Horror Movies That Will Blow Fans Away In 2024
Horror movies in 2023 ran the gamut. From much-awaited sequels ("Scream VI," "Evil Dead Rise," "The Exorcist: Believer") to new takes on old stories ("The Last Voyage of the Demeter," "The Boogeyman") to Russell Crowe riding around town on his little Vespa, in "The Pope's Exorcist," there was something for everyone. We began the year with the viral sensation "M3GAN," and now we're living through a moment of industry-wide instability due to the AMPTP's refusal to negotiate with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA unions.
But not to worry, horror fans have plenty to look forward to in the year 2024. We've got evil spirits, imaginary friends, ruthless aliens, and movies that are so mysterious we don't even know what the heck they're about yet. If you're already feeling hungry for your next horror snack, here are some sneak peeks to whet your appetite even further. Get ready to mark your creepy calendars.
Night Swim
"No running. No diving. No lifeguard on duty. No swimming after dark," reads the tagline for the upcoming film "Night Swim." A co-production between Universal, Atomic Monster, and Blumhouse, "Night Swim" will serve as 2024's first horror release. Based on a short film by returning director Bryce McGuire and co-writer Rod Blackhurst, the film stars Wyatt Russell ("The Falcon and the Winter Soldier") and recent Oscar nominee Kerry Condon ("The Banshees of Inisherin"). There's not much information out there about the plot, but we do know it "centers on a hidden source of terror in an iconic backyard swimming pool."
Producers James Wan and Jason Blum are no strangers to horror hits, so we have high hopes for this one. The last time Blumhouse and Universal released a horror film the first week of January was at the beginning of 2023, when "M3GAN" grossed $179 million at the international box office. Here's to another viral moment.
Premiere: January 5, 2024
Imaginary
Blumhouse's second horror offering of 2024 will be Jeff Wadlow's "Imaginary," with Lionsgate signing on as distributor. The plot follows a woman who returns to the house she grew up in and encounters her imaginary friend, who is very upset at being left behind. Wadlow has worked with Blumhouse before, on "Truth or Dare" in 2018 and "Fantasy Island" in 2020. He also directed the superhero sequel "Kick-Ass 2."
There are no other plot details available at this time, but we can confirm the shoot took place in New Orleans in the spring of 2023. We can also assume that Betty Buckley, the film's announced star, plays the woman. The idea of a childhood apparition being real is not a new story. — "The Boogeyman" did it most recently — but an imaginary friend is usually perceived as a friendly creature, so this feels like a new take on the formula. Prepare to scare your inner child this winter.
Premiere: February 2, 2024
A Quiet Place: Day One
"A Quiet Place," the biggest horror film of 2018, out-grossed the indie hit "Hereditary" and legacy sequel "Halloween." "A Quiet Place Part II" proved almost as successful, and the franchise doesn't stop there. Writer/director John Krasinski announced a spin-off film, "A Quiet Place: Day One," which takes place in the same universe but depicts different characters. Directed by Michael Sarnoski, the film goes back to the very beginning of the alien invasion and unfolds in "the loudest city in the world, New York." Lupita Nyong'o plays the lead character, and the rest of the cast includes Joseph Quinn, "Hereditary's" Alex Wolff, Djimon Hounsou, and Denis O'Hare.
Krasinski unveiled a first look at CinemaCon in April. The sneak peek depicts Nyong'o 's character sleeping on a bus in the middle of a blackout. Suddenly, explosions are everywhere and the city's on fire. The residents of the city look up at the sky as white streaks appear above them, and the alien invasion begins. "Day One" isn't the last we'll see from Krasinski's series, as "A Quiet Place Part III" will arrive in 2025.
Premiere: March 8, 2024
Untitled Universal Monster Movie
Universal Studios is probably the most beloved creator of classic horror films, and it looks like we'll be getting a throwback to their heyday next year. Universal has announced a currently untitled monster movie, presumably based on one of their famous creatures, like Dracula or Frankenstein. It's produced by the filmmaking collective Radio Silence — the team behind "Ready or Not," "Scream," and "Scream VI," — and directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett.
We don't know anything about the plot yet, but the cast list looks impressive. The film stars Melissa Barrera, Alisha Weir, Dan Stevens, Kevin Durand, Kathryn Newton, Angus Cloud, Will Catlett, and Giancarlo Esposito.
