Post-Production & Delivery Executive - Television

From 'The Exorcist' to 'Carrie' to 'Crystal Lake': October's horror news you might have missed. Published: Oct 14, 2026 October is crazy. We're publishing 20 to 30 stories a day with our team, and even I'm having trouble keeping up. That also means stories are getting pushed off the front page almost as quickly as we publish them. Exclusives, trailers, interviews, weird discoveries, movies you should be watching; there's a lot happening, and we still have more than two weeks until Halloween. So let's catch up. Here are some of the biggest and most entertaining stories from October so far, with a few late-September pieces you'll want to revisit alongside them. The Exorcist: Martyrs trailer has us inspecting the family photographs. Mike Flanagan's new Exorcist movie looks like a dark procedural nightmare, with Scarlett Johansson (Under the Skin) and John Leguizamo (Land of the Dead) at the center of something that gives off serious Se7en energy. Watch the trailer and read our breakdown. Then things got more interesting. A Kinderman nameplate and a photograph apparently showing George C. Scott prompted the theory that Johansson is playing the detective's daughter, connecting Martyrs to both The Exorcist and The Exorcist III. Another blurry photo might even show Linda Blair's Regan MacNeil. That identification remains speculation, and a photograph wouldn't confirm Blair appears in the movie. But these are exactly the kinds of discoveries that make watching a trailer together fun. A24 is developing a Near Dark television series. This was one of our biggest exclusives of the month: A24 is developing a series based on Kathryn Bigelow's vampire classic. No cast, creative team, or streaming home has been announced. But the idea of bringing those dusty roads and outlaw vampires to television is an exciting one, especially as A24 prepares to reopen another very familiar horror location. Welcome back to Crystal Lake. A24 and Peacock's Friday the 13th prequel arrives October 15, with all eight episodes available to stream. Linda Cardellini (The Curse of La Llorona) plays Pamela Voorhees, and we have plenty to get you ready. Daniel Kurland scored the season 3.5 out of 5 in his review, calling it "a campy, cruel love letter to '80s slashers." He also warns that some of its bigger swings won't work for everybody. You can read Chad Collins' October cover interview with Cardellini, browse the new official images, or watch the opening tragedy involving Jason. Save that clip if you'd rather experience the beginning fresh. Finished Carrie? There's a lot to talk about. Flanagan's Carrie is streaming in full on Prime Video, and its finale has sent us back through the season looking for clues. Daniel gave it 4 out of 5 in our season review, calling it "an extremely rewarding update of King's debut novel." For something relatively spoiler-light, start with Margaret White's employment at S-Mart. Yes, Ash's employer from Army of Darkness. Shop smart. The following three links contain major finale spoilers: We have official high-resolution prom-night images, a necklace theory that could connect several characters, and Flanagan's answer about Chris's final apology. That last one makes an already uncomfortable scene even harder to shake. The River trailer looks like a brutal night in the woods. Two of our favorite modern scream queens, Jane Levy (Evil Dead) and Jessica Rothe (Happy Death Day), are heading into a backwoods nightmare in River. Universal picked up the film following TIFF, and it opens January 15, 2027. The trailer looks like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Deliverance, and Friday the 13th colliding. It's fast, nasty, and full of the kind of slasher energy I love. Watch it here. Our own Matt Konopka gave it 3.5 stars in his TIFF review, describing "an incessant sense of impending doom." His enthusiasm even made its way into the trailer. Johnny has a date... and Art the Clown has some competition. In a Violent Nature: Part 2 arrives exclusively in theaters February 12, 2027, following its surprise Fantastic Fest premiere. The release-date announcement has the details. I saw the festival version, and while it still felt like it needed work, some of the kills were absolutely monstrous. That sent me down a whole other path: are Johnny and Art giving us a new slasher rivalry? Think an old-school rap feud, only with practical effects. Mary Beth McAndrews was mixed on the sequel's more conventional approach, awarding it 3 out of 5 in her review, but credited it with "some of the best kills of the year." The next Paranormal Activity returns to the original house. This is the detail that immediately made the next installment more interesting to me: we're going back to the house from the first movie. The connection was revealed during Blumhouse's New York Comic Con panel, and it's something I could also confirm. Ian Tuason, director of undertone, is directing the new movie for May 21, 2027. How that familiar address connects to the new characters remains the big question. Flanagan wants to make a Jaws movie. I approve. These are dream projects, not announced productions. Still, give the man a coastal community, complicated people, and something dangerous in the water, and I'd love to see what happens. Jaws works because of its characters as much as its shark. That feels like a pretty natural fit. Venkman is back. Freddy might be, too. Bill Murray returned as Peter Venkman for a Ghostbusters commercial that looks far better than a car advertisement needs to. Gil Kenan directed the Rivian spot, which sends Venkman after Slimer. It's a wonderful little Halloween treat. Meanwhile, Freddy Krueger invaded Fortnite, with Robert Englund