The next chapter in The Conjuring Universe has taken a major step toward production, as New Line has officially cast the actors who will play young versions of famed paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. According to Deadline, Garrett Wareing (Ransom Canyon, The Long Walk) has been cast as Ed Warren, while Amanda Fix (Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen, Orphan Black: Echoes) will play Lorraine Warren in The Conjuring: First Communion, which is set to reach theaters on September 10, 2027.

Rodrigue Huart is directing the film from a screenplay by Richard Naing and Ian Goldberg, the writers behind The Conjuring: Last Rites. Franchise creators James Wan and Peter Safran are producing through Atomic Monster and The Safran Company, ensuring the horror series remains under the guidance of the team that helped turn it into one of the most successful genre franchises of all time.

While New Line hasn’t revealed any plot details, it’s clear that First Communion will explore an early chapter in the lives of Ed and Lorraine Warren, years before the events of 2013’s The Conjuring. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga famously portrayed the paranormal investigators across the previous films.

Wareing has a series regular role on Netflix’s Ransom Canyon, which debuted at #1 in the United States and has already been renewed for a second season. His credits also include Lionsgate’s adaptation of Stephen King’s The Long Walk, and appearances in Manifest and Independence Day: Resurgence.

Fix currently had a role in the Duffer Brothers’ Netflix series Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen. Previous credits include North of Normal, Daisy Jones & the Six, High School, and Orphan Black: Echoes, while her upcoming feature Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma recently premiered at Cannes.

The Conjuring: First Communion was announced last year as the next installment in the Conjuring Universe, with Huart being hired to direct after earning positive attention with his SXSW Midnight Short Jury Award-winning vampire short Transylvanie, along with the horror shorts Trigger and Real. Before landing this project, Huart had also been attached to direct Suffer Little Children, Paramount’s remake of the 1976 cult classic Who Can Kill a Child?

This casting announcement marks the biggest development on First Communion since the project was announced. Richard Naing and Ian Goldberg remain on board as screenwriters, while Wan, Peter Safran, Michael Clear, Judson Scott, Natalia Safran, John Rickard, and Romel Adam are producing and executive producing the film.

Although The Conjuring: Last Rites was promoted as the conclusion of the main Ed and Lorraine Warren storyline, its box office performance (it earned more than $487 million worldwide) showed that audiences still have a strong appetite for stories set within the Conjuring Universe. This remains the highest-grossing horror franchise of all time, having earned more than $2.7 billion worldwide. Alongside the success of the It films and Final Destination: Bloodlines, the franchise has helped re-establish New Line as one of Hollywood’s most reliable producers of theatrical horror, decades after they became known as The House That Freddy Built.

With Garrett Wareing and Amanda Fix now officially stepping into the roles of young Ed and Lorraine Warren, The Conjuring: First Communion has cleared one of its biggest hurdles as it heads toward its September 10, 2027 release.

What do you think of Garrett Wareing and Amanda Fix as the next Ed and Lorraine Warren? Let us know in the comments below.

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2026 marks the 40th anniversary of the release of writer/director Michael Mann’s classic serial killer thriller Manhunter, and Rialto Pictures is celebrating the occasion by bring a “new Mann-approved version designed to enhance the film’s depth, visual clarity, and sound” to theatres. This new version, called Manhunter: The Final Cut, will be reaching theatre screens in the United States on July 24th, with a UK release from StudioCanal following on September 25th.

You can see the trailer for the re-release above, and the film was screened in its restored form at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles last month. No news yet on exactly what was changed, but early reactions on social media say the changes were numerous but relatively small, with no major changes noted. At any rate, hopefully, both versions of the film will be presented when it hits 4K disc later this year because the theatrical cut is perfection (the later director’s cut was notoriously clunky).

What is Manhunter about?

Based on the novel Red Dragon by Thomas Harris, the film has the following synopsis: Will Graham, a former FBI profiler, comes out of retirement to track a vicious serial killer known as the “Tooth Fairy.” To catch him, Graham must risk his sanity by entering the killer’s mind—and seek help from the incarcerated cannibal, Dr. Hannibal Lecktor, the very monster who nearly killed him years before

William Petersen stars as Will Graham and is joined in the cast by Tom Noonan, Dennis Farina, Kim Greist, Joan Allen, and Stephen Lang, with Brian Cox as Hannibal Lecktor.