There has been speculation about the monster in question, of course. The project's previous title? "Dracula's Daughter," the name of Universal's famous 1936 film. And many of the actors involved boast musical backgrounds. Could we be getting a musical remake? Or perhaps the initial title is just a red herring and we're being led astray. We'll find out for sure in the spring.
Premiere: April 19, 2024
The Watchers
2024 marks the debut of a director with a lot to live up to. Ishana Night Shyamalan, M. Night Shyamalan's daughter, will get a chance to show everyone what she's made of with her first film, "The Watchers." Dakota Fanning plays Mina, an artist who finds herself lost in a vast forest in Ireland. She locates a safe place to hide but she's not alone. Mysterious creatures stalk Mina and her three companions every night, trapping them in the wilderness.
Based on A.M. Shine's horror novel of the same name, Shyamalan Sr. is a producer on the movie under the Blinding Edge Pictures and Inimitable Pictures banners. The film remains in production thanks to a SAG-AFTRA waiver amid the strike. Though New Line Cinema jumped on board as a distributor, the deal has not been signed yet, meaning the project is still defined as an independent production.
"We couldn't be more excited to make Ishana's first film with 'The Watchers.' Equal parts visual, immersive, and terrifying, the script grips you from the first page and never lets go," says Richard Brener, president and chief creative officer at New Line Cinema.
Premiere: June 7, 2024
Horrorscope
Anna Halberg and Spenser Cohen's feature film debut takes a zeitgeisty topic and turns it on its head. Based on Nicholas Adams' 1992 novel of the same name, the movie follows a group of college friends who get a horoscope reading and then start dying in ways that seem connected to their celestial fates. It sounds a little like "Final Destination" with an astrological twist. The cast includes "Spider-Man's" Jacob Batalon, Alana Boden, Adain Bradley, Avantika, Humberly González, Wolfgang Novogratz, Larsen Thompson, and Olwen Fouéré.
Though this is Halberg and Cohen's first feature, they previously directed a horror short called "Blink" that premiered at South by Southwest in 2022. The film stars a pre-"Yellowjackets" Sophie Thatcher as a young woman who becomes paralyzed and can only communicate by blinking. Halberg and Cohen were hired to direct "Horrorscope" in part because of this earlier short.
Premiere: June 28, 2024
Trap
2024 will see the release of two films directed by a member of the Shyamalan family. Following his daughter's feature film debut, M. Night Shyamalan returns with his follow-up to 2023's "Knock at the Cabin." Earlier in the year, Shyamalan signed a multi-year first-look deal with Warner Bros., and "Trap" represents the first product of that deal. In classic Shyamalan style, details about the film are limited, though the director describes it as a "psychological thriller set at a concert."
Shyamalan famously hates any spoilers when it comes to his films, but he told NME "It's very unusual and very new compared to what I've been trying to do (recently), but I'm feeling very excited about the story, so much so that I can't wait to tell it to you guys." We'll have to wait until the summer to see what new twists and turns Shyamalan has in store for us.
Premiere: August 2, 2024
Speak No Evil
One of 2022's most shocking horror movies, the Danish film "Speak No Evil," premiered in the U.S. on Shudder. In typical Hollywood form, the film is getting the American remake just two years after the original. The original movie centers on two families – one Danish, one Dutch – who become friends while on vacation. When the Dutch family invites the Danish family to their house for the weekend, chaos ensues. The Dutch family is much more free-wheeling than their new Danish friends, and as misunderstandings and culture clashes pile up, things come to a horrific head.
The plot of the remake appears similar to the original, though it's likely the social context will shift considering the new setting. The Danish film hinges on the long-standing rivalry between the Danish and the Dutch, a specific history that may be hard to replicate.
Perhaps a great cast will save the film from forgettable remake territory. The remake stars James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Scoot McNairy, and young actor Alix West Lefler. James Watkins, best known for "Eden Lake" and "The Woman in Black," directed and co-wrote the movie.
Premiere: August 9, 2024
Alien: Romulus
"Alien" remains one of the most beloved horror/sci-fi franchises of all time, and any addition to the series will surely produce excitement and speculation. "Alien" fans looking for more may have their prayers answered in the summer of 2024, when a new film premieres. According to the Film & Television Industry Alliance, the film is currently titled "Alien: Romulus."