reportedly returning to voice him. Watch the Freddy teaser and catch up on the reporting here. Our coverage identifies Englund's involvement as reported, rather than officially confirmed. Three developing stories worth keeping an eye on. * Is something new coming from Megan Is Missing? Michael Goi teased another chapter and tagged Lionsgate, following earlier reporting about a filmed vertical-format series. The tease alone doesn't establish its distributor or release plans. * A Malignant reunion? Annabelle Wallis revealed that James Wan had contacted her with a mysterious message. We looked at what she actually said. A sequel is an exciting possibility, but she hasn't identified the project. * Romero's final zombie chapter has been filmed. Twilight of the Dead wrapped production, with Kate Beckinsale (Underworld) and Betty Gabriel (Get Out) leading the cast. After years of development, that's a substantial step forward. The latest on 28 Years Later Part III is less encouraging. If you saw Danny Boyle's optimistic comments and then a seemingly contradictory headline, here's where things stand: his latest update puts the third film "on the back burner at the moment." He still hopes to make it, but financing and Alex Garland's schedule remain obstacles. It hasn't been declared dead. It also doesn't sound ready to move forward. After The Bone Temple, I really want them to finish this story. Our Godzilla Minus Zero review is in. Rory Doherty gave the sequel 3 out of 5 in his review, praising action that is "just as remarkable as its predecessor" while finding the human drama and pacing less effective. So, mixed-positive, with plenty of monster spectacle. If you've only seen the most enthusiastic early reactions, Rory offers another perspective. Apparently, we also need furniture-sized containers for our popcorn. The collectibles have gotten ridiculous, and I mean that affectionately. There's Cinemark's 19.5-inch Godzilla Minus Zero bucket, Regal's whale-shaped Whalefall bucket, and a light-up Santa Jack from The Nightmare Before Christmas. We also covered the Clayface bucket. I still don't know where everybody is putting these things. And if you want something you haven't already heard about... Spend some time with our 12-film festival roundup. It collects highlights from Fantasia, TIFF, and Fantastic Fest, with our critics' ratings and links to their full reviews. There are giant snakes, gothic nightmares, haunted puppets, and plenty of other discoveries that deserve room alongside the familiar franchises. That piece landed just before October swallowed the front page, and it's exactly the kind of coverage I don't want getting lost. What did you miss, and which of these are you most excited about? I'll be trying to keep up right alongside you. Categorized:News

Sadie Sink in talks to star in 'The Guest', based on Emma Cline's bestseller. A24 and Square Peg are in negotiations to adapt Emma Cline's bestselling novel The Guest, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. Writer-director Lorene Scafaria is talks to direct with Stranger Things star Sadie Sink in talks to star and produce alongside Square Peg. Cline's 2023 novel, published by Penguin Random House, centers on a calculating grifter who navigates the treacherous world of summer in the Hamptons. The full synopsis reads: "Summer is coming to a close on the East End of Long Island, and Alex is no longer welcome. A misstep at a dinner party, and the older man she's been staying with dismisses her with a ride to the train station and a ticket back to the city. With few resources and a waterlogged phone, but gifted with an ability to navigate the desires of others, Alex stays on Long Island and drifts like a ghost through the hedged lanes, gated driveways, and sun-blasted dunes of a rarefied world that is, at first, closed to her. Propelled by desperation and a mutable sense of morality, she spends the week leading up to Labor Day moving from one place to the next, a cipher leaving destruction in her wake." The Guest was longlisted for the Pen/Faulkner award, as well as named a Belletrist Book Club pick and best book of the year by a myriad of publications including The New Yorker, Time, and NPR. Cline's recent book release Switzy was longlisted for this year's Booker Prize. Her 2016 debut novel, The Girls, sold in a three-book deal at the time worth $2 million. The Girls was loosely inspired by the 1969 Manson family murders. In a 2023 interview with Vanity Fair Cline said of The Guest, "I started it in 2016. I love books like The Talented Mr. Ripley, where there are characters who you follow through the narrative that are operating outside the bounds of our moral code. There's something fun about following that kind of chaos. The setting came out of, What would be a fun foil for this kind of character, and what kind of world makes sense?" Sink most recently starred in Spider-Man: Brand New Day in which she made her official MCU debut as Jean Grey. She will reprise the role in the new X-Men film slated for a 2028 release that will also star Kit Connor (Cyclops), Christopher Abbott (Prof. X), Samara Weaving (Emma Frost), Inde Navarrette (Rogue) and Maya Boyd (Storm). Adam Driver was cast as the villain Mr. Sinister. In addition to directing Hustlers starring Jennifer Lopez, Scafaria's other writing and directing credits include Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, The Meddler, and the adapted screenplay for Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. Her TV credits include New Girl, Succession and HBO's I Love LA, which she serves as executive producer and director. Sink is represented by WME, Peikoff Mahan and imPRint. Scafaria is repped by UTA and Sloane Offer. Deadline first reported the news.