It’s Sunday, which means it’s time for the horror haul, our weekly round-up and one-stop-shop for all things horror. This week in horror we got all kinds of goods onAlien: Covenant, including two new trailers and a whole bunch of details from my set visit reports (see below). We also had some great coverage onGet Out, which continues to be a force, and early (middling) reviews forKong: Skull Island.
Elsewhere, it looks like the sequel toAndy Muschietti’sItmovie might already be gearing up for production, which would bode very well for New Line’s faith in the first film. We’ve also got the first details forSaw: Legacyand casting updates forGodzilla: King of the Monsters. Trailer-wise, this week brings the first look atDavid Fincher’s serial killer seriesMindhunter,GrudgecreatorShimizu Takashi’s Little Nightmares, andTom Holland’sRock Paper Dead.
For all the horror news we’ve already covered on the site, you’re able to click through the links below. Then, check out other genre highlights from the week and finish it all up with a rundown of the week in horror movie trailers. Thanks for tuning in, and sound off in the comments with your thoughts, questions, and other horror musings. And be sure to let me know how you’re liking Horror Haul so far!
INTERVIEWS:
‘Alien: Covenant’ Set Visit Reports Reveal Tons of New Info
Last summer, I checked off an ultimate bucket list item and visited the set of Alien: Covenant in Sydney, Australia where I stood on the bridge of a Juggernaut, came face to face with a Neomorph, and met Ridley Scott. It was grand. I also spoke with cast membersMichael Fassbender,Katherine Waterson,Billy Crudup,Demián Bichir,Tess Haubrich, andNathaniel Dean, as well as producerMark Huffam, special effects supervisorNeil Corbould, production designerChris Seagers, Creatures supervisorConor O’Sullivan, 2nd Creatures SupervisorAdam Johansen, Costume DesignerJanty Yates, and Associate Spacesuit Costume DesignerMichael Mooney.
Basically, I learned a whole bunch of shit and put it all together for your reading convenience. You can find the major stories in the links below, and stay tuned in the weeks to come as I continue to roll out the full interviews.
Is the Second Half of the New ‘It’ Filming This Month?
The first half ofAndy Muschietti’sItadaptation hasn’t even landed in theaters yet, but rumor has it the sequel may be rolling into production in a matter of days. According to a new update on the websiteMy Entertainment World, the sequel is set to start rolling on August 25, 2025 under the secret title Accordion with the following synopsis.
A promise made twenty-eight years ago calls seven adults to reunite in Derry, Massachusetts, where as teenagers they battled an evil creature that preyed on the city’s children. Unsure that their Losers Club had vanquished the creature all those years ago, the seven had vowed to return to Derry if IT should ever reappear.
I’ll take this with a grain of salt for now considering we haven’t even seen a trailer for the first installment yet, but the website has a pretty good track record for reliable intel and it’s certainly possible that early cuts of the film have given New Line a boost of confidence. Previously, it was assumed that the studio would wait to see of the first installment fared at the box office before pulling the trigger on the sequel.
Stephen King’s novel is split across the two timelines, interweaving the narrative of the children’s experience with the monstrous It and their adult counterparts twenty years later, but New Line’s feature adaptation split those narratives down the middle into two separate films. The first installment of It will introduceBill Skarsgardas Pennywise the child-murdering clown and the young members of the losers club played byJaeden Lieberher, Finn Wolfhard, Nicholas Hamilton, Jack Dylan Grazer, Wyatt Oleff, Chosen Jacobs, andJeremy Ray Taylor.In addition to Pennywise, there will be some creeptacular horror courtesy of creature performerJavier Botetas The Leper.
Itarrives In theaters July 01, 2025.
First ‘Saw: Legacy’ Details Emerge; Jigsaw Might Be Back
It’s weird that the hype machine hasn’t gone into overdrive yet for Saw: Legacy, the eighth installment in the iconic early 2000s horror franchise that’s set to land in theaters on October 37th. A full seven years after the Saw franchise seemingly came to an end with Saw 3D, Legacy is looking to put Saw back on the pop culture radar, but details have been scarce.
This week,Bloody Disgustingreported the first story details, including the nuggest that Tobin Bell will return as Jigsaw in some capacity (I’m thinking flashbacks. Just a shot in the dark.) Here are the story details from the report:
Saw: Legacywill begin with bodies turning up around the city, each having met a uniquely gruesome demise. As the investigation proceeds, evidence points to one man: John Kramer. But how can this be? The man known as Jigsaw has been dead for over a decade. Or has an apprentice picked up the mantle of Jigsaw, perhaps even someone inside the investigation?
BD also says that neitherCostas MandylornorCary Elwes, both of whom played Jigsaw’s apprentices, will return for the new film. The new cast includesMandela Van Peebles, Hannah Anderson, Laura Vandervoort, Brittany Allen, Callum Keith Rennie, Matt Passmore, Hannah Emily Anderson, Josiah Black, Shaquan Lewis, Michael Bolsvert,andJames Gomez..
