Horror Movies: Join the 1428 Elm staff as we take a look at the most promising upcoming horror movies soon to be released.
Updated for June 2018
With the wealth of horror films being released annually, it can often be difficult to keep track of what’s coming up. The horror genre continues to come out with interesting, provocative, and just downright fun cinematic gems. With the number of genre festivals on the rise, international horror films are also now more readily available to a wider audience.
There are always exciting films on the horizon and you definitely don’t want to miss out on any of your potential future favorites. But don’t worry! 1428 Elm is here to help you keep track of the best in upcoming horror flicks. We’ll be updating the list on a monthly basis, so be sure to keep checking back to see what’s new.
The First Purge
Release Date: July 4, 2018
Directed by: Gerard McMurray
Written by: James DeMonaco
Starring: Y’Lan Noel, Lex Scott Davis, Joivan Wade, Luna Lauren Velez, and Maria Tomei
Country: USA
Official Synopsis:
"To push the crime rate below one percent for the rest of the year, the New Founding Fathers of America test a sociological theory that vents aggression for one night in one isolated community. But when the violence of oppressors meets the rage of the others, the contagion will explode from the trial-city borders and spread across the nation."
Not every horror fan is into the Purge franchise, but the films remain popular enough to spawn a fourth entry in the series. Now a prequel, this new film will show us how this crazy phenomenon came to be. While it doesn’t feature any returning stars from the series (being a prequel and all), it’s written by James DeMonaco, who wrote and directed the first three movies. For anyone who’s enjoyed the first three movies so far, The First Purge will be a must see film.
Unfriended: Dark Web
Release Date: July 20, 2018
Directed by: Stephen Susco
Written by: Stephen Susco
Starring: Colin Woodell, Betty Gabriel, Rebecca Rittenhouse, Andrew Lees, Connor Del Rio, Stephanie Nogeueras, and Savira Windyani
Country: USA
Official Synopsis:
"A teenager finds a cache of hidden files on his new laptop and soon discovers that the previous owner is watching every move he makes."
The first Unfriended film received rather mixed reviews from critics, but don’t let that stop you here. This second movie shares only the name with the original film and not any storylines or characters. Most who saw the film at SXSW 2018 said it’s by far better compared to the first. In any case, it’s a topical movie showing how scary the internet can sometimes be, and the unique way it’s shot does make for a very interesting watch.
The Meg
Release Date: August 10, 2018
Directed by: John Turteltaub
Written by: Dean Georgaris, Jon Hoeber, Erich Hoeber
Starring: Jason Statham, Li Bingbing, Rainn Wilson, Ruby Rose, Winston Chao, and Cliff Curtis
Country: USA
Official Synopsis:
"A massive creature attacks a deep-sea submersible, leaving it disabled and trapping the crew at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. With time running out, rescue diver Jonas Taylor must save the crew and the ocean itself from an unimaginable threat — a 75-foot-long prehistoric shark known as the Megalodon."
It seems like every shark movie that comes out is referred to as a potential “Jaws killer,” but none has even come close. But I will say that The Meg has the most potential to do so out of everything I’ve seen from it so far. The massive size of the shark in the film is enough to make me nervous, and considering this “Meg” could swallow Bruce the shark whole, Jason Statham is going to be in a much different ballgame than Roy Scheider.
Next: Slender Man
Slender Man
Release Date: August 24, 2018
Directed by: Sylvain White
Written by: David Birke
Starring: Joey King, Julia Goldani Telles, Jaz Sinclair, Annalise Basso, Talitha Bateman, and Javier Botet
Country: USA
Official Synopsis:
"Terror strikes when four teenage girls in a small town perform a ritual to debunk the lore of a tall, thin, horrifying figure known as the Slender Man. They soon fear that the legend is true when one of them suddenly goes missing."
The most popular creepypasta character comes to life when Slender Man hits theaters in August. Created on the internet as part of a Something Awful contest, the child-preying Slender Man has since become legendary. A feature film about the mysterious being has been a long time coming, and thanks to Sony, we’re finally getting one this summer.
Next: The Nun
The Nun
Release Date: September 7, 2018
Directed by: Corin Hardy
Written by: Gary Dauberman, James Wan
Starring: Taissa Farmiga, Demian Bichir, Charlotte Hope, Ingrid Bisu, Jonas Bloquet, Bonnie Aarons
Country: USA
Official Synopsis:
"Vatican officials send a priest and a novitiate to investigate the suicide of a young nun in Romania. They soon find themselves in a fight for their lives when they encounter a demonic force that takes the shape of a nun."
