We should be in for another bloody good year of horror. There’s so much killer content coming, but these 15 films are high on our radar.
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2023 was a banner year for horror, and 2024 promises many more thrills, chills, and frightful favorites. We’re already off to a killer start, but we wanted to highlight twenty films coming to theaters this year that have the potential to make a splash at the box office and get genre fans talking. Note that release dates are subject to change. We should also point out that this list is only the tip of the iceberg, and many more must-see horror films are likely to be announced in the coming months.
1. Winnie-The-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 (March 26)
With a budget of $100,000, Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey grossed over 5 million globally. The negative reviews of the horror reimaging of the beloved childhood classic didn’t matter because fans ate it up, and it quickly became clear that there would be a sequel in 2024.
In the second film in the Twisted Childhood Universe (TCU), the public domain characters Winnie the Pooh, Christopher Robin, Piglet, and Owl will finally be joined by Tigger (who himself just entered the public domain). According to director Rhys Frake-Waterfield, the wonderful thing about Tigger is that Tigger is a fan of torture.
This one will have a very limited theatrical release—three days beginning on March 26. After that, you should be able to find it shortly after streaming.
2. The First Omen (April 5)
Yes, there will be a prequel to the classic The Omen in 2024.
In the film, directed by Arkasha Stevenson, a young American woman (Nell Tiger Free) who is is sent to Rome to begin a life of service to the church but encounters a darkness that causes her to question her faith as she uncovers a terrifying conspiracy.
Stevenson is best known for directing seven episodes of the horror anthology series Channel Zero. The film was co-written by Stevenson, Tim Smith, and Keith Thomas. Thomas recently directed the Stephen King adaptation, Firestarter, in 2022. (Here’s hoping this new entry in an iconic franchise fares much better than that notorious flop.) David S. Goyer is producing, and he is well-known for penning notable scripts for projects such as Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy.
Joining Free (Game of Thrones) is one notable name, Bill Nighy (Love Actually), who will be playing Father Lawrence. Ralph Ineson (The Witch) will play Father Brennan, a character from the original film.
3. Tarot (May 3)
After their fortune is read using a mysterious deck belonging to a stranger, a group of college friends begins to die in ways related to their destiny. This supernatural horror film, written and directed by Spenser Cohen and Anna Halberg in their feature film directorial debut and co-written by Nicholas Adams, is based on Adams’ 1992 novel Horrorscope. It features an all-star cast of young performers whose faces you will undoubtedly recognize, including Larsen Thompson, Harriet Slater, Adain Bradley, Avantika, and Jacob Batalon.
It seems like a cool concept, and the trailer does an excellent job of getting us hyped. For those familiar with Tarot, the deck design looks fantastic, and the antagonists seem to be based on the Major Arcana. It looks like we can expect some stylish production design, as well as great makeup effects and creature/costume design. Hopefully, it will deliver plenty of scares as well.
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4. The Strangers: Chapter 1 (May 17)
The reboot is being released as a three-part film. The project is directed by veteran Renny Harlin, who has not necessarily been associated with great films in recent years. Still, we’re trying to remain hopeful. It’s such a terrifying concept, but it may be challenging to rekindle the nightmare-inducing magic of the original film.
The Strangers: Chapter 1 is about a young couple who drive across the country to start a new life in the Pacific Northwest, but their car breaks down in Venus, Oregon and they are forced to spend the night at a secluded Airbnb. There, they are terrorized by three masked strangers from dusk until dawn. The movie stars Madelaine Petsch as Maya.
Harlin explains the new trilogy is not a direct remake or reboot of the original movies, but the legacy of the original films will be honored in every way. The idea of making a trilogy without knowing how the first film will be received is certainly a gamble, but we’re curious to see how it’s handled.
5. The Crow (June 7)
Alright, let’s address the elephant in the room. We are well aware of how controversial this reimagining of a beloved goth horror classic is and how much backlash the film has already faced in the community. It already has several strikes against it, and its mere existence is fueling a lot of passionate discourse, especially among older horror fans who have a strong connection to the 1994 film — mainly because of the prevailing belief that it dishoners Brandon Lee’s legacy.
The first photos of the film, revealing the character design for Eric Draven, originally played by Lee and now portrayed by Bill Skarsgård, did nothing to quell the outrage, only fueling the flames of fury. The film is definitely being targeted to a younger audience, trying desperately to appeal to those with little to no connection to the original.
The film was made in Prague and Munich under the direction of Rupert Sanders, who previously directed Ghost in the Shell — another potentially troubling sign given how much backlash that film faced.
