Fantastic Fest, the United States’ largest genre film festival celebrating horror, sci-fi, fantasy and action cinema, has announced the 2025 lineup of features for its 20th anniversary edition, taking place Sep. 18-25 at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar in Austin, Texas.
This year’s festival will feature 78 feature films, from highly anticipated studio tentpoles to independent and emergent gems. The program will also include special events championing genre films and short film packages to be announced at a later date.
The festival is bookended by two world premieres. Opening night will show Paramount’s “Primate,” the original vacation-gone-wrong horror film directed by Johannes Roberts and starring Johnny Sequoyah and Troy Kotsur. The film will hit theaters Jan. 9, 2026. Closing night will show Independent Film Company and Shudder’s “Whistle,” a similarly gory feature directed by Corin Hardy of “The Nun.”
In between, the festival will host world premieres of Universal and Blumhouse’s “Black Phone 2,...
This year’s festival will feature 78 feature films, from highly anticipated studio tentpoles to independent and emergent gems. The program will also include special events championing genre films and short film packages to be announced at a later date.
The festival is bookended by two world premieres. Opening night will show Paramount’s “Primate,” the original vacation-gone-wrong horror film directed by Johannes Roberts and starring Johnny Sequoyah and Troy Kotsur. The film will hit theaters Jan. 9, 2026. Closing night will show Independent Film Company and Shudder’s “Whistle,” a similarly gory feature directed by Corin Hardy of “The Nun.”
In between, the festival will host world premieres of Universal and Blumhouse’s “Black Phone 2,...
- 8/14/2025
- by Andrew McGowan
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive:Production has wrapped in Detroit on Haunted Heist, the horror comedy starring Tiffany Haddish, Karlous Miller, and Andrew “King Bach” Bachelor that marks the second production from Terrifier franchise sales agent The Coven.
Lil Rel Howery directs the story of four estranged friends who reunite at a seemingly typical house. Unbeknownst to them, one friend intends to steal a valuable antique. However the place is haunted and the group must overcome their differences to survive a night of mischievous ghosts. Carl Reid wrote the screenplay and Howery also stars.
Haunted Heist is expected to be ready in time for Halloween season.
Lil Rel Howery directs the story of four estranged friends who reunite at a seemingly typical house. Unbeknownst to them, one friend intends to steal a valuable antique. However the place is haunted and the group must overcome their differences to survive a night of mischievous ghosts. Carl Reid wrote the screenplay and Howery also stars.
Haunted Heist is expected to be ready in time for Halloween season.
- 5/2/2025
- ScreenDaily
Lil Rel Howery (Get Out) will make his directorial debut with comedy-horror movie Haunted Heist, and Deadline brings us the project’s latest casting news this afternoon.
In addition to directing, Howery will also star alongside Tiffany Haddish.
The newly announced cast for Haunted Heist also includes Andrew ‘King Bach’ Bachelor (The Babysitter), Karlous Miller (Wild ‘N Out), Brett Gelman (Stranger Things), Ari Dayan (Entitled), Tony Baker (One of Them Days), and newcomer Tara Terry.
“Casting actors who also do stand-up comedy was so important to me. I believe some of our greatest actors come from the stand-up world whether they are doing comedy or dramatic roles and wanted to display that range in this movie to merge the world of horror and comedy,” Lil Rel Howery said in an official statement shared by Deadline this afternoon.
The film “follows four estranged friends who reunite at a seemingly typical house.
In addition to directing, Howery will also star alongside Tiffany Haddish.
The newly announced cast for Haunted Heist also includes Andrew ‘King Bach’ Bachelor (The Babysitter), Karlous Miller (Wild ‘N Out), Brett Gelman (Stranger Things), Ari Dayan (Entitled), Tony Baker (One of Them Days), and newcomer Tara Terry.
“Casting actors who also do stand-up comedy was so important to me. I believe some of our greatest actors come from the stand-up world whether they are doing comedy or dramatic roles and wanted to display that range in this movie to merge the world of horror and comedy,” Lil Rel Howery said in an official statement shared by Deadline this afternoon.
The film “follows four estranged friends who reunite at a seemingly typical house.
- 3/28/2025
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Exclusive: Horror-comedy Haunted Heist, which is set to star Lil Rel Howery (Get Out) and Tiffany Haddish (Girls Trip), has added Andrew ‘King Bach’ Bachelor (The Babysitter), Karlous Miller (Wild ‘N Out), Brett Gelman (Stranger Things), Ari Dayan (Entitled), Tony Baker (One of Them Days), and newcomer Tara Terry.
Currently in pre-production, Haunted Heist will mark the directorial debut of Howery. The screenplay, written by Carl Reid (Mr. Crocket), follows four estranged friends who reunite at a seemingly typical house. Unbeknownst to them, one friend intends to rob the place, seeking a valuable antique. However, the house is haunted, and the group must confront their differences to survive the night against a host of mischievous ghosts.
Pic is being produced by Sean King O’Grady (I Love My Dad), Josh Feldman and Jesse Ford (Mr. Crocket), and Lil Rel Howery. Executive producers include Feras M. Shammami, Priscilla Ross Smith, and Kendall Anlian.
Currently in pre-production, Haunted Heist will mark the directorial debut of Howery. The screenplay, written by Carl Reid (Mr. Crocket), follows four estranged friends who reunite at a seemingly typical house. Unbeknownst to them, one friend intends to rob the place, seeking a valuable antique. However, the house is haunted, and the group must confront their differences to survive the night against a host of mischievous ghosts.
Pic is being produced by Sean King O’Grady (I Love My Dad), Josh Feldman and Jesse Ford (Mr. Crocket), and Lil Rel Howery. Executive producers include Feras M. Shammami, Priscilla Ross Smith, and Kendall Anlian.
- 3/28/2025
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Smile star Sosie Bacon is set to lead R-rated comedy-horror, Brett, which Terrifier 3 sales firm The Coven will commence sales on at this week’s European Film Market in Berlin.
The film follows Abby (Bacon), who returns home with her new fiancé and stumbles upon her cherished childhood ‘Brett’ doll. The doll suddenly awakens and professes his undying love for Abby and intends to prove that he can get all the…parts…of a real boy and win Abby back from her fiancé.
Shane Mack penned the script and will direct. A veteran screenwriter, his Black List scripts include 2020 film Coffee & Kareem. Producer is Louise Runge (Captain Fantastic).
The movie is described by Priscilla Ross Smith of France-based The Coven as “a little bit Ted, a little bit M3GAN…an instant Saturday night must-see.”
“We’re thrilled to bring this deliciously scandalous film to our buyers,” added Kendall Anlian of The Coven.
The film follows Abby (Bacon), who returns home with her new fiancé and stumbles upon her cherished childhood ‘Brett’ doll. The doll suddenly awakens and professes his undying love for Abby and intends to prove that he can get all the…parts…of a real boy and win Abby back from her fiancé.
Shane Mack penned the script and will direct. A veteran screenwriter, his Black List scripts include 2020 film Coffee & Kareem. Producer is Louise Runge (Captain Fantastic).
The movie is described by Priscilla Ross Smith of France-based The Coven as “a little bit Ted, a little bit M3GAN…an instant Saturday night must-see.”
“We’re thrilled to bring this deliciously scandalous film to our buyers,” added Kendall Anlian of The Coven.
- 2/12/2025
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
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