Writer Jen D’Angelo got her start working on episodes of shows Workaholics, Cougar Town, and Young Rock, and recently she was on a streak of successfully getting her feature scripts brought to the screen. She wrote the long-awaited sequel Hocus Pocus 2, the time travel slasher Totally Killer, and the comedy Quiz Lady – but a project that has been slowing her down is Hocus Pocus 3, which she has been attached to for a couple of years now. Following the success of Hocus Pocus 2, it’s been surprising to see that Hocus Pocus 3 is taking so long to make it into production, even with Bette Midler urging the studio to take action. During an appearance on Andy Cohen’s Watch What Happens Live! a few months ago, Sarah Jessica Parker simply said they’ve “been having some conversations” about the next sequel – but now it sounds like there’s been some progress, as Midler has revealed that she has read the script!

UPDATE: Several months have passed since Midler read the script, but Deadline has now been able to confirm that “Hocus Pocus 3 is officially in early development from Disney Live Action Studios, with the trio of stars, Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy, returning to reprise their roles as the Sanderson sisters. We understand there are plans for a theatrical distribution component this time around, following the success of the straight-to-streaming Hocus Pocus 2, available exclusively on Disney+. However, the studio declined to comment as the project is still in its infancy. EVP of Production Jessica Virtue will be overseeing the project on behalf of Disney Live Action.”

The original article, first published in October 2025, follows:

Midler’s revelation came on, what do you know, another episode of Andy Cohen’s Watch What Happens Live! Andy Cohen interviews are the source for all Hocus Pocus 3 news bites, apparently. Midler told Cohen, “They sent a script, and a lot of it was brilliant. So I got very excited, and now we’re sort of, like, trying to figure out what it is and how it’s going– where it’s going to be and how much it’s going to cost and all those logistical things.“

The original cult favorite Hocus Pocus was released in 1993. Directed by Kenny Ortega from a screenplay credited to Mick Garris and Neil Cuthbert (and based on story Garris crafted with David Kirschner), that film was about a trio of witch sisters who have been cursed since 1693. The fearsome threesome is inadvertently resurrected 300 years later by a boy whose family has moved from Los Angeles to Salem. As they attempt to acclimate to the 20th century, they are horrified to discover that Halloween has become a holiday. Fans had to wait 29 years for Hocus Pocus 2. That sequel saw Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy reprising the roles of the Sanderson Sisters. The film has the following synopsis: Picking up 29 years after a teen named Max lit the Black Flame Candle and resurrected the three 17th-century child-essence-stealing sorceresses, Winifred (Midler), Sarah (Parker), and Mary (Najimy) are now looking for revenge. With the Sanderson Sisters back to terrorize Salem, it’s up to three high school students to stop them. How do you do that? By summoning the wrath of an enchantress, of course.

Are you glad to hear that Bette Midler has read the Hocus Pocus 3 script and it sounds like progress is being made? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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PLOT: Johnny Cage (Karl Urban), a washed-up action hero from the nineties, is chosen to join the champions of Earthrealm as they try to win a tournament against the evil Shao Kahn who, if he wins, will become Earth’s new merciless ruler.

REVIEW: 2021’s Mortal Kombat was a movie I liked more in theory than execution. As someone who grew up with the games, as well as the nineties movies (for both better and worse), I liked the fact that it was being made as a large-scale feature with an R-rating, but the finished film just didn’t do much for me. While many classic characters made their way into the movie, none of them had much personality, and the film was surprisingly dull and by-the-numbers — although it was a significant box office hit despite its simultaneous HBO Max release. Ask any fan, though, and they’ll tell you exactly what the movie was missing — Johnny Cage.

Thankfully, the same creative team who made the first one, including director Simon McQuoid, has taken the opportunity to improve things, namely by introducing the character we all wanted to see the first time around, with Karl Urban well cast as Johnny Cage. Despite not being a martial artist, Urban has the personality needed for a film like this, with him bringing his chops and some much-needed attitude to a movie that — while still far from perfect — is a lot of fun. Like the first, it’s unapologetically R-rated, with lots of gore and F-bombs.

You probably don’t even need to have seen the first movie to get into the sequel, as many of the characters who were prominent previously have been sidelined. Most notably, this is true of Lewis Tan’s Cole Young, a controversial addition to the franchise, who was the lead in the last film but has a minor role this time. Other actors return, including Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade, Mehcad Brooks as Jax, Tadanobu Asano as Raiden, and Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, and while they’re around for much of the film, they support the movie’s two leads — Johnny and Adeline Rudolph, who plays Kitana.

In this sequel, Kitana is the daughter of a fallen king who has become Shao Kahn’s adopted daughter, but she is secretly allied with Earthrealm and looking to end his reign of terror. It’s really her and Cage’s respective journeys that take up much of the running time. At some point, Josh Lawson is also brought back into the story as Kano to liven things up a bit, with him being a fan favorite from the first movie. Hiroyuki Sanada, whose profile in the West has risen significantly since Shogun, also returns as Scorpion. It takes some time for him to show up, but he plays an important part in the last act.