The Conjuring franchise has been a hit since the very first entry, bringing about various sequels and spin-offs. The next film to enter the fray will be this film about the freaky nun shown in The Conjuring 2. This will also be the fifth overall movie in the series, and like Annabelle and The Conjuring, we can surely expect a sequel if this one does just as well.
If you like the other films in this series, you’ll no doubt want to see this one.
The Predator
Release Date: September 14, 2018
Directed by: Shane Black
Written by: Fred Dekker, Shane Black
Starring: Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes, Jacob Tremblay, Keegan-Michael Key, Olivia Munn, Sterling K. Brown, Alfie Allen, and Thomas Jane
Country: USA
Official Synopsis:
"From the outer reaches of space to the small-town streets of suburbia, the hunt comes home. The universe’s most lethal hunters are stronger, smarter and deadlier than ever before, having genetically upgraded themselves with DNA from other species. When a boy accidentally triggers their return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and a disgruntled science teacher can prevent the end of the human race."
We will soon be seeing a revival of the Predator franchise with this newest entry to the series. Said to reference every film in the Predator series (including Alien vs. Predator), it should be a treat for longtime fans of the series.
The House with a Clock in Its Walls
Release Date: September 21, 2018
Directed by: Eli Roth
Written by: Eric Kripke
Starring: Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, Owen Vaccaro, Sunny Suljic, Kyle MacLachlan, and Renee Elise Goldsberry
Country: USA
Official Synopsis:
"Ten-year-old Lewis goes to live with his uncle in a creaky old house that contains a mysterious ticktock noise. When Lewis accidentally awakens the dead, the town’s sleepy facade magically springs to life with a secret world of witches and warlocks."
Known for his gory and disturbing array of horror movies, Eli Roth is doing something different with this movie. Appropriate for children, this movie will be the tamest project Roth has ever taken on. For little budding horror fans, this could be a nice entry into the genre without being too spooky. And with enough bloody horror movies hitting theaters this year, it will be nice to have an option appropriate for the whole family.
Hellfest
Release Date: September 28, 2018
Directed by: Gregory Plotkin
Written by: Dean Georgaris, Jon Hoeber, Erich Hoeber
Starring: William Penick and Chris Sey
Country: USA
Official Synopsis:
"The film takes place in a horror theme park during Halloween horror nights and a costumed killer begins slaying unsuspecting parkgoers who are unclear whether it’s all a part of the park experience or not."
What a great concept for a horror film. Many of us enjoy attending theme parks during their Halloween horror themes. What if someone in a mask was really offing people there? And nobody else could determine if it was part of the show or not? Seems like the killer could hack away a lot of people before most of them even realize what’s wrong. It sounds freaky, and yet fun, and we definitely will be checking this movie out.
Goosebumps: Haunted Halloween
Release Date: October 12, 2018
Directed by: Ari Sandel
Written by: Rob Lieber
Starring: Jack Black, Madison Iseman, Ben O’Brien, Caleel Haris, and Jeremy Ray Taylor
Country: USA
Official Synopsis:
"Not available at this time…"
Jack Black will be returning to voice Slappy the Dummy in the sequel to the Goosebumps movie. Plot details are under wraps, but the rumor is Slappy will be the primary protagonist unleashing his havoc on the real world, and a group of heroes must work together to stop him. The first movie was enjoyable whether you read Goosebumps books as a kid or not, and the follow-up film is very welcome. We’re hoping for more info and maybe even a teaser to come out before long.
Next: Halloween
Halloween
Release Date: October 19, 2018
Directed by: David Gordon Green
Written by: Danny McBride and David Gordon Green
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Will Patton, Virginia Gardner, and Nick Castle
Country: USA
Official Synopsis:
"Laurie Strode prepares for a final showdown with masked killer Michael Myers."
Most horror fans never thought they’d see Jamie Lee Curtis in a Halloween film ever again. This year’s reboot will reset the story once again, creating a new timeline in which Laurie Strode was never killed. In fact, the film not only ignores every sequel past John Carpenter’s original film, it’s even said to slightly retcon that movie’s ending to play into what happens in this one.