What has been said about The Final Cut?

IndieWire notes that “a new 4K scan of the original 35mm negative (with a few shots from an interpositive) was conformed and digitally restored at L’Immagine Ritrovata in Bologna. Both the theatrical version and the UHD HDR & SDR video color gradings were performed by Stefan Sonnenfeld at Company 3 in Los Angeles under Mann’s supervision. Sound restoration was done at Audio Mechanics from an original 35mm magnetic 6-track printmaster to release a new 5.1 mix by Luke Schwartzweller at Fox. Technical coordination and deliveries were managed by L’Immagine Ritrovata. The project was supervised by Becca Mann and StudioCanal’s Jean-Pierre Boiget and Delphine Roussel.”

Mann provided the following statement: “Forty years ago — though armed with Thomas Harris’ excellent novel, Red Dragon — its subject matter, the profiling of serial killers, as well as being shocking and raw, was unknown. When adapting, I wanted to make its storytelling deliver audiences into a certain state of threat and emotional engagement. Integral to that was the visualization and use of music with lyrics sometimes working like a libretto. If the picture was left the way it was, it would be interesting, but you’d feel some distance. You’d be observing it somewhat. I’m more interested in its original intent impacting you the same way it may have in 1986 … that is, to bring you into it again in the original way. We have carefully remastered the film to try to evoke that mood and intensity, heightened with audio sourced from the original 5.1 35mm analog masters. This latest iteration is that version of the film with which I’m most satisfied.“

Are you interested in seeing Manhunter: The Final Cut on the big screen? What do you think of Michael Mann tinkering with Manhunter for its 40th anniversary? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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After years of development and a behind-the-scenes shake-up that saw original showrunner Bryan Fuller replaced by Brad Caleb Kane, Crystal Lake is finally becoming a reality. Peacock has released the first teaser trailer for the highly anticipated Friday the 13th prequel series, along with a collection of first-look images featuring Linda Cardellini as Pamela Voorhees, the woman whose grief ultimately launched one of horror’s most iconic franchises.

The eight-episode A24-produced series premieres October 15, and if the teaser is any indication, Crystal Lake is leaning heavily into psychological horror while also unleashing the bloodshed fans expect from the franchise.

Crystal Lake tells Pamela Voorhees’ story before the original Friday the 13th

Rather than a retelling of the 1980 classic Friday the 13th, Crystal Lake explores what happened before the events of that film. The teaser indicates that the story picks up one year after the drowning of Jason Voorhees – which should mean that it takes place in 1958, but the show took the artistic liberty of shifting the setting forward into the ’70s “to touch on all the pop-culture artifacts that were tangential to the America from which these movies were born.“

Showrunner Brad Caleb Kane says the series examines Pamela’s emotional collapse after the loss of her son Jason, gradually building toward the events that horror fans already know.

“We wanted to dive into Pam’s psychology. We wanted to see her unraveling. … We wanted to see her relationship with Jason and what his death kicks off in her — her trying to find some sort of equilibrium in her life after the thing that ostensibly she lives for, her son, was taken away from her, and how all the people around her and the circumstances surrounding her make that impossible to do. So it’s really a character piece.”

Linda Cardellini says Pamela Voorhees was unlike any other role she has played

Cardellini admitted she was surprised to be approached for the series, since this is different from anything else she has ever done. Still, she was intrigued, because she is a horror fan – and because Pamela Voorhees has remained one of the franchise’s biggest mysteries, despite launching the entire saga.

“She’s an important piece of the puzzle, but a relatively unknown one.”

She also joked that returning to horror after 2019’s The Curse of La Llorona reminded her just how physically exhausting the genre can be, thanks to long nights of filming, practical effects, and getting covered in fake blood.

Although this is clearly an origin story, Kane has assured fans that Crystal Lake is still “100 percent” a slasher series at heart.