As for the action — because it’s a video game adaptation, it can be forgiven for relying so significantly on VFX and wire work. Mortal Kombat isn’t Bloodsport — it’s fantasy, so the fact that Karl Urban may not be a real martial artist doesn’t really matter, with a lot of the moves Johnny Cage pulls off (being right from the game) not being in the realm of human ability. You either go with the fantastical vibe or you don’t. The fights are fine, but — and this is my main gripe with the movie — none of them stand out in a huge way. Johnny has a fun fight with Baraka, and there’s a cool match between Liu Kang and Kung Lao, but none of them really impress. I suppose we’ve been spoiled by too many great fight scenes in recent years, but part of me yearns for the comparatively simple fights from the first Paul W.S. Anderson Mortal Kombat movie, whose budget probably wouldn’t pay for the catering on this one.

As is the trend these days, Mortal Kombat II is getting an IMAX release, but to me this isn’t one of the movies that really benefits from the format. It does expand to the IMAX aspect ratio quite often, but in an irregular, distracting way. During the build-up to the Johnny/Baraka fight, the aspect ratio opens up in a dramatic way, only to immediately revert back in the next shot. I also saw this fight scene in the conventional format at CinemaCon, and I found it came off better that way — so this is a rare occasion where a trip to the IMAX screen may not really be worth it.

While Mortal Kombat II isn’t quite the knockout follow-up some of us might have been hoping for, it does improve on the last film, and is night and day compared to the last time we got a Mortal Kombat II in theaters (folks of my generation can remember feeling ripped off when we saw Mortal Kombat: Annihilation). Karl Urban gets a great showcase here, and even if you can’t help but feel the action could have been a bit more memorable, I had a fun time watching it.

The post Mortal Kombat II Review: A lot better than the last movie appeared first on JoBlo.

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It’s pretty hard for a film to truly scare me nowadays. Most of what passes for horror leans on the old “loud noise = scare” formula, and it doesn’t cut very deep. With the exception of Hereditary and maybe The Witch, there hasn’t been a film to dig deep enough to get under my skin since The Blair Witch Project. I’m always chasing that feeling again…

It wasn’t always like this.

There were plenty of sleepless nights back in the day, nights spent staring into the dark, wondering why my dad and brother thought it was a good idea to drag me to movies that would emotionally destroy me. We laugh about it now… but if I ever snap and unleash some deeply buried evil from my scarred imagination, you’ll know exactly who to blame.

Editorial Note

This list reflects real childhood horror experiences shared by the JoBlo team, based on theatrical viewings and early home video exposure from the late 1970s through the early 2000s. While the perspective is personal, the impact of these scenes is widely recognized among horror fans.

How These Moments Were Selected

These scenes were chosen based on:

• First-time childhood exposure impact
• Long-term psychological effect
• Cultural recognition within horror cinema
• Effectiveness without reliance on modern jump-scare techniques

10. The Clown – Poltergeist (1982)

Type of Fear: Childhood insecurity / supernatural
Scare Style: Slow build to sudden attack

A supernatural horror classic produced by Steven Spielberg, Poltergeist lures you in with wonder before wrecking your sense of safety.

A new movie from the guy that did Raiders of the Lost Ark and E.T.? You bet I want to see it, Dad!

Big mistake.

What happened next will stay with those of us who saw it forever. The moment Robbie (Oliver Robins) looks back at that chair and the clown is gone, I’m not afraid to admit I peed a little. Everything went blank. “Where is that clown? Don’t look under the bed, idiot. It’s behind you!” As the credits rolled and I finally had time to wipe the tears off my face, I remember seeing a kid sitting in front that was younger than me. I’m pretty sure he had swallowed his tongue and his ears were bleeding and all I could think was, “What a pussy.”

9. Grave Grab – Carrie (1976)

Type of Fear: Shock / false safety
Scare Style: Final jump scare

Directed by Brian De Palma, Carrie is a psychological horror film that builds tension before delivering one of the most infamous final scares ever filmed.

This has to be the closest I’ve come to dying. When that hand pops out of the grave, I swear my heart stopped for a couple of days. I was probably around five when I watched this on TV because I remember telling kids in my kindergarten class about it the next day. I wonder what my show and tell presentations were like back then.

“…. and this is my bucket of pig blood.”

8. Card Play – The Evil Dead (1981)

Type of Fear: Chaos horror / possession
Scare Style: Escalating insanity

Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead is relentless, blending supernatural horror with pure chaos.

My tiny brain felt like it was on fire as I watched a woman who just got attacked by a tree start to float around the living room and issue random death threats. And then the pencil to the ankle. Mother of God, how do you bring a seven year old in a theatre to see something like this? I can’t believe my other personalities haven’t made an appearance here yet.

7. He Ain’t Dead – Halloween (1978)

Type of Fear: Stalker / unstoppable force
Scare Style: Subtle visual reveal

John Carpenter’s Halloween defined the slasher genre with its minimalist approach to terror.

I’m pretty sure the first time I saw this was on TV, so some of the scares were sure to be toned down. It didn’t matter for this moment, though. The single creepiest movement of all time boxed within a perfect angle and it takes place just around the time you thought it was safe to breathe again. Michael Myers is the greatest villain of all time, and this is the moment he got my vote.