In any case, with Freddy and Jason long gone from the big screen, most of us can’t be more excited for the new Halloween. Michael Myers will hack up teenagers in Haddonfield at least one more time in theaters, and this particular writer will be in the front row on opening day.
Overlord
Release Date: October 26, 2018
Directed by: Julius Avery
Written by: Billy Ray and Mark L. Smith
Starring: Jovan Adepo, Jacob Anderson, Pilou Asbaek, Iain De Caestecker, John Magaro, Wyatt Russell, and Bokeem Woodbine
Country: USA
Official Synopsis:
"On the eve of D-Day, paratroopers drop behind enemy lines to carry out a crucial mission for the invasion. As they approach their target, they soon begin to realize there’s more going on in the Nazi-occupied village than a simple military operation."
Co-produced by J.J. Abrams, a lot of people are looking forward to Overlord. Basically, the film is partially a war movie, but partially a horror film. When soldiers confront Nazis during the war, they discover them to be working on experiments involving the supernatural. As you can guess, all hell breaks loose after that.
Next: Suspiria
Suspiria – Photo: Amazon
Suspiria
Release Date: November 2, 2018
Directed by: Luca Guadagnino
Written by: David Kajganich
Starring: Tilda Swinton, Dakota Johnson, Chloe Grace Moretz, Mia Goth, and Jessica Harper
Country: USA
Official Synopsis:
"A young American aspiring dancer travels to Germany to perfect ballet dancing at a famous ballet school in Berlin. While attending, students begin to disappear and she soon finds out that the school has a dark history involving witchcraft and gruesome deaths."
The original Suspiria from 1977 is a cult classic among the favorites of many followers of our genre. In a way, it’s surprising it’s taken so long for Hollywood to get around to remaking it. It’s hard to say at this point if it will stand up to the original at all, but I’m remaining optimistic. An official trailer has been teased by Amazon to be released very soon, and that will give us all a better look at what to expect from this film.
Mandy
Release Date: Summer 2018
Directed by: Panos Cosmatos
Written by: Panos Cosmatos and Aaron Stewart-Ahn
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Andrea Riseborough, Linus Roache, Bill Duke, Richard Brake, Ned Dennehy, Olwen Fouere, and Sam Louwyck
Country: USA
Official Synopsis:
"Somewhere in the primal wilderness near the Shadow Mountains in the year 1983, Red Miller has fallen deeply for the deceptively charming Mandy Bloom. However, the life he has made for himself comes crashing down suddenly and horrifyingly, when a vile band of ravaging cultists and supernatural creatures desecrate his idyllic home with vicious fury. A broken man, Red now lives for one thing only—to hunt down these maniacal villains and exact swift vengeance."
Nicolas Cage gets a lot of guff, but the man is much more entertaining than he gets credit for. Horror fans know he’s a welcome actor in the genre after putting on such a wonderful performance in the recent film Mom and Dad. With the storyline for Mandy sounding tailor made for someone like Cage, the film sounds like it’s going to be a fun (albeit very blooyd) time.
Below you’ll find our list of movies we want to see which are rumored or are in development hell. For these movies, production has either just begun or just finished, putting their release dates out in the horizon. Keep your eye out for these to come in the distant future, and stay tuned for further updates:
Five Nights at Freddy’s
Gil Kenan had originally been reported to be adapting this popular computer game into a feature film, but the project had since stalled. Chris Columbus has since taken the director’s chair for the planned movie, which will be produced under the Blumhouse banner.
World War Z 2
Originally, there were plans to release WWZ2 in 2017. Obviously, that’s no longer the case, as production never actually got off the ground. Although the planned sequel hasn’t begun filming, the idea was to bring back Brad Pitt for another adventure slaying and evading zombies. Sequel plans still haven’t been entirely scrapped altogether, but it’s still impossible to say whether this will actually happen.
Zombieland 2
Fortunately, Zombieland 2 is officially in the works as the film has been announced to soon go into production. All of the leads from the original will be returning. It’s too early to know what the plot will entail, but for fans of the first film, rejoice knowing that a second movie is on the way.
Pet Sematary
A modern remake of the classic film based ont he Stephen King novel has been given a greenlight. Will today’s audiences appreciate this depressing and horrific tale as much as they did before? We’ll see, but the stellar cast (which includes John Lithgow) does show some promise.
Next: 50 Best Horror Movies on Netflix
Did we forget anything? Which one of these do you want to see the most? Contact us in the comments below and let us know!