM+ series adaptation of Stephen King's novel The Institute is set to premiere in July, teasing the horrors within the mysterious facility.

CREATOR SPOTLIGHT 🔦

We've got to shine a light on the incredible minds bringing our nightmares to life!

• Mike Flanagan: A Master of Modern Horror Keeps Busy! Director, producer, and writer Mike Flanagan is a name synonymous with quality modern horror, and he is not slowing down. He's confirmed that his series adaptation of Stephen King's classic Carrie is currently filming. However, Flanagan also recently confirmed that his much-anticipated Exorcist sequel won't be hitting its previously announced March 2026 release date. “No way it’s coming out next March. Nothing to worry about though,” he stated, reassuring fans that good things take time. Flanagan is also co-writing the script for the upcoming Clayface film, a horror-focused take on the DC character, directed by James Watkins. James Gunn has assured fans that despite other script work, "It's all Mike Flanagan's story." Adding to his busy slate, Matthew Lillard recently discussed his heartbreaking role in Flanagan’s upcoming film The Life of Chuck, based on the Stephen King novella. This man is a machine!

• Ethan Embry's Patient Journey to 'Scream 7'! Actor Ethan Embry, recently announced as part of the cast for Scream 7, revealed he actually auditioned for the original 1996 Scream for the roles of Randy or Stu. He recalled "not getting good feedback from Mr. Craven" after that initial attempt. Persistence pays off, horror fans! It just goes to show, never give up on your dreams... even if they involve Ghostface.

• Jennifer Love Hewitt Returns to Her Roots! Speaking of the I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel, star Jennifer Love Hewitt expressed her happiness about returning to the franchise and her gratitude to the fans who made it possible. We're grateful to have you back, JLH!

• Celebrating Horror Birthdays: Rodriguez, Landau, Kidman! June 20th was a day to celebrate some genre-adjacent talent! We wished a happy birthday to:

  • Robert Rodriguez (Born 1968): The indie icon behind From Dusk Till Dawn.

  • Martin Landau (1928-2017): Veteran actor with roles in horror like Without Warning (1980) and Alone in the Dark (1982), and his Oscar-winning portrayal of Bela Lugosi in Ed Wood (1994).

  • Nicole Kidman (Born 1967): Star of the chilling classic The Others.

DEEP DIVE 🤯

Let's dig into a trend that's got us all talking: the return of the classics!

The Resurgence of the Classics: Why We Keep Returning to Familiar Terrors

Look around the horror landscape right now – what do you see? Franchises reborn, sequels announced decades later, reboots, remakes, and adaptations of beloved stories. From Saw and Silent Hill to The Exorcist, Alien, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and even Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, the ghosts of horror past are back in full force.

But why this fascination with revisiting these well-trodden paths? Is it just Hollywood running out of ideas, or is there something deeper at play?

• Comfort in the Familiar (Even if Terrifying): In an uncertain world, there's comfort in the familiar, even if that familiarity is terrifying. Returning to established characters and lore provides an anchor for audiences. Think about it – we know Jigsaw, we know James from Silent Hill, we know the Leatherface family. There’s a certain twisted comfort in that recognition.

• New Twists on Old Fears: Modern filmmakers are finding new ways to interpret classic fears. These updates aren't just retreads; they often use contemporary anxieties or filmmaking techniques to add fresh layers to old monsters and stories. It’s like looking at a classic painting through a new, unsettling filter.

• Franchises are Big Business: Let's be real, franchises are big business. The built-in fanbase for titles like Saw or Alien means a ready audience, which studios absolutely love. The real challenge is to deliver something new and exciting while honoring the legacy.

This trend isn't just nostalgia; it's a conversation between horror's past and present. It shows that the core fears explored in these classics are still deeply relevant, and perhaps, by seeing them through a modern lens, we can understand our own anxieties a little better. Or maybe, just maybe, we all just really miss Jigsaw. What do you think? Are you here for the resurrections, or are you craving something totally new?

HORROR HISTORY 🕰️

Let's rewind and celebrate a true game-changer!

Celebrating 50 Years of 'Jaws': The Birth of the Blockbuster Beast

Fifty years ago, on June 20th, 1975, Steven Spielberg's Jaws swam into theaters and changed everything. It wasn't just a terrifying shark movie; it invented the summer blockbuster as we know it, proving that a film could be a nationwide cultural event and a box office juggernaut simultaneously. Can you even imagine a world without summer blockbusters? Jaws created that!