6. Zelda – Pet Sematary (1989)

Type of Fear: Physical deformity / psychological trauma
Scare Style: Lingering dread

Based on Stephen King’s novel, the Mary Lambert film Pet Sematary taps into grief and fear of death, but Zelda is something else entirely.

Compared to all the other films on this list, being fifteen years old for this one seems old enough to deal. That’s what I thought, too. Until Zelda came creeping into my life. Couple her with Gage, the cutest undead child in the history of film, and I had a few issues to deal with years after. Hearing Zelda call for Rachel every night as I lay in bed was (is) just one of them.

5. Chest Pains – Alien (1979)

Type of Fear: Body horror
Scare Style: Sudden eruption

Ridley Scott’s Alien blends science fiction with horror, creating one of the most shocking scenes in cinema history.

You did not want to be at our dinner table the night after I saw this. Too young to understand that the alien was implanted, I thought it was something he ate. The very same thing my mom was serving that next night. Convinced there was an alien egg hidden somewhere on my plate, I studied each bite like it might be my last. The slightest hint of heartburn and it was over for me. By the time dessert came, I was so nervous, I think I asked my mom to kill me.

4. Living Dead Girls – The Shining (1980)

Type of Fear: Psychological / uncanny imagery
Scare Style: Visual imprint

Stanley Kubrick’s take on Stephen King’s The Shining thrives on atmosphere and deeply unsettling imagery.

I had enough problems with creepy little girls in ’80 stealing my lunch money and beating my ass at recess. What I didn’t need was these girls and their none-too-subtle images of axe-death. To cap it off, Danny (Danny Lloyd) forgets about rocking his Big Wheel and starts having a conversation with his finger. How did I make it through all this before puberty?

3. Dream On – An American Werewolf in London (1981)

Type of Fear: Dream invasion / transformation
Scare Style: False security to shock

John Landis’ horror-comedy is famous for its transformation scene, but the dream sequences hit even harder.

I remember sitting in the theatre watching this like it was yesterday. The part that did the most damage was not the famous “monster death squad” scene, but another dream sequence. As David (David Naughton) runs through the forest and stumbles upon himself in a hospital bed, I had a very bad feeling about this so, I covered my ears and closed my eyes so I might miss the impending doom. My dad, however, noticed my arms over my head and slapped them down. Worried about the people behind me, he told me to quit screwing around and watch the movie. So I did, and just as I looked back at the screen with teary eyes, the image above is what I saw…

2. Norris – The Thing (1982)

Type of Fear: Body horror / paranoia
Scare Style: Sudden grotesque transformation

John Carpenter’s The Thing is a masterclass in paranoia and practical effects.

How great is that scene where an attempt to help a heart attack victim with a defibrillator turns into a monster spectacle? Now imagine that you’re eight-years-old and have to try and sleep at night in a bedroom where every shadow looks exactly like giant spiders with human heads. Are you starting to get the point here? I wonder if I’ve ever killed a babysitter or something.

1. A Bigger Boat – Jaws (1975)

Type of Fear: Fear of the unknown / lurking danger
Scare Style: Delayed reveal

Steven Spielberg’s Jaws redefined blockbuster filmmaking and permanently altered how audiences viewed the water.

I don’t remember exactly how old I was when I actually saw this movie, but it was young enough to instill a fear of waterbeds. Seriously. It’s almost cruel how Spielberg hides the shark for the majority of the film and then slaps you in the face with him when you least expect it. I can honestly say I’ve never thrown bloody fish entrails off the side of a boat because of this scene. And God knows I’ve wanted to.

Honourable Mention: Floaty Kid – Salem’s Lot (1979)

Type of Fear: Supernatural / home invasion
Scare Style: Quiet dread

Even as a TV movie, Tobe Hooper’s adaptation of Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot delivered nightmare fuel that stuck for decades.

I usually don’t include TV movies in these articles, but this was just too unforgettable to leave off. Here’s my question though, where was my mom? If this was on TV, and I was five years old, where was my mom? It’s not like they rolled this thing out on a Saturday morning between G.I. Joe and Thundercats; this was some hardcore horror back in the day. To this day, if I ever heard someone scratching at my window at night, I’d shit my bed and force myself into a coma.

Why These Scenes Still Matter

These moments didn’t just scare audiences, they helped define how horror works. They rely on:

• Atmosphere over noise
• Unpredictability over formula
• Psychological impact over cheap thrills

And most importantly, they all share one trait: They make the familiar feel dangerous.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the scariest movie moments for kids?

The scariest moments are the ones that invade familiar spaces and strike without warning. Scenes from Poltergeist and Alien are effective because they turn normal environments into threats.

Why do movies feel scarier as a child?

Children are more likely to see what’s happening on screen as possible. Without familiarity with horror tropes, everything feels real and unpredictable.

What makes a horror scene stick long-term?

Scenes that introduce new fears, disrupt safety, and use strong visual imagery tend to stay with viewers for years.