Plot details are being kept under wraps, but 20th Century Studios told Variety the film will focus on "a group of young people on a distant world, who find themselves in a confrontation with the most terrifying life form in the universe." Fede Álvarez, known for his films "Evil Dead" and "Don't Breathe," helms the project. 20th Century Studios' Steve Asbell told The Hollywood Reporter the studio took on the project "purely off the strength of Fede's pitch."
The cast includes Cailee Spaeny ("Mare of Easttown"), David Jonsson ("Industry"), Archie Renaux ("Shadow and Bone"), Isabela Merced ("Rosaline"), Spike Fearn ("The Batman") and Aileen Wu ("Away from Home"). No further details have emerged from the shoot apart from Álvarez's cheeky photo in celebration of Alien Day.
Premiere: August 16, 2024
Beetlejuice 2
Legacy sequels have become more and more common lately as studios continue to capitalize on our longing for the classics. Next up on the nostalgia train? A "Beetlejuice" sequel, which pulls up more than 35 years after the original. The 1988 film follows a family (Catherine O'Hara, Jeffrey Jones, Winona Ryder) who move into a home haunted by its previous residents (Geena Davis, Alec Baldwin). When a shifty spirit (Michael Keaton) becomes involved, things get whacky.
O'Hara, Ryder, and Keaton reprise their roles in the sequel alongside some new faces. In a brilliant casting move, Jenna Ortega portrays Ryder's daughter. (They shot some sort of wedding scene together in July.) Joining Ortega are Willem Dafoe, Justin Theroux, and Monica Bellucci, who plays Beetlejuice's wife.
The film is set for a September release, though the strikes could delay this date. Director Tim Burton told The Independent that filming halted with just two days left in the shoot, but that he hopes to resume as soon as they can. "I really enjoyed it," Burton said of making the sequel. "I tried to strip everything and go back to the basics of working with good people and actors and puppets. It was kind of like going back to why I liked making movies."
Premiere: September 6, 2024
Untitled Jordan Peele Film
Jordan Peele is the horror director of the moment, and his next film will no question be one of the year's most discussed films. We'd love to start discussing it now, in fact, but we know basically nothing about it apart from its Christmas release date– not its title, stars, or anything about the plot. This secrecy seems par for the course for Peele, who always keeps the details of his films hidden until the last minute. "Nope" was still a total mystery when Keke Palmer and Daniel Kaluuya were cast in the film.
This project falls under Universal's five-year deal with Peele's production company, Monkeypaw. Three films into it, Peele has been enormously successful in Hollywood. His first film, "Get Out," received four Oscar nominations (an unusual feat for a horror movie) and grossed $255 million at the worldwide box office. "Us" and "Nope" were both critical and commercial successes as well, and we have no doubt fans will flock to the theater to see this next film, regardless of the plot.
Premiere: December 25, 2024
Witchboard
The 1980s was a great decade for horror, filled with all things creepy, cheesy, gross, and hilarious. The 1980s is also a popular source for modern remakes, and horror movies are at the top of that list. The original "Witchboard" came out in 1986 and follows a college student who becomes possessed by a forgotten Ouija board. The remake, which stars Madison Iseman, Aaron Dominguez, Antonia Desplat, Charlie Tahan, and Jamie Campbell Bower, also centers on an Ouija board of sorts.
The film is set in one of the most supernaturally inclined cities in America – New Orleans. (The shoot took place in the spring and summer of 2023, and due to its independent status, SAG-AFTRA granted the film a waiver to keep the cameras rolling). Iseman plays Emily, a recovering addict who opens a cafe along with her fiancé Christian (Dominguez) and her group of friends. Emily comes across an old pendulum board that sends her into a dark spiral. They enlist the help of an occult expert, not knowing they are now connected to the board and a powerful group of witches who may put Emily and her friends in harm's way.
"Witchboard" director Chuck Russell knows all about sequels. Russell also directed "A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors," the 1988 remake "The Blob," and "The Scorpion King," though most moviegoers remember him best for "The Mask." As long as "Witchboard" avoids any terrible arachnid CGI, we could be in for a treat.
Premiere: 2024 TBD