Crystal Lake release date and cast

Premieres: October 15
Streaming: Peacock
Studio: A24
Showrunner: Brad Caleb Kane

Cast includes:

• Linda Cardellini
• Callum Vinson
• William Catlett
• Devin Kessler
• Cameron Scoggins
• Nick Cordileone

Why Friday the 13th fans should be excited

Between the eerie teaser and Linda Cardellini’s transformation into Pamela Voorhees in the first official images of the character, Peacock has finally given horror fans a substantial look at what has become one of the most anticipated genre shows of the year. After years of legal complications left the franchise largely dormant, Crystal Lake aims to expand the mythology by telling the story that began long before Jason ever picked up a machete.

Watch the teaser trailer above, browse through the new images, and let us know what you think of Linda Cardellini’s Pamela Voorhees in the comments below.

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The moment many fans have been waiting years for has finally arrived, as it looks like Freddy Krueger may soon be returning to our dreams. Paramount Pictures has announced that it has acquired U.S. theatrical rights to develop a new A Nightmare on Elm Street movie based on Wes Craven’s original screenplay.

The project will be the first feature film for Paramount Primal, the studio’s newly named genre label led by producers J.D. Lifshitz and Raphael Margules. While plot details remain under wraps, Paramount says the untitled movie will be set within the world of A Nightmare on Elm Street and is considered a priority development project for the new label.

The rights were licensed from the Wes Craven estate, which includes Iya Labunka and Jonathan Craven. Iya Labunka, Marc Toberoff, and Jonathan Craven will produce the new film, while J.D. Lifshitz and Raphael Margules will executive produce for Paramount Primal.

Wes Craven’s Original Vision Returns

The announcement reveals that the film will be based on Wes Craven’s original screenplay. Craven created A Nightmare on Elm Street in 1984, introducing audiences to Freddy Krueger, one of the most iconic villains in horror history. The character’s ability to attack victims through their dreams helped redefine the slasher genre and turned Freddy into a pop culture phenomenon.

The franchise eventually expanded into multiple sequels, the crossover film Freddy vs. Jason, a 2010 remake, television projects, comic books, and video games. However, this new project marks an opportunity to revisit Craven’s original ideas while introducing the nightmare world to a new generation.

Paramount Primal’s First Major Project

The new A Nightmare on Elm Street movie will serve as the first project from Paramount Primal, a genre-focused label designed to produce smartly budgeted films across horror, comedy, action, and grounded science fiction. The label is led by J.D. Lifshitz and Raphael Margules, whose producing credits include:

• Barbarian
• Weapons
• Companion
• Friendship

The duo has become known for backing ambitious genre projects with strong filmmaker voices.

Wes Craven Estate Excited for the Next Chapter

In a statement, Iya Labunka expressed excitement about partnering with Paramount Primal and continuing Wes Craven’s legacy.

“Jonathan and I are so excited to be partnering with J.D. and Rafi along with the terrific team they’ve assembled at Paramount Primal. We look forward to bringing the world of Wes Craven’s Nightmare on Elm Street to a new and completely engaged generation of fans.”

Labunka added that Craven would have been thrilled to see horror’s continued rise in popularity and cultural influence.

Paramount Primal Wants to “Welcome Freddy Home”

J.D. Lifshitz and Raphael Margules also shared their enthusiasm for the project, saying:

“We can’t remember a time before we were fans of Wes Craven. The fact that Iya and Jonathan have entrusted us with this opportunity to help usher a new story into this world is an honor beyond words.”

They added,

“We look forward to working alongside them to bring a terrifying new nightmare to audiences everywhere—and to welcome Freddy home.”

What We Know About the New A Nightmare on Elm Street Movie

Title: Untitled A Nightmare on Elm Street project
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Genre Label: Paramount Primal
Based On: Wes Craven’s original screenplay
Release Date: Not announced
Director: Not announced
Cast: Not announced
Plot Details: Currently unknown

FAQ

Is a new A Nightmare on Elm Street movie happening?