Are older horror movies scarier than modern ones?

Older films often rely on suspense and atmosphere rather than jump scares, which can create longer-lasting fear.

Why do certain scenes traumatize kids?

Because they combine shock, realism, and emotional vulnerability at a time when viewers aren’t prepared to process them.

Do childhood horror experiences affect you later in life?

Yes. They can shape long-term fears, increase tolerance for horror, and influence what types of scares remain effective.

Updated for 2026

This list has been revisited years after it was first written, but these childhood nightmares still hold up and probably always will.

Originally written by Jim Law and revised by Cody Hamman

The post 10 Scary Movie Moments That Traumatized Us As Kids appeared first on JoBlo.

The 30th edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival is set to run from from July 16th through August 2nd at the Concordia Hall and J.A. de Sève cinemas in Montreal, with additional screenings and events at Cinéma du Musée – and the festival has announced the first wave of titles that will be screening there this year! The full line-up will be announced in July, but for here’s a sample of what attendees can expect to see there, with the information coming directly from the Fantasia press release:

SURVEILLANCE AND MURDER IN A FUTURE SOCIETY RULED BY SENTIENT AI – AGNIESZKA SMOCZYŃSKA’S HOT SPOT

In a near future society ruled by sentient A.I., a private eye investigates a murder case only to discover a rebel group capable of undermining the digital overlord. A singular, provocative and aesthetically stunning new work from celebrated Polish visionary Agnieszka Smoczyńska (THE LURE – Fantasia 2016, THE SILENT TWINS, FUGUE), starring Andrzej Konopka (THE THAW, THE LURE), Noomi Rapace (PROMETHEUS, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO), and Reika Kirishima (DRIVE MY CAR, NORWEGIAN WOOD). Produced by Bogna Szewczyk-Skupień (LAMB, MR. JONES), Klaudia Śmieja-Rostworowska (THE BRUTALIST, HIGH LIFE), and Gregory Jankilevitsch (THE TESTAMENT OF ANN LEE, BETTER MAN). Cheval Noir Competition. World Premiere. 

JENN WEXLER RESURRECTS EVERYONE’S FAVORITE TROUBLEMAKER TO CRUSH THE FOURTH REICH IN THE LAST TEMPTATION OF BECKY

Fantasia’s family of returning filmmakers is large, and proudly includes director/producer powerhouse, Jenn Wexler. Her breakout debut, THE RANGER, came to Fantasia in 2018 and was followed by the World Premiere of her supernatural Christmas crime heist, THE SACRIFICE GAME, in 2023. For Fantasia’s 30th anniversary, the fest couldn’t be happier to have her back with the next chapter of the popular BECKY franchise, THE LAST TEMPTATION OF BECKY!

Becky Hooper (Lulu Wilson, THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE) has annihilated Neo-Nazis and all manner of victimizers, but this time, she’s going straight to the source! Now a CIA agent, managed by genre favorite Kate Siegel (HUSH, MIDNIGHT MASS), she’s taking down a nefarious modern-day Nazi played with camp brilliance by the one and only Neil Patrick Harris (SUNNY DANCER, GONE GIRL)! Wexler shines here, highlighting the underdog heroine and going for broke with tons of gore and crazy kills. Meanwhile, Wilson reprises her beloved character with gusto, unleashing Becky’s signature rage on an army of insane baddies! World Premiere.

MAKOTO UEDA’S DEBUT FEATURE YOU ARE THE FILM TAKES A DIFFERENT PATH OF PLAYING WITH TIME

Fantasia’s go-to time-travel screenwriter, Makoto Ueda (BEYOND THE INFINITE TWO MINUTES, Fantasia 2021; RIVER, Fantasia 2023; and REWRITE, Fantasia 2025) steps behind the camera for his debut feature, YOU ARE THE FILM, once again exploring time in an inventive way, and with a surprising twist. Separated by three kilometers – a 45-minute walk – how can Madoka and Kazuma watch, interact with, and guide each other on a cinema screen in real time? Featuring familiar faces such as Marika Ito (IT’S A SUMMER FILM!), Kai Inowaki (THE FABLE), Riko Fujitani (RIVER), and Oshirō Maeda (REWRITE), YOU ARE THE FILM offers a singularly chaotic and fascinating cinematic journey. Grab some popcorn, and enjoy this winner of both the Audience Award and White Raven Award at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival in striking real-time! North American Premiere.

NO REST FOR THE WICKED BRINGS BOLD NEW VISIONS TO VAMPIRE LORE

A young fisherman’s first love with a stranded whaler unfolds in secrecy under the pressures of family, faith, and community in this haunting and subversive Queer vampire film with chilling folk horror flavors. Singular in scope and depth, Kasper Kalle’s NO REST FOR THE WICKED is a vivid new landmark in Danish genre cinema that brings imaginatively radical and nightmarish new elements into the vampire lore.