• Hollywood Rewritten: Its massive financial success rewrote Hollywood's release strategies, leading to the tentpole summer movie season we know today. Every huge summer movie owes a debt to Jaws.

• The Shark Ate Everything: It spawned countless creature features and aquatic horror imitators (hello, Piranha!). Everyone wanted a piece of that shark-sized pie.

• Masterclass in Suspense: Beyond the business, it perfected the art of suspense, proving that what you don't see can be far scarier than what you do, thanks in part to a famously uncooperative mechanical shark that forced Spielberg to get creative. Sometimes, limitations breed genius!

Jaws remains a masterclass in terror and tension, a true landmark film whose ripples are still felt across the entire film industry five decades later. What’s your favorite Jaws moment? Mine has to be Quint’s USS Indianapolis speech – pure storytelling gold.

MONSTER MANUAL 🧛

Time to explore one of horror's most enduring figures!

The Enduring Allure of the Vampire: More Than Just Fangs

From ancient folklore to modern cinema, vampires have consistently sunk their teeth into our collective fears and fantasies. But why do these creatures of the night continue to fascinate and terrify us? It's more than just a fear of being bitten; it's a complex mix of seduction, otherness, and the primal fear of something parasitic living among us.

These bloodsuckers have evolved just like us (but maybe with better fashion sense):

• The Bloated Peasant: Early folklore often depicted vampires as bloated, peasant-like creatures – reanimated corpses bringing disease and decay, a reflection of fears about contagion and the unknown dead. Not exactly the sparkly kind, huh?

• The Aristocratic Seducer: Bram Stoker's Dracula popularized the aristocratic, seductive, and powerful vampire, blending terror with forbidden desire and tapping into Victorian anxieties about foreign influence and hidden sins. This is where the suave, cape-wearing image really took hold!

• Modern Mutations: Modern interpretations run the gamut, from sympathetic outsiders grappling with their monstrous nature to purely savage, viral threats, reflecting our changing views on morality, disease, and societal outcasts.

Whether lurking in castles, blending into urban landscapes, or spreading like a plague, the vampire remains a potent symbol of predatory power, eternal life cursed by eternal hunger, and the darkness that hides just beneath the surface of civilization. What's your favorite vampire interpretation?

WHAT TO WATCH 📺

Ready to dive into some truly terrifying entertainment? I've got your watchlist covered!

NEW RELEASES

• Please Don't Feed the Children: Directed by Destry Allyn Spielberg, this horror film is streaming on Tubi this month. The trailer hints at something unsettling...

• Alma & the Wolf: Starring Ethan Embry, this folk horror film hits theaters and digital this week.

• Ick: A creature feature starring Brandon Routh and Mena Suvari arriving in theaters in July.

HIDDEN GEMS

You know I love finding those underrated flicks that will mess you up in the best way. These are must-sees!

• Possession (1981): A truly unforgettable, emotionally raw body horror classic about a disintegrating marriage and the monstrous consequences. Isabelle Adjani's performance is legendary. It's currently streaming for free on Kanopy and Hoopla. Don't miss this one, but be warned, it's intense!

• 28 Days Later (2002): With the sequel on the horizon, revisit this absolute masterpiece of modern zombie horror. It's being called the best zombie movie of the century and is currently streaming free. If you haven't seen it, what are you even doing with your life?!

• The Lodge (2019): A supremely chilling and atmospheric horror film that will absolutely ruin your day (in the best way). It's available to stream for free right now. Prepare to be unsettled.

LEAVING SOON

• No major titles reported as leaving streaming platforms this week. Keep those watchlists updated just in case!

READING LIST 📚

Sometimes, the scariest stories are the ones that only exist in your head. Curl up with these!

CLASSIC REVISITED

• Re-Animator by H.P. Lovecraft: The source material for the 1985 classic film, Lovecraft's story remains a chilling exploration of scientific hubris and the thin veil between life and death. With the film celebrating 40 years, it's a perfect time to revisit the original text. Read it before you watch the movie, or re-read it after!

GAME OVER 🎮

Ready to scream your way through some new horrors? Let's check out the latest in terror-tainment for gamers!