With all that, why are we including it on this list? It’s possible all that controversy may fuel ticket sales and, for better or worse, this is likely to be one of the most talked about films of the year. It’s also possible it succeeds from people hate-watching and from those whose curiosity cannot keep them away. Still, there’s no denying that Skarsgård is a tremendous talent, and he may have the charismatic chops to pull off quite a surprise here.
It’s possible this film makes many “Worst of 2024” lists at the end of the year. It’s also possible it surprises a lot of people, or it may simply be dead on arrival. We’re curious to see how things shake out with this one.
6. Trap (August 2)
Two short months after M. Night Shyamalan’s daughter, Ishana Night Shyamalan, makes her directorial debut with The Watchers on June 7, 2024 — a thriller starring Dakota Fanning as a woman plagued by unseen observers — the prolific master of mind-bending horror will return with his sixteenth film as a director, Trap.
Little is known about the film other than the tease that it will be a psychological thriller set at a concert. Shymalan promises the film, starring Josh Hartnett, will be different from his other recent projects. Hartnett himself has revealed that it will be “very bizarre, very dark, and… wild.” [Bloody Disgusting]
It’s the first film in his new first-look deal with Warner Bros. Honestly, we don’t need details to be excited about a new Shyamalan outing and can’t wait to see what twisted surprises he has in store for us.
7. Speak No Evil (August 8)
The Danish psychological horror film Speak No Evil, directed by Christian Tafdrup, was easily one of the best and most unnerving films of 2022. It’s about a Danish couple invited by a Dutch couple they met on vacation to visit their country house for a weekend holiday. The hosts soon begin to test the limits of their guests as the situation escalates. It’s tense and chilling, and the ending is unforgettable.
If you haven’t seen it, you can catch it now on Shudder, and we highly recommend it.
In the upcoming American remake, the brilliant duo of Mackenzie Davis (The Turning, Blade Runner 2049) and James McAvoy (Split, Glass) will star. If that’s enough to excite you, perhaps knowing that Eden Lake director James Watkins is at the helm will do the trick. Expect to be shaken to your core after watching this one.
8. Alien: Romulus (August 15)
The makers of Evil Dead and Don’t Breathe are making an Alien film set between the first two installments, with Earth as the location. Just typing that sentence has us a little breathless.
The film takes place in a previously unexplored period within the Alien timeline, providing an opportunity to flesh out the franchise’s world in a new and exciting way. It’s a return to the original movie’s premise, a move that has proven successful for other beloved franchises. It could be a great return to glory for a franchise once known for delivering some of the most intense and nightmare-inducing horror of all time.
No question, we could be in for a sci-fi horror highlight if handled correctly. Let’s hope so. The franchise could do with another hit.
9. Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice (September 5)
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, all you’ve been hearing lately is Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice! The teaser trailer just dropped, and fans are losing their collective minds.
It’s no surprise why. We’ve been waiting a long, really bloody long time for this sequel. Tim Burton has been teasing this reunion for nearly a decade.
Set some years after the original movie, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice catches up with Lydia Deetz (once again played by Winona Ryder) and her teenage daughter Astrid (rising scream queen and current horror “it” girl Jenna Ortega) as the pair travel home to Winter River to be with Lydia’s mother Delia (the return of the iconic Catherine O’Hara) in the wake of a sudden family loss.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Beetlejuice movie without the titular star, played again by the infallible Michael Keaton.
It seems like Burton would have to work pretty damn hard to fumble this one. With a cast of superstars who made the original such a phenomenon, a world and characters we already know and love, and a built-in rabid fan base, this one seems to be a surefire hit.
10. Untitled Fourth Film Directed by Jordan Peele (September 26)
It doesn’t even have a name, but who cares? Seriously, we know absolutely nothing about Jordan Peele’s fourth feature film. Still, it’s easily at the very top of our must-see list. Hell, even if Peele and Universal never give us the tiniest clue about what this film is about, our guess is theaters will still be packed to see this. That’s the cache of Peele, who has proven time and time again that he’s sure to deliver a film worth watching and talking about. It might even make it more fun if we could all go in completely blind and simply have our minds blown.
All we know is that this will definitely sit squarely in the horror genre. It’s also, unfortunately, quite possible we won’t actually get to see this until 2025. However, our fingers and toes are crossed that the current release date holds. It would be phenomenal to get a new Peele film so close to the spooky season.
11. Smile 2 (October 17)
After the commercial and viral success of last year’s Smile, it’s no surprise that director Parker Finn is back with a sequel. The original film follows Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon), who has seven days to figure out how to successfully evade demise from a demon after witnessing her patient’s death.
