“Morbius”
There’s going to be a Jared Leto-led vampire superhero movie whether we like it or not, so we might as well embrace it. Leto plays the titular Michael Morbius, a villain from Marvel’s ‘Spider-Man‘ comics who contracts vampirism after trying to cure his own rare blood disease. Swedish director Daniel Espinosa (“Life,” “Child 44”) and screenwriters Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless (“The Last Witch Hunter,” “Dracula Untold”), no strangers to pulpy subject matter, are sure to bring some solid mainstream horror energy to the film. This is another part of Sony’s plans for a larger Spider-Man cinematic universe, after the so-bad-it’s-fabulous “Venom,” so we’ll be fascinated to see how it does. At the very least, it’s not every day you see the superhero and horror genres get in bed together.
Release Date: Recently delayed to October 8.
“Old”
Though its plot is a mystery, we’d be insane to keep M. Night Shyamalan off this list. The thriller auteur’s next feature, “Old,” is the first film outside of his “Unbreakable” trilogy since 2015’s “The Visit.” The script, also by Shyamalan, is an adaptation of Frederik Peeters’ graphic novel “Sandcastle,” about a group of people trapped in a cove who suddenly realize they are growing older at a rapid pace. The film stars Gael García Bernal, Vicky Krieps, and Ken Leung, but we’re just as excited about its young talent: Thomasin McKenzie, “Hereditary” star Alex Wolff, and “Sharp Objects” scene-stealer Eliza Scanlen are in the cast as well. Shyamalan is notoriously hit or miss, with his last two features “Split” and “Glass” occupying opposite sides of the critical continuum, but this cast and premise have us dying – pun very much intended – to learn more.
Release Date: July 23
“A Quiet Place Part II”
John Krasinski rocked the box office with his debut feature, the inventive horror film “A Quiet Place.” Now, its hotly anticipated sequel, “A Quiet Place Part II,” is set to premiere this spring after being delayed a year due to the coronavirus pandemic. “Part II” takes place shortly after the events of the first film, as mother Evelyn (Emily Blunt) leads her children, Regan (Millicent Simmonds) and Marcus (Noah Jupe), through a world occupied by monsters after the destruction of their home and the death of their father (John Krasinski). Cillian Murphy (“28 Days Later”) and Djimon Hounsou (“Captain Marvel”) will join the cast as two mysterious outsiders. The first film was particularly notable for its use of ASL, a necessity both for the deaf Regan and for the family as they strove not to attract any of the noise-sensitive monsters. Those themes will continue in the second film as Regan takes on a bigger role. We can’t wait for this one to finally tiptoe into theaters.
Release Date: April 23
“Run Sweetheart Run”
One of several Blumhouse holdovers from 2020, “Run Sweetheart Run” is set to debut on Amazon Prime streaming later this year. The film, inspired by events from director Shana Feste’s own life, is a survive-the-night horror centered on a single mother who winds up on a treacherous blind date. Ella Balinska (“Charlie’s Angels”) stars as lead Cherie, with Pilou Asbæk (“Game of Thrones,” “Woodshock”) as her formidable foe. This marks a notable departure for Feste, who also wrote the script and is best known for films like “Boundaries” and “Country Strong.” With Blumhouse’s indie horror cred behind it and a provocative Sundance 2020 debut, this one could really go either way, but its premise, inspired by films like “Get Out” and “Rosemary’s Baby,” has us intrigued enough to tune in.
Release Date: TBD
“There’s Someone Inside Your House”
Netflix has been cornering the market on teen-friendly original content for years now, but they’ve yet to really go in on a straightforward teen scream. That’s about to change with “There’s Someone Inside Your House,” based on the novel of the same name by Stephanie Perkins. The film centers on a group of Nebraska high schoolers being stalked by a killer intent on revealing their secrets. With “Creep” and “Creep 2” director Patrick Brice at the helm and “Shazam!” writer Henry Gayden behind the script, this could really be one to look out for. Sydney Park (“The Walking Dead”) and Theodore Pellerin (“Never Rarely Sometimes Always,” “Boy Erased”) lead the cast.
Release Date: February, date TBA
“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”
Fede Álvarez is trying to pull a David Gordon Green by producing “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” a direct sequel to Tobe Hooper’s game-changing 1974 slasher of the same name. “Tejano” David Blue Garcia is set to direct a script by Chris Thomas Devlin (“Cobweb”), uniting two relative newcomers for their most ambitious project yet. What’s most exciting about this project, however, is that the cast is led by “Eighth Grade” star Elsie Fisher, who we would watch in a three-hour-long Peloton ad, much less a major horror homage. If the film, which is currently in post-production, wraps in time for its projected 2021 release, this could be her next live-action feature role after “Eighth Grade.” And what an incredible transition that would be.
Release Date: TBD
“The Vigil”
“The Vigil” wowed audiences at TIFF 2019. Told in both Yiddish and English, this chilling dybbuk tale follows a young man tasked with keeping vigil over a deceased member of his former Orthodox Jewish community, only to be hunted by a malevolent spirit. This marks Menashe Lustig’s return to the big screen after he stunned critics in Joshua Z. Weinstein’s 2017 drama “Menashe,” and a breakout role for Dave Davis. The two are backed up by a stellar cast of newcomers and character actors, including Fred Melamed and Lynn Cohen, and conveyed in stunning visuals from “The Eyes of My Mother” cinematographer Zach Kuperstein. We can’t wait to get our hands on this once it’s finally released in the U.S., courtesy of IFC Midnight.
Release Date: February 26
“Wendell and Wild”
It’s been twelve long, long years since Henry Selick brought his stop-motion animation genius to the big screen – he last left us with Laika’s first opus, “Coraline,” in 2009. This year, the “The Nightmare Before Christmas” director will finally return with “Wendell and Wild,” billed as a “stop-motion animated dark fantasy comedy horror film” co-written by and starring Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key. Key and Peele play two demon brothers facing off against a nun and her two teen goth henchmen. Produced in part under Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions, the film is slated for a release this year via Netflix, and will reunite Selick with “Coraline” composer Bruno Coulais for the score. Hopefully “Wendell and Wild” will also take a few Oscar-qualifying turns on the big screen, because it would be a shame to miss seeing all that painstaking handiwork up close.
Release Date: TBD
“Willy’s Wonderland”
One actor currently selecting some of the best roles of his career is, oddly enough, Nicolas Cage. In the last few years, he’s starred in “Color Out of Space” and “Mandy,” two genre-defying knockouts that perfectly showcased his oddball appeal. Now he’s set to star in the low-budget horror-comedy “Willy’s Wonderland” from the relatively unknown director Kevin Lewis, who hasn’t made a film in 15 years, and writer G.O. Parsons, whose only other screenwriting credit is an episode of “Shark Week.” (Yes, the TV documentary special about sharks.) The plot seems to borrow from the cult horror game “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” following a night-shift janitor as he and a group of teens try to survive the night in a family entertainment center overrun by evil animatronics. This could either go horribly wrong or be absolutely fantastic, and we can’t wait to find out which.
Release Date: February 12