‘Shin Godzilla’ Takes Home Top Prizes at the Japanese Academy Awards
I was a little rough onShin Godzillain my initial review (I gave it a C+), and I’ve since come around to appreciating the film for the sharp satire it is, even if I still feel a little deflated by the lack of monster moments. It’s a good movie and a clever reinvention of the Godzilla mythos. It feels good to get that off my chest. But who cares what some nerd thinks becauseShin Godzillajust won big at the 40th Japan Academy Prize. Toho’s reboot of the iconic franchise took home seven Academy Prizes, including a shared best director statue forHideaki AnnoandShinji Higuchiand the best picture prize.Shin Godzillabeat out the critically acclaimed hit animated featureYour Namefor the award. In addition to Picture of the Year and the director prize,Godzillaalso took home the following:
Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography thanks to Kousuke Yamada,
Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Direction with lighting director Takayuki Kawabe
Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction from the duo Yuji Hayashida and Eri Sakushima
Outstanding Achievement in Sound Recording by the pair Jun Nakamura and Haru Yamada
Outstanding Achievement in Film Editing by Hideaki Anno and Atsuki Sato
Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role from Hiroki Hasegawa
Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role with Satomi Ishihara and Mikako Ichikawa
Of course, that same academy also awarded best foreign film toSully, which means they looked at all the movies in the whole world and they pickedSully, so I don’t know how sound their judgment is. Anyway, congrats toShin Godzillaand I guessSully, which is fine.
‘The Wizard of Oz’ Is Going A Horror Makeover at New Line
Lions and tigers, and bears, oh my… god they’re eating his face!
New Line Cinema has acquired a pitch from Black List screenwriterMike Van Waesfor a horror movie set in the world ofThe Wizard of Oz. The project is in the early development stages, so details are scarce, but the plan is to tie into the universe created inL. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz about the intrepid dimension-hopping Dorothy and her teammates Lion, Tinman, and Scarecrow as they journey through Oz to see the Wonderful Wizard.
I can see how this would be cool and hugely appealing to a studio at the same time. It’s got that bonafide IP appeal and, in truth, there have always been shades of terror in Baum’s tales just beneath the wonder. Ask any kid who grew up watchingReturn to Oz. There’s no shortage of remakes and reimagining on Baum’s classic tale, so hopefully Waes has a singular vision to turn the lore into something new and frightening. Tarsem recently put his spin on Oz with the batshit bananas NBC seriesEmerald Cityto varying levels of success (the Dorothy/Scarecrow storyline was weak, but the larger world building was a blast). Then of course there are the musical reimaginingThe WizandWicked, both of which are fantastic, as well asSam Raimi’s less successfulOz the Great and Powerful.
Was also sold his original live-action/hybrid sci-fi filmHammerspaceto Warner Bros. on spec in 2015, as well as a book proposal calledPeevesto Harper Collins. The news comes in the midst of recent horror success at New Line, the Warner Bros. sister studio that has recently carved out a place for studio horror with The Conjuring franchise (including spinoffs Annabelle and The Nun), Lights Out, and the upcoming adaptation of Stephen King’s It. Any time a studio makes horror a priority, I’m happy, so I can’t wait to see what Waes and New Line cook up.
Vera Farmiga Joins ‘Godzilla 2’s Perfect Family
Hello, yes, I would like to be adopted by the family inGodzilla: King of the Monstersplease.Michael Dougherty’sGodzillasequel is piecing together the kind of family dreams are made of.Bates MotelandThe ConjuringstarVera Farmigahas joinedMille Bobbie Brown(Stranger Things) andKyle Chandler(Friday Night Lights) in the core cast. Farmiga will play Brown’s mother and Chandler will play her father. If the family unit inGodzillaleft a little something to be desired, we’re in good hands for the sequel, which was written by Dougherty and hisKrampuscowriterZach Shield, both of whom know a thing or two about writing a family in crisis. PerVariety, Ken Watanabe is likely to be the only cast member from the first film to return for the sequel.
Javier Botet Did Motion Capture for ‘Alien: Covenant’
If there’s one thing that was obvious on theAlien: Covenantset, it’s that they’re open to using every technological method available to bring the creatures to life on screen. From low-fi rigs like a bungee-cord Facehugger launcher, to animatronic rigs and CGI overlays, the creatures team wants their Aliens to look great and scare the shit out of you.
And they’ve hired the right guy to bring them to life with motion capture.Javier Botetconfirmed on his instagram that he has provided motion capture for the monsters in Ridley Scott’s latest return to his seminal horror franchise. Botet is best known for turning the titular character in Mama into pure nightmare fuel. He has also played The Crooked Man inThe Conjuring 2, the Medeiros Girl in[REC],and multiple ghost characters inGuillermo Del Toro’sCrimson Peak.