Adapted from Karl Heinrich Ulrichs’s iconic1884 novella “Manor”, the film is set against the harsh, unforgiving landscape of the 19th-century Faroe Islands. Its stark, yet dreamy, uncanny atmosphere recalls the work of Carl Theodor Dreyer or even Robert Eggers, while its full-blooded heart is just as much an ode to the painful longings of Gothic romance as it is to the genre’s cruelties and horrors. Anchored by a remarkable lead performance from screen newcomer Egor Venned, it co-stars Pilou Asbæk (LUCY, GAME OF THRONES, A HIJACKING, AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM) alongside strong performances from Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson (CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD, SUCCESSION, VIKINGS: VALHALLA), and Sofia Nolsøe (LIMBO, MØRKELAND). Cheval Noir Competition. World Premiere. 

THE EYES IS A DISORIENTING SENSORY EXPERIENCE WITH A FRESH TAKE ON A CLASSIC OF THE GENRE

A year after being brutally attacked by a former boyfriend who had become obsessed with her, Seo-jin remains traumatized. Suffering from hereditary, degenerative blindness, her efforts to secure a corneal transplant are interrupted by the apparent suicide of her twin sister, just as her attacker is released from prison. Convinced it was murder, Seo-jin sets out to find the culprit before she loses her sight completely.

With his remake, or rather reinterpretation, of the Spanish thriller JULIA’S EYES, director Yeom Ji-oh (NEXT DOOR) draws on all his creativity by skillfully employing cinematography that varies perspectives and depths of field. The results are deliberately disorienting sequences with exceptional dynamism, which fully immerse the viewer. THE EYES is a thriller with horror undertones that offers a breathless sensory experience with numerous stunning twists. The fabulous Shin Min-a (A BITTERSWEET LIFE) delivers a dual performance of unprecedented intensity – one of the finest of her career – and is joined by the excellent Kim Nam-hee, of the popular TV series MR. SUNSHINE. Cheval Noir Competition. North American Premiere.

A DARKLY PRESCIENT FABLE OF AUTONOMY AND CONTROL: HOME BODIES

It’s been over a decade since director Casey Walker last visited Fantasia’s hallowed halls. In 2012, his horror/comedy A LITTLE BIT ZOMBIE lit up Montreal – and in the years since, he’s produced Canadian landmarks THE VOID and IN A VIOLENT NATURE. Now, for Fantasia’s 30th anniversary, Walker returns with HOME BODIES, a surreal sci-fi thriller built to rattle audiences. Twins Red and Blue (Emma and Ian Ho, THE EXPANSE) exist in isolation, governed by Papa, a voice behind a door dispensing food, shelter, and law. When the androgynous Pal (Ess Hödlmoser, THE BOYS, STATION ELEVEN) arrives, their world fractures.

Echoing PIN and CUBE, HOME BODIES is a darkly prescient fable of autonomy and control. Produced by the powerhouse team of Walker and Karen Harnisch (INFINITY POOL, FIRESTARTER), and featuring executive producers Todd Brown (MANDY, IN FLAMES) and Chad Archibald (whose UNDERTONE became a smash Canadian horror hit), HOME BODIES is a dire warning dressed as a bedtime story. Septentrion Shadows Section. World Premiere.

SOUR MINNOWS IS COMING TO WARP YOUR SENSES

Harrison Atkins’ hotly anticipated second feature following his 2015 classic LACE CRATER is upon us, and it was well worth the wait. After unknowingly peeking through the veil, Ricky (David Brown, THE RAINBOW BRIDGE, JURY DUTY) and his roommate Tepper (Chase Williamson, THE GUEST, JOHN DIES AT THE END) witness six men sensually licking the pavement on an empty LA street. As time stretches and bends in the aftermath of this encounter, Ricky’s relations, including his situationship with fellow cinephile Aura (Suzanna Son, RED ROCKET, FEAR STREET: PROM QUEEN), begin to take on surprising new dimensions. Memories morph into lies, reality becomes malleable, and Ricky finds himself at the mercy of “The Yellow Thing,” an entity that wears people like costumes. Although dealing with complex and heavy concepts, SOUR MINNOWS’ experimental reworking of the hangout film brings a levity to the end of times, allowing for a special kind of humor to shine through the darkness, weaving through claustrophobic camerawork, paranoid editing, and a huge rip of supernatural conspiracy. Cheval Noir Competition. World Premiere.

TAIWAN’S FIRST MARTIAL-ARTS FANTASY IN OVER IN 40 YEARS: GIDDENS KO’S KUNG FU

An invincible, aging martial arts master transforms two young losers into powerful disciples who uphold justice. However, unfinished business from a previous life 500 years prior may soon shatter their bond and unleash new havoc. Award winner Giddens Ko (YOU ARE THE APPLE OF MY EYE, MON MON MON MONSTERS), who helped rejuvenate Taiwan cinema, strikes with subversive originality in the martial-arts genre with KUNG FU, a big-screen adaptation of his own popular novel. Taiwan’s first martial-arts fantasy in over in 40 years stars local icons Kai Ko (MISS SHAMPOO), Berant Zhu (THE SADNESS), and Gingle Wang (DEAD TALENTS SOCIETY). Its amazing action scenes are overseen by the award-winning Korean stunt team Triple A (NEW NORMAL). North American Premiere.

