Upcoming Horror Films

Within the last decade, horror movies have made a great comeback at the box office.

Horror is now one of the most popular genres of cinema, bringing in millions of dollars at the box office. Horror has never been bigger, which explains the countless number of horror films that are currently shooting or in some stage of production. The following is a tentative schedule, meaning that the release dates for these films are liable to change. And with the coronavirus, many of these horror films, especially with a 2020 release date, are subject to be postponed to a later date. In addition, I will list the movies at the end with an unannounced release date. 

2020

​Antebellum

On August 21, Antebellum, starring Janelle Monáe, will kick off a stretch of horror films being released in the fall. Antebellum is directed by Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz, who are relatively new to the film industry and this is their biggest project yet. The film centers around an author who finds herself trapped in a more sinister reality, one that’s set during the Civil War years, hence the title Antebellum. The film is produced by the producer of Jordan Peele’s Get Out and Us.

​A Quiet Place II

The much-anticipated sequel, A Quiet Place Part 2, was originally supposed to release in theaters back in March. But due to the pandemic, it had to be pushed back to September 4, two weeks after Antebellum. The original cast is back to some extent, but the film will revolve around the family as they maneuver through unknown territory in search of any other survivors. Newcomer to the franchise, Cillian Murphy, who played the Scarecrow in The Dark Knight, sports a beard in the film. This sequel looks to be a little different than the first and includes a more adventurous feel as well.

The Conjuring 3

A week after the release of A Quiet Place Part 2, on September 11, the third film of The Conjuring franchise, titled The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, is set to release. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are returning to portray their characters of Ed and Lorraine Warren. For those of you who don’t know, The Conjuring franchise and the stories within the film are actually based on real life occurrences and real-life paranormal investigators by the same name. James Wan is set to produce but has delegated the directing responsibilities to Michael Chaves, who directed the New Line horror film, The Curse of La Llorona. Chaves, prior to theaforementioned, had only made one short that garnered attention. The third film of the franchise comes four years after the release of The Conjuring 2 and with a subtitle as unique as The Devil Made Me Do It, one can only imagine great things.

​Candyman

Two weeks later, on September 25, comes the “spiritual sequel” to the film Candyman titled, wait for it, Candyman. Starring Aquaman villain, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and directed by Nia DaCosta, this film was originally set to be released over the summer. But as of now, since theaters aren’t looking to open up anytime soon, the postponement was only just. It’s been 28 years since the original Candyman, so the audience is eagerly awaiting his return to the big screen.

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2021

Last Night in Soho

The long-awaited Edgar Wright horror/thriller film titled Last Night in Soho will release on April 23. The film stars Anya-Taylor Joy, known for The Witch, so horror is not something new to her. This is the first film from Edgar Wright since the action-packed film Baby Driver back in 2017. Wright’s directing style is very unique, so one can only imagine what he can do in the horror genre to frighten the audience.

Spiral

On May 21, Spiral: From the Book of Saw, is set to release. The film stars Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson and is set, hence the title, in the world of the Saw franchise. The first film of the franchise, Saw, was released back in 2004 and was directed by James Wan. The film is about two police partners who encounter a series of crimes that are reminiscent of the city’s past. It’s not certain if the infamous Billy the Puppet is set to return to haunt our nightmares, but one thing is certain, this film is set to be a new thriller.

Halloween Ends (2022)

​Halloween Kills

Originally set for an October 15, 2021, Halloween Ends has been pushed to a 2022 release date due to the release delays of Halloween Kills. The third and possibly final film of the new Halloween trilogy, aptly named Halloween Ends is set to release. As of now, not much is known about it but one can only speculate that Michael Myers is returning for a ‘final’ showdown. Final as in, the last time for the next few years because it’s quite likely that in the future, we could see him again.

Originally set for an October 16, 2020 release, Halloween Kills, is set for release on October 16, just two weeks and one day prior to Halloween. Obviously, the release date makes sense as Blumhouse, the production company, is looking to capitalize on the holiday. Laurie Strode, played by Jaime Lee Curtis, is set to return as well as the cast from the 2018 sequel, Halloween. David Gordon Green is returning to direct and has recently stated that his most grotesque, violent and horrifying scene that he’s ever directed in his career, is set to be in this film. If that’s not a testament to what this sequel will bring, then I don’t know what is.

Unannounced/TBD

​Malignant

James Wan is set to return to horror with his film Malignant. Wan hasn’t directed horror since 2016 with The Conjuring 2, and even though on paper that may not seem like a whole lot of time, we’re ready to see how else he can frighten and surprise us.

​Scream 5

Just recently, Scream 5 has been announced. Neve Campbell is in talks to return and it’s been confirmed that Dewey, played by David Arquette, is returning. The film will be directed by Ready or Not filmmakers Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. The last  Scream film, Scream 4, released back in 2011, so it’s only just that we get the next installment of the franchise.

Final Thoughts

Even though there are no official announcements by anyone, as horror fans, we ask ourselves, when can we expect to see A Nightmare on Elm Street or Friday the 13th feature again? Freddie Krueger and Jason Voorhees have not been on the big screen since 2009 and 2010 and with classic horror films like Halloween and Scream being re-made or getting sequels, it’s only a matter of time before we see the former on the big screen, right?

So what can we expect in the future? We can expect to see more horror films, many of them original stories, others familiar stories that we, the audience, absolutely love. Horror has never been bigger. And yes, this article is partly subjective, but I’ve done my best to outline the films over the next few years that will surely not just be box office successes but also remind us why we love horror.

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Author

Rico Suave is an aspiring writer and/or director. In 2017, one of his short films won an award and in 2019 he was a finalist with a short script he wrote. Rico is Colombian but has spent the majority of his life in the States.
 
Rico was a volunteer for HorrOrigins’ inaugural year and says it was a pretty unique and eye-opening experience for him. He plans to continue volunteering and this year has expanded his role to include writing articles for the HorrOrigins website.
 
Rico has a passion for horror films but really any genre is fine with him! He is a passionate lover of cinema.Write something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview.