Sony released its first trailer for its upcoming Until Dawn adaptation, Neon previewed The Monkey from Longlegs director Osgood Perkins, and the distributor also shared the final trailer for Steven Soderbergh's spectral thriller Presence, releasing in theaters next week. Needless to say, it has been an excellent week for horror fans on the trailer front.
This week, several of this year's most anticipated titles received new promotional material. We've gathered everything in one place so you can catch up at your leisure!
The Monkey
- Writer/Director: Osgood Perkins
- Cast: Theo James, Tatiana Maslany, Elijah Wood, Christian Convery, Colin O'Brien, Rohan Campbell, and Sarah Levy
- Release Date: Feb. 21
A very devilish monkey is at the center of Osgood Perkins' next movie, which the trailer advertises as a bloody wild good time with a heavy helping of dark humor. Perkins directed one of 2024's most discussed movies, Longlegs, featuring Nicolas Cage as one of the most disturbing serial killers ever. But while Longlegs was deathly serious in tone, The Monkey seems to be leaning into the comedy. And that makes total sense, given that the "villain" in this film is a cymbal-smashing toy monkey.
Based on Stephen King's short story, The Monkey sees Theo James (The Gentlemen) playing twin brothers on a mission to kill this freaky mechanical primate before it can murder them and plenty of other people in the process. The trailer teases several brutal deaths, including a realtor blasted in the face by a shotgun in a Saw-worthy trap, someone getting a bowling ball dropped on their face, and a woman diving into an electrocuted swimming pool. The trailer expertly showcases The Monkey's cheeky tone and cements its status as one of my most anticipated of 2025.
Until Dawn
- Director: David F. Sandberg
- Writer: Blair Butler and Gary Dauberman
- Cast: Ella Rubin, Michael Cimino, Ji-young Yoo, Odessa A'zion, Belmont Cameli, Maia Mitchell, and Peter Stormare
- Release Date: Apr. 25
If we want to survive...we have to make it until dawn. Yes, an actual line spoken in the trailer that doesn't bode well for the film's script, but I'm still looking forward to this one. I know many fans are disappointed that this adaptation of the popular PlayStation game won't be a direct retelling of that story, but I am intrigued by the film's Cabin in the Woods vibe.
It seems like the filmmakers are more interested in playing with the game's choose-your-own-adventure format than anything else, though the general thrust of the story remains the same: a group of friends trapped in a remote location, tormented by a variety of evils. The trailer does tease a Wendigo, along with other creepy monsters like a giant (?), zombies, and more. In short, this won't necessarily be a rehash of the video game, but if it's anywhere as good as Cabin in the Woods, we'll be set. There's also a chance this one might end up being this year's Tarot (a bad movie that no one but me likes).
The Woman in the Yard
- Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
- Writer: Sam Stefanak
- Cast: Danielle Deadwyler, Okwui Okpokwasili, Russell Hornsby, Peyton Jackson, and Estella Kahiha
- Release Date: Mar. 28
Imagine waking up one morning, looking outside, and seeing the woman from The Woman in Black in your front yard whispering, "Today's the day," while cradling her bloodstained hands in her lap. Terrifying stuff.
That's the situation the family at the center of this Blumhouse feature must contend with, and the trailer is suitably creepy with an air of Flannery O'Connor about it. Another title I'm excited for this year because of director Jaume Collet-Serra, the man behind House of Wax, Orphan, and The Shallows.
The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep
- Director: Kang Hei Chul
- Writer: Mike Ostrowski
- Cast: Doug Cockle, Joey Batey, Anya Chalotra, and Christina Wren
- Release Date: Feb. 11
While we wait for the next season of Netflix's live-action adaptation of The Witcher, based on Andrzej Sapkowski's book series, the streamer is entertaining us with Geralt's latest monster hunt. He and Jaskier land smack dab in the middle of an ancient conflict between a village and an ancient kingdom of merpeople. There's also a Kraken!
This animated dark fantasy film joins the ever-growing Netflix universe of The Witcher content and will be accessible to newcomers. Even people who have their gripes with the rather polarizing television series might want to check this one out because not only did Sapkowski serve as a creative consultant on the project, but Doug Cockle reprises his role as Geralt from the video games. Sirens of the Deep adapts his short story "A Little Sacrifice" from the Sword of Destiny collection.
Presence
- Director: Steven Soderbergh
- Writer: David Koepp
- Cast: Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, Julia Fox, and Callina Liang
- Release Date: Jan. 24
Hailed as one of the scariest movies we'll see this year, Presence promises to be a genuinely haunting and subversive take on the haunted house subgenre. Neon has kept the plot details to a minimum, but the final trailer they shared this week gives us a better look at the characters.
Unlike most paranormal horror movies, Presence aims to give viewers a look at what a haunting is like from the entity's perspective. In this instance, a family moves into a new home and believes they aren't alone. This trailer shares new clips of them consulting a medium and teases some of the film's heart-pounding scares.
You season 5
- Creators: Greg Berlanti and Sera Gamble
- Cast: Penn Badgley, Charlotte Ritchie, Madeline Brewer, Griffin Matthews, Anna Camp, Natasha Behnam, Pete Ploszek, Tom Francis, and Nava Mau
- Release Date: April 24
After four thrilling seasons, Joe Goldberg's story will finally conclude in the fifth and final installment of You, premiering on Netflix this spring. With a trail of secrets, lies, and bodies behind him, it'll be interesting to see where this deeply disturbed character ends up. Will he finally face the consequences of his actions, or will he continue to manipulate and evade justice until the very end? We might not know the answer just yet, but we're almost certain that this thriller series will deliver a shocking and unpredictable ending that fans won’t soon forget!
In the new teaser trailer for You season 5, we see Joe return to where his murderous journey began—New York City. This is after he murdered a bunch of people in the U.K. and fled the country with his wealthy girlfriend, Kate, in the season 4 finale. While the teaser is pretty much just a narration of Joe reflecting on his dark past and how it ultimately brought him back to New York, viewers are left wondering what new dangers await him in the city where everything started.
The actor behind the Joe character, Penn Badgley, has even teased that one of Joe's surviving victims will come back to haunt him this season. With this revelation, fans can anticipate even more tension and drama, as a past victim’s return could unravel Joe’s carefully constructed life. Spring is just around the corner, and You season 5 will be released before you know it!