PREPARE FOR EMOTIONAL WHIPLASH WITH TIGHT LETTUCE

How much of yourself can you give to support the ones you love? Like most young adults, Joel (Dakota Daulby, of LONGLEGS and Apple’s SMOKE) hopes to build a good life for himself and his partner. Holding him back has always been his father, Bodo (Emmanuel Bilodeau, UN CRABE DANS LA TÊTE, CURLING), an eccentric man stuck in the throes of a decades-long addition to heroin and fentanyl. In an effort to bond with him and steer him towards the road to recovery, his son begins documenting their time spent together. As their fates become ever more intertwined, and Joel’s own life begins to slowly unravel, he realizes that unless he can face up to his father, his own future hangs in the balance. With his first feature inspired by a true story, director Harrison Houde portraits the ravages of addiction, deftly tipping the scales between darkness and humor. Emmanuel Bilodeau shines with what may be the best performance of his career, playing alongside a stunning ensemble cast of illustrious Quebec talent, including France Castel (LE VENT DU WYOMING, KARMINA), Maxim Roy (SHADOWHUNTERS, 19-2), Guy Jodoin (DANS UNE GALAXIE PRÈS DE CHEZ VOUS, DÉSOLÉ PARDON JE M’EXCUSE), and Didier Lucien (RAVENOUS, DANS UNE GALAXIE PRÈS DE CHEZ VOUS). TIGHT LETTUCE is funny, horrifying, touching, and – above all – deeply human. Les Fantastiques Week-Ends du Cinéma Québécois Section. World Premiere.

WELCOME TO ANYMART, WHERE YOU’LL FIND ANYTHING YOU COULD WISH FOR – FOR BETTER OR (MORE LIKELY) WORSE

A young man (Shota Sometani, BAKUDAN) works on autopilot in his disillusioned father’s convenience store, where he’s constantly having to put up with visits from the AnyMart chain’s sales representative. Amidst a clientele frustrated by their economic and social circumstances and colleagues at the end of their tethers, a sassy new employee (Erika Karata, DESERT OF NAMIBIA) arrives in this toxic environment, ready to explode at any moment.  With ANYMART, director and screenwriter Yusuke Iwasaki delivers a masterful debut feature that is at once satirical, relevant, and mature, exploring the microcosm of a convenience store populated by people in distress: a scenario that could apply to any hyper-capitalist society run by soulless corporations. This horror film, steeped in dark humor and tension that builds slowly but surely, establishes Iwasaki as one of Japan’s most promising young filmmakers. Official Selection: Berlinale 2026.Cheval Noir Competition. North American Premiere. 

FROM THE PRODUCER OF SKINAMARINK, ANCESTRAL BEASTS CASTS A DEMONIC LENS ON INTERGENERATIONAL TRAUMA. 

Red River Métis director Tim Riedel celebrates the Fantasia World Premiere of his psychological horror, ANCESTRAL BEASTS, which first appeared as a 2025 Frontieres Platform project at Cannes, and is backed by executive producer Edmon Rotea of SKINAMARINK fame. Family is complicated, even in the best of times, but when you have skeletons in the closet and grief as an unwanted houseguest, it becomes something that consumes you – and that’s what Elyse (Morgan Holmstrom, OUTLANDER, SHADOW OF THE ROUGAROU) finds out the hard way. Dealing with her mother’s death, a snarky sister, and a distant aunt, Elyse leaves the city for her aunt’s rural home to work on her mental health. But she’s not alone and will soon find that intergenerational trauma comes in many forms… and here, it’s demonic. Riedel draws on his talent for storytelling, personal experience, and genre to weave a tale of Indigenous mothers, sisters, and mental suffering. Look out for Canadian legend Gail Maurice (ROSIE, NIGHT RAIDERS) as Elyse’s Aunt Adele in this fresh new take on the haunted house film. Septentrion Shadows Section. World Premiere.

BEWARE WHAT YOU CAN CATCH IN A HAUNTED BUILDING FOR SOCIAL MEDIA FAME IN CAPTURED!

A middle school student who fears she’ll have to drop out of school and enter the workforce early to help her single mother make ends meet decides to start a vlog with the help of her best friend. In an effort to boost her popularity, they go to an abandoned building and film some fake scary footage, but end up actually haunted by an evil specter and a benevolent deity. Famous Japanese YouTuber Koichi (WON’T DISAPPEAR), whose videos have frequently garnered up to 2.8 million views, joins the trend of content creators successfully transitioning from the small screen to the big with CAPTURED!. Here, he blends horror, comedy, and a coming-of-age story through a brilliant screenplay that isn’t afraid to play with the conventions of the genre. The excellent cast includes rising star Runa Nakashima (6 LYING STUDENTS), influencer, model, and musician Maikichi, and veteran Megumi Okina, star of Takashi Shimizu’s classic JU-ON: THE GRUDGE. International Premiere. 