Yes. Paramount Pictures is developing a new A Nightmare on Elm Street movie based on Wes Craven’s original screenplay.

Will Freddy Krueger appear in the new movie?

The project is set in the world of A Nightmare on Elm Street, but Paramount has not yet revealed specific plot details or confirmed Freddy Krueger’s involvement… but since this is based on Craven’s original script, we can be fairly certain that Freddy is returning.

Who owns the rights to A Nightmare on Elm Street?

The Wes Craven estate controls the rights involved in this new project, with Paramount licensing U.S. theatrical rights for the upcoming adaptation.

Who is producing the new Nightmare on Elm Street movie?

Iya Labunka, Marc Toberoff, and Jonathan Craven are producing the film. J.D. Lifshitz and Raphael Margules will executive produce.

What is Paramount Primal?

Paramount Primal is Paramount Pictures’ genre-focused label dedicated to producing smartly budgeted movies across horror, comedy, action, and science fiction.

When will the new A Nightmare on Elm Street movie be released?

No release date has been announced.

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Another legend has passed away, with the sad news being revealed this morning that the great Sam Neill has died at the age of 78. Best known for playing Dr. Alan Grant in the Jurassic Park films, Neill’s family confirmed the heartbreaking news on the actor’s Instagram page, writing, “It is with immense sadness that the whānau of Sam Neill share the news of his passing on Monday 13th July, in Sydney, Australia. Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life.”

Neill had battled cancer in recent years but had been declared cancer-free, making his passing all the more unexpected. His family added, “The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free. They would like to express their deepest gratitude to the staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital for their incredible care. More details will be shared later, but for now, on behalf of the family, we ask that you respect their privacy as they navigate this immeasurable loss.”

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Neill’s career—even outside the Jurassic Park films—was legendary. Born in Ireland but having moved to New Zealand at a young age, he first rose to fame in Roger Donaldson’s Kiwi classic Sleeping Dogs before appearing in Gillian Armstrong’s My Brilliant Career shortly afterward. The film became widely seen in the U.S. and Europe, paving his way to international stardom. He went on to star as the adult Damien Thorn in Omen III: The Final Conflict, as well as Andrzej Żuławski’s classic Possession. His success in the TV miniseries Reilly: Ace of Spies led to a screen test for James Bond around the time of The Living Daylights, but he truly hit his stride a few years later with roles in Dead Calm, The Hunt for Red October, The Piano, and Memoirs of an Invisible Man, which paved the way for him to be cast in Jurassic Park. He would reprise his role as Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park III and Jurassic World Dominion. He also delivered memorable performances in the horror classics Event Horizon and John Carpenter’s In the Mouth of Madness. More recently, he played the antagonist in the first two seasons of Peaky Blinders, starred in Netflix’s Untamed, and was also slated to appear in Godzilla x Kong: Supernova, which may ultimately prove to be his final role.

We here at JoBlo wish to express our deepest condolences to Sam Neill’s friends and family. He was an incredible actor and leading man who made everything he appeared in better, and he will be greatly missed.

The post Sam Neill, the legendary star of Jurassic Park, has died appeared first on JoBlo.

Tyler

Can we please stop with the shark movies?

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love shark movies, as they always hit a certain level of dumb fun. I will randomly throw on Deep Blue Sea or Jaws: The Revenge to have a good time. There’s just the right level of campiness, humor, and violence to really hit that entertainment sweet spot. Yet, we’ve still only just gotten the one good one (do I even need to say its name?).  And that was over 50 years ago! It’s simply not a sub-genre that is to be taken seriously. Which is where the main problem lies.

It feels like every other month, we’re getting a new shark movie. Under Paris. Deep Water. Thrash. Chum. And it’s not like any of them are particularly good. But their biggest sin is the fact that they end up taking themselves so seriously that they don’t seem to understand fun. Under Paris is about sharks invading a flooded Paris during a triathlon. That’s absurd! Yet the movie tries to make points about environmentalism and just comes across as corny. Thrash is simply Crawl with Sharks, only without the whimsical tone or likable characters. Yet even more keep on coming!