• 'Amanda the Adventurer 3' Demo Now Available! If you're ready for some unsettling edutainment horror, the demo for Amanda the Adventurer 3 is now available.

• 'Bleak Haven' Trailer Unveils Cult-Infested Island Horror! Survive grotesque body horrors on a remote island in Bleak Haven. The trailer is out now, showcasing a cult-infested nightmare.

• 'The House of the Dead 2: Remake' Coming to Switch and PC August 7! Get ready to blast some zombies! The remake of the arcade classic The House of the Dead 2 is hitting Switch and PC this August.

• 'Buckshot Roulette' Developer Announces 's.p.l.i.t' Launching July 24! From the creator of the intense Buckshot Roulette comes 's.p.l.i.t', an immersive psychological horror title arriving on PC via Steam next month.

• New Gameplay Trailer for 'Vampires: Bloodlord Rising'! Sink your fangs into the new gameplay trailer for Vampires: Bloodlord Rising.

• Asymmetrical Multiplayer 'Summer Camp' Launching Kickstarter Soon! Looking for a new multiplayer slasher fix after Friday The 13th: The Game? Summer Camp, an asymmetrical multiplayer horror game, is launching a Kickstarter soon.

• "Judgement of the Fool" Event Live in 'Hunt: Showdown 1896'! A new in-game event, "Judgement of the Fool", is currently live in Hunt: Showdown 1896.

• 'Dead by Daylight' Welcomes Five Nights at Freddy's Springtrap! The asymmetrical horror game Dead by Daylight is adding Springtrap from the Five Nights at Freddy's series to its roster of killers. This is going to be brutal!

• Kane Hodder Doing Mocap for Mysterious New Game! The legendary Kane Hodder, iconic for playing Jason Voorhees, has done motion capture for a mysterious new video game from Gun Media and Illfonic, the companies behind the Friday the 13th game. Could Jason be returning to gaming? My fingers are crossed!

HORROR HAPPENINGS 🎭

Mark your calendars, because these events are going to be killer!

• Fantasia International Film Festival

  • Location: Montreal, Canada

  • Dates: July 17–August 3, 2025

  • Highlight: The second wave of programming has been confirmed, including Ari Aster’s new film ‘Eddington’!

• The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Theatrical Return

  • Location: Nationwide Theaters

  • Dates: August 18, 2025

  • Highlight: Tobe Hooper’s original classic is returning to theaters for a special screening, with a preview of the ‘Chain Reactions’ documentary. You have to see this one on the big screen!

• Evil Dead in Concert Tour

  • Location: Nationwide (various cities)

  • Dates: Touring soon (check local listings!)

  • Highlight: Sam Raimi’s original The Evil Dead will be screened with live musical accompaniment on a nationwide tour. Groovy!

• Friday the 13th 'Jason Universe' Haunted House

  • Location: Universal's Halloween Horror Nights (Orlando & Hollywood)

  • Dates: During Halloween Horror Nights season (typically Sept-Oct)

  • Highlight: A dedicated haunted house based on the 'Jason Universe' is coming to Halloween Horror Nights this year. Get ready to face Jason!

• 'Jaws' 50th Anniversary Screening on NBC

  • Location: NBC (Television)

  • Dates: Soon (check local listings, celebrates June 20th anniversary)

  • Highlight: Celebrate 50 years of Jaws with a special screening on NBC featuring an introduction from Steven Spielberg himself. This is legendary!

• Connecticut HorrorFest (CTHF)

  • Location: Connecticut

  • Dates: 2025 (Specific dates TBD, keep an eye out!)

  • Highlight: Connecticut's premier horror convention.

FINAL THOUGHT ✍️

Another week, another torrent of terror washing over us! It's absolutely wild to see how much is happening right now, from the return of iconic franchises like Saw and Silent Hill to exciting new visions from directors like Mike Flanagan.

Horror isn't just surviving; it's thriving, constantly evolving while still paying homage to the monsters and stories that shaped us. It just goes to show, the human fascination with fear is timeless, and there's always a new way to get our hearts pounding.

Whether you're hitting the theaters for a bloody sequel, streaming a hidden gem, or getting lost in a terrifying new game, remember to embrace the shiver. It means you're alive.

Stay scared,

Randy W. Stover The Weekly Shiver