UNHOLY NIGHT GIFTS DELIRIOUS HOLIDAY HORRORS

Michael Gabriele graced Fantasia screens in 2023 with his short films GET AWAY, which won the Gold Audience Award for Best International Short, and the darkly hilarious ROOM TONE, which also garnered several wins and nominations in 2024. It was only a matter of time until he unleashed his quick-witted violence in a feature-length film, so get ready for Christmas in July with the holiday horror UNHOLY NIGHT!

Family, food and a nonna who won’t die make Christmas Eve a bloody mess for Gino and his family. This tight-knit Italian unit soon finds out that Gino and his ex-girlfriend aren’t the most scandalous things in the family when his dead grandmother comes back to “help” with the festivities. With an ensemble cast that strikes a great balance of horror, heart, and hilarity, its cast includes Marc Bendavid (DARK MATTER, REACHER), Shailene Garnett (FIRE COUNTRY, DIGGSTOWN) and veteran actor Ron Lea of the Canadian classic, CLEARCUT! Gabriele’s debut feature perfectly captures the chaos of the holidays – as Gino and his family battle an onslaught of undead relatives and lost love – all on Christmas Eve. Septentrion Shadows Section. World Premiere.

A YAKUZA ENFORCER BUSTS SOME MEAN MOVES IN THE HILARIOUS BREAK FREE

With new restrictive laws and increasingly aggressive rivals, the Mikami yakuza clan is on the brink of collapse. While searching for new sources of income with his colleagues, the tough but tenderhearted Kunio is filmed during an altercation with an arrogant passer-by, but the ban on attacking civilians forces him to intimidate the man with a surreal dance that goes viral on TikTok. He then decides to take dance lessons to capitalize on this popularity and bring in some cash for his gang. Director and screenwriter Yu Nakamoto (THE SLIT-MOUTHED WOMAN RISES) makes the most of this premise and delivers one of the funniest comedies of the year. Thanks to a mind-blowing performance by Akito Fujii (BABY ASSASSINS: 2BABIES), BREAK FREE is packed with unforgettable, ridiculous scenes in which a yakuza, used to kicking ass, must hide his real job and intimidating demeanor to conquer the web. North American Premiere.

FERINE IS A CAPTIVATING ARIA OF HORROR AND EMOTION

FERINE, written and directed by Andrea Corsini and loosely based on the award-winning 2020 short that launched at Venice Critics Week, follows Irene (Carolyn Bracken, ODDITY, YOU ARE NOT MY MOTHER), a wealthy and influential art collector whose life is shattered by a sudden, shocking tragedy. In the wake of her grief, a primal instinct awakens, pulling her beyond reason and transforming her from within. She encounters Dama (Caroline Goodall, HOOK, SCHINDLER’S LIST), an enigmatic trafficker of exotic predator cats, who realizes that Irene herself has become an unpredictable, dangerous predator. Soon, a dark bond forms.

In important ways, FERINE marks a return to a provocative and stylish form of classic Italian horror cinema that has been absent from the screen for years. It features sumptuous visual design, volcanic emotion, and transgressive flashpoints of violence, and comes complete with a lush orchestral score from the legendary Pino Donaggio (DON’T LOOK NOW, THE HOWLING, DRESSED TO KILL, TWO EVIL EYES). FERINE is a breathtaking genre achievement, anchored by extraordinary performances from Bracken and Goodall, and demands to be experienced on a big screen. Also featuring Elisabetta Caccamo and Paola Lavini. Cheval Noir Competition. International Premiere.

A NIGHTMARISH FACTORY FEEDS ON ITS EMPLOYEES IN THE BLOOD-SOAKED SLEEP NO MORE

Sisters Putri and Ida decide to visit the wig factory where their debt-ridden mother apparently took her own life in the middle of a shift, in order to understand what might have happened. Upon arrival, they meet the boss, Mrs. Maryati, who watches over a tight-knit community of employees. Horrific workplace accidents caused by overwork are on the rise, and the two young women come to a grim conclusion: the factory is haunted by a demon. With the unsettling SLEEP NO MORE, selected for the latest Berlinale, director and co-screenwriter Edwin (winner of an award at Locarno 2021 for VENGEANCE IS MINE, ALL OTHERS PAY CASH) makes his first foray into pure, unadulterated body horror, delivering a barrage of shocking practical effects that, at times, recalls Carpenter’s THE THING. Beneath this oppressive, blood-soaked atmosphere lies a powerful critique of the horrific working conditions and pitiful wages endured to feed the insatiable monster that is capitalist industry. Official Selection: Berlinale 2026. Cheval Noir Competition. North American Premiere.

GO BEHIND THE MASK OF HORROR’S GREATEST FX WITH RUBBERHEAD: THE LIFE & MONSTERS OF STEVE JOHNSON

Known for his intense work ethic, perfectionism, and obsession with breaking new ground, Steve Johnson has created iconic creatures and effects for some of the most beloved genre films in cinema history, working with everyone from John Carpenter, David Cronenberg, and Sam Raimi to James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, and Guillermo del Toro. His drive and ambition also led to heartbreaking acts of self-sabotage, divorce, and a serious drug addiction. Over seven years in the making and stacked with incredible, never-before-seen archival footage, RUBBERHEAD: THE LIFE & MONSTERS OF STEVE JOHNSON is a revealing portrait of an immense talent who could also be his own worst enemy. Director Nick Taylor lets the artist – an enormously engaging raconteur – do much of the showing and telling (though the likes of Linnea Quigley, John Landis, Tom Holland, and Oscar-winner Bill Corso also contribute). RUBBERHEAD is at once a captivating reflection on the game-changing practical FX glory days when everything was unexplored ground primed for radical invention and a fascinating, moving story of an FX master whose greatest monster may have been himself. Documentaries from the Edge Section. World Premiere. 