The sequel will star Kyle Gallner (reprising his role as Joel), Naomi Scott, Lukas Gage, and Rosemarie DeWitt. We don’t know much about Smile 2, except that it will likely try to up the ante of the first film, which should mean we can expect more scares and more glorious gore. That definitely feels like a reason to smile.
12. Terrifier 3 (October 31)
When Art the Clown returns to US cinemas this October, strong stomachs will likely be needed again. Director Damien Leone will undoubtedly try to top the exaggerated and sadistic violence of its two predecessors.
This is another one we don’t have many details on, but honestly, what details do you really need? If you saw Terrifier 2, you already know what you’re in for. Fun fact, however: Despite the film releasing appropriately on Halloween, Terrifier 3 is actually supposed to be a Christmas film, which does sound pretty amazing.
Here’s hoping that a much bigger budget and more studio involvement, as well as a rush to get another sequel out quickly, don’t do anything to diminish the creativity, passion, and DIY devotion to jaw-dropping practical gore that has made the franchise such a hit so far.
13. Nosferatu (December 25)
Two words: Robert Eggers. With that, arthouse horror devotees should already be salivating for this one.
Eggers is a master of moody, atmospheric, gothic horror. He previously wowed audiences with his debut film The Witch and his sophomore sensation The Lighthouse, as well as his brief genre departure, the historical fiction epic film The Northman. He returns to horror in a big way by boldly remaking one of the most iconic and important horror films of all time, the granddaddy of the vampire subgenre, Nosferatu.
Nosferatu is set in both Transylvania and Germany. Eggers describes it as a tale concerning “a haunted woman who’s tormented by a terrifying vampire.” [Entertainment Weekly]
The vampire in question is Count Orlok, played by Bill Skarsgård, best known to horror fans as Pennywise in It. Eggers promises we can expect another total transformation from Skarsgård and something very unique.
The film also stars Lily-Rose Depp (The Idol) and Nicholas Hoult, hot on the heels of his hilarious turn in another vampire adaptation, Renfield. They are joined by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin (The Crown), Ralph Inerson (The Witch), and the sure-to-be scene-stealing Willem Dafoe as a crazy vampire hunter.
Over the last decade, Eggers has attempted twice to get his Nosferatu into production, but things have fallen apart before the start of filming. Fortunately, he never gave up on his passion project, which means fans are sure to be in for a treat.
14. The Gorge (TBD)
Director Scott Derrikson is back with a new horror film, and that alone is reason enough to get us excited. Derrickson is known for being a hitmaker, with films like Sinister, The Black Phone, Doctor Strange, and The Exorcism of Emily Rose under his belt. Derrickson will be reunited with his writing partner, Robert Cargill, for this project.
The Gorge is being billed as a genrebending film combining action, sci-fi, romance, and horror. It follows two elite soldiers who are assigned a mysterious mission: to guard either side of a deep and impenetrable gorge, without knowing what actually lies beneath them.
Ok, ok, but let’s talk about the real attraction here: that cast! Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller have been cast in the leading roles. They are joined by genre royalty, Sigourney Weaver.
15. Witchboard
If ever I had a soft spot in my heart for a cheesy, 1980s guilty pleasure horror film, it would be for the original Witchboard starring the late, great Tawny Kitaen. Is it a great film? Arguably, no. But it’s wildly fun with a delightfully bonkers ending and some fantastic camp. I do, however, think much of the film’s appeal rests in the sexy, cool, fiery performance from Kitaen, and I’m not sure if a remake can rekindle that magic. Still, I’ll be tuning in for a few reasons.
It’s directed by Chuck Russell. Although Russell’s light has dimmed in recent years, he once dominated the glory days of horror with genre gems such as Hell Night, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, and The Blob.
In this new Witchboard, Emily, her fiancé Christian, and their group of friends have opened a new organic café in the French Quarter of New Orleans by renovating an old carriage house. However, things take a dark turn when Emily finds an ancient pendulum board that was once used for summoning spirits. Concerned for Emily’s well-being, Christian seeks the help of an occult expert named Alexander Babtiste, who has knowledge of the bloodlines that connect them to the witchboard. As events unfold, a modern coven of White Witches, a masked ball at Babtiste’s mansion, and the legacy of Naga Soth, the Queen of Witches, all become part of a dangerous game that puts Emily’s soul in peril.
From what we can tell, this will be a vastly different take than the original film, and only time will tell if that’s a good or bad thing.
The cast includes Madison Iseman (I Know What You Did Last Summer), Aaron Dominguez (Only Murders in the Building), Antonia Desplat (Shantaram) and Charlie Tahan (Ozark). At the top of our list of reasons to see the film, however, is the casting of Stranger Things‘ Jamie Campbell Bower, who can do no wrong.
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