Trailer Trash: David Fincher’s Serial Killer Series ‘Mindhunter’; ‘Grudge’ Creator Has ‘Little Nightmares’
ALIEN: COVENANT (RED BAND)https://www.youtube.com/embed/sL2LWNtn3uY
Ridley Scott returns to the universe he created, with ALIEN: COVENANT, a new chapter in his groundbreaking ALIEN franchise. The crew of the colony ship Covenant, bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise, but is actually a dark, dangerous world. When they uncover a threat beyond their imagination, they must attempt a harrowing escape.
MINDHUNTERhttps://www.youtube.com/embed/LR3G1lWbnUU
MINDHUNTER will premiere globally on Netflix in October. MINDHUNTER features Jonathan Groff (Looking), Holt McCallanay (Sully), Anna Torv (Fringe) and Hannah Gross (Unless). The series is directed by David Fincher (Gone Girl, The Social Network, Zodiac), Asif Kapadia (Amy, Senna), Tobias Lindholm (A War, A Hijacking) and Andrew Douglas (The Amityville Horror, U Want Me 2 Kill Him?). Fincher, Joshua Donen (Gone Girl, The Quick and the Dead) Charlize Theron (Girlboss, Hatfields & McCoys) and Cean Chaffin (Gone Girl, Fight Club) are Executive Producers.
KONG: SKULL ISLANDhttps://www.youtube.com/embed/44LdLqgOpjo
The producers of Godzilla reimagine the origins of one the most powerful monster myths of all in “Kong: Skull Island,” from Warner Bros. Pictures, Legendary Pictures and Tencent Pictures. This compelling, original adventure from director Jordan Vogt-Roberts (“The Kings of Summer”) tells the story of a diverse team of scientists, soldiers and adventurers uniting to explore a mythical, uncharted island in the Pacific, as dangerous as it is beautiful. Cut off from everything they know, the team ventures into the domain of the mighty Kong, igniting the ultimate battle between man and nature. As their mission of discovery becomes one of survival, they must fight to escape a primal Eden in which humanity does not belong.
ROCK PAPER DEADhttps://www.youtube.com/embed/KO4lGCe5i9M
From the creators of Friday the 13th and Child’s Play! Rock Paper Dead is the story of serial killer, Peter “the Doll Maker” Harris. Peter returns to his ancestral family home after being released from the state’s hospital for the criminally insane after ten years - a “cured” man. Once inside the old house, anguished memories from a tortured childhood and ghostly visitations from his past victims shake Peter’s resolve. It isn’t until lovely young Ashley enters his life that Peter makes a fateful decision, a decision that will rekindle old desires that always ended in murder.
UNTOLD HORRORShttps://www.youtube.com/embed/P9R50Zo7gNA
What happened to David Cronenberg’s Frankenstein? Roger Avery’s legendary Phantasm script? The dozens of George A. Romero projects announced over the years that disappeared? Why couldn’t the combined powers of Guillermo del Toro, James Cameron and Tom Cruise create At the Mountains of Madness? Has there ever been an unmade film with more talent attached to it than The Creature From the Black Lagoon remake? Why did these passion projects die, and what killed them? Can any of them live again in some form or another? Untold Horror looks beyond the frustration and heartbreak, however, to celebrate the spirits of these projects, the passion in their creators’ hearts, and often the other projects – film or otherwise – that rose from the ashes. We ask not just the creators, but experts in the industry, studio decision makers and passionate fans if these buried movies could – or even should – rise again. We’ll even discover that, thanks to fervent fandom, some of them already are coming back to life.
LITTLE NIGHTMAREShttps://www.youtube.com/embed/2kAYXeTp9z0
A suburban town is shaken by a series of mysterious child disappearances, and suspicious adult deaths. A rumor begins to spread on the internet that any adult who suddenly encounters a returned “child” will die mysteriously three days later. Local newspaper reporter Shunya Ezaki (Daiki Arioka) refuses to believe that children are killing adults, and begins to investigate the truth behind the strange deaths. Who on earth is “Kodomo Tsukai”? And what kind of dark fate do the abducted children drag their adult victims toward?
SLASHER.COMhttps://www.youtube.com/embed/25CsQ5orLI8
At a time where online dating could prove fatal, Jack and Kristy decide they’re ready meet in person. Aiming for an adventurous first date, they plan a weekend getaway to the woodlands of rural Missouri. While discovering each other, they soon learn of the terrorizing horrors that the forest has in store.
KILLING GROUNDhttps://www.youtube.com/embed/z3_7xHbExnU
A camping trip turns into a frightening ordeal when they stumble across the scene of a horrific crime.