It feels like every other week, I’m getting some email about a new shark film, and I can’t help but roll my eyes. It doesn’t help that they all look like the same kind of films we’ve seen time and time again. We’ve got Kathryn Newton and Lana Condor running into a shark while cave diving in The Devil’s Mouth. Then there’s Antonio Banderas as a cartel leader, in a film that looks oddly like 47 Meters Down, with Above & Below. And the more I think about it, Devil’s Mouth has a very similar plot to 47 Meters Down: Uncaged. It’s all the same bullshit, each and every time. Shark stories are so limited, and it feels like we’ve done them all.

What I find so fascinating about these shark films is that it’s getting increasingly more difficult to get a film funded these days, and it’s certainly not cheap to do something with sharks. And when they do go cheap, it ends up meaning the FX are worse, which just makes the movie worse. It’s all diminishing returns. That hasn’t stopped them from being pumped out faster than any other subgenre these days. Hell, I feel like I see less slashers than I do shark films, which is insanity. Those can be made for peanuts!

And the shark mayhem doesn’t seem to be ending either.  Under Paris 2 is currently filming and is being directed by Alexandre Aja, and a Thrash 2 is very likely after the first film’s success on Netflix. Hell, even The Black Demon got a sequel that releases next year! But it’s not like they’re all having success, as Deep Water and Chum both bombed at the box office. And when so many are being released, it’s less likely for all of them to find success. The market is just too flooded.

I’m simply warn out. I can’t watch another movie where a poorly rendered shark takes out some one-dimensional character who can’t act their way out of a paper bag. Last year’s Dangerous Animals felt like we were finally getting a new kind of shark film. One that was well-made and treated the sharks in a more realistic light. Instead, we’ve reverted back to the early 2000s, and SyFy Originals are simply being replaced with Netflix Originals.

Are you as sick of shark films as I am? Are there any good ones I’m overlooking? Let us know in the comments!

Related

Awesome Art honors legendary summer blockbusters from Jaws to Top Gun

The post Enough Already: Hollywood Has a Shark Movie Problem appeared first on JoBlo.

Chris

This weekend sees the release of Evil Dead Burn, the sixth movie in the Evil Dead franchise. What began as a micro-budget movie shot by Sam Raimi with a bunch of friends has turned into one of the longest-lasting horror franchises, and despite Burn‘s weaker-than-expected box office take, it’s still going strong, with Evil Dead Wrath due in 2028. Yesterday, we posted our rankings of the entire series, including the spin-off series Ash vs Evil Dead, but now we want to know what YOU think!

The Evil Dead was a true grassroots, word-of-mouth hit. Completed in 1981, what arguably made its reputation was that, in 1982, it was allowed to screen out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival, where none other than Stephen King happened to be in attendance. He loved it, and his enthusiastic review became a huge part of the film’s marketing when it hit theaters in 1983. Yet, its $2.4 million gross—which was still impressive for a movie that only cost $375,000—was relatively modest in the U.S. Overseas, however, it was an unexpected blockbuster, earning $27 million. While generally considered the better movie overall, the sequel, Evil Dead 2, made only a fraction of that amount, but it was seen by the right people, allowing Raimi to break through with mainstream films like Darkman. As such, his follow-up, Army of Darkness, had a healthy budget, although fans noticed it was more of a comedic adventure movie with horror elements than a full-on horror film. Yet, it was the movie that made Bruce Campbell’s Ash Williams an icon.

In the years since Army of Darkness came out in 1993, the franchise has gone through some interesting reinventions. The first film was remade in 2013, and it was surprisingly well received, but it didn’t become a franchise. Instead, the TV sequel Ash vs Evil Dead happened, allowing Campbell to reprise his classic role for three seasons. Then, Campbell and Raimi opted to produce an Evil Dead sequel—albeit one not featuring Ash—called Evil Dead Rise, which became a major hit and launched a whole new era for the franchise. But everyone has their favorites, so now it’s your turn to let us know yours. For me, I’d say it’s got to be Army of Darkness, but I have a feeling this poll will be pretty tight between the first two films.

Here’s the poll:

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