NON-STOP TENSION AND TWISTS IN THE ENTHRALLING SUZUKI=BAKUDAN

Katsuhiro Go’s novel comes to life not only as an enthralling crime thriller, but as a riveting game of cat-and-mouse. While being interrogated at a police station, a mysterious drunk man named Tagosaku Suzuki (Japan Academy Film Prize winner Jiro Sato) claims that he has psychic powers by predicting bombs that will soon explode, each one being activated every hour. It’s up to detective Ruike (Yuki Yamada) to put an end to this madness and figure out how and why Suzuki can foresee these deadly situations. Who is this man? Why does he have this ability? What’s the motivation behind the explosions? Directed by Akira Nagai (CHARACTER) and produced by Shota Okada (TOKYO REVENGERS), SUZUKI=BAKUDAN features non-stop tension and twists, as well as a remarkable screenplay filled with great dialogue and suspense. This winner of the Director’s Week Best Actor Award for Jiro Sato at the 2026 Fantasporto Film Festival is guaranteed to blow your mind! North American Premiere.

The 30th edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival is presented by MELS in collaboration with Concordia University and made possible by the financial support of Telefilm Canada, the Société́ de développement des entreprises culturelles (SODEC), the Ministère du Tourisme, the Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l’Habitation, the city of Montréal, the Conseil des arts de Montréal, and Tourisme Montréal.

Will you be attending the 30th edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival? What do you think of the first wave of titles? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

The post Fantasia International Film Festival announces first wave of titles for 30th edition! appeared first on JoBlo.

Production is underway on Dexter: Resurrection season 2, and executive producer Scott Reynolds has taken to social media to announce a new addition to the cast: legendary actor/stuntman Kane Hodder, who is best known for playing hockey-masked slasher Jason Voorhees in Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood, Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan, Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday, Jason X, and Friday the 13th: The Game! Details on the character Hodder will be playing haven’t been revealed, but Reynolds did share a picture of the actor on set, wearing gloves and looking intimidating.

13 days in. We couldn’t fight it. We cast KANE HODDER and let fate do the rest. #DexterResurrrection #kaneHodderTakesManhattan @kanehodder1 pic.twitter.com/aiJjr1eq2A

— Scott Reynolds (@jscottamy) April 29, 2026

What we know about Dexter: Resurrection Season 2:

• New cast: Dan Stevens, Brian Cox, Bokeem Woodbine, Nona Parker Johnson, Kane Hodder
• Returning: Michael C. Hall, Jack Alcott, James Remar, Uma Thurman, Desmond Harrington
• Filming: Began April 2026
• Expected release: Late 2026
• Setting: Continues post–New York storyline

What is Dexter?

For eight seasons and 96 episodes, from 2006 to 2013, the series Dexter ran on Showtime, telling the story of Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department who is also a vigilante serial killer. Clyde Phillips was showrunner on Dexter for the first four seasons, and in 2021 he and Showtime brought us the revival series Dexter: New Blood… which, for a time, also seemed to be the end of it all. But that’s not the case.

Showtime has tasked Phillips with continue to build up the Dexter franchise, first with a season of the prequel series Dexter: Original Sin and then with the New Blood follow-up called Dexter: Resurrection, which premiered last July. (You can read our review HERE.) Now, Dexter: Resurrection season 2 is moving forward.

Phillips had also been expecting to put together another season of Dexter: Original Sin, but Showtime decided to reverse their decision to renew the show and cancelled it.

During an appearance on The Dark Passengers: A Dexter Podcast four months ago, Phillips said that the Dexter: Resurrection season 2 writers’ room opened on October 6th and that it would take around five months to write all of the scripts. Filming will then begin on Monday, April 13, 2026. Like the first season, the new season will be set and shot in New York City.

A Showtime Studios and Counterpart Studios production, Dexter: Resurrection is being executive produced by Clyde Phillips, Michael C. Hall, Scott Reynolds, Tony Hernandez, and Lilly Burns. Marcos Siega is the producing director. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution. 

Who is in the Dexter: Resurrection season 2 cast?

Michael C. Hall, who played Dexter Morgan in the original series and Dexter: New Blood, and also provided the in-character narration for Dexter: Original Sin, is back in the lead for Dexter: Resurrection. Hall is joined in the cast by fellow series regulars Jack Alcott and James Remar, with Alcott reprising his Dexter: New Blood role of Dexter’s son Harrison, and Remar returning as Dexter’s adoptive father Harry Morgan. We’ll probably be seeing the return of some of the new supporting characters that were introduced in the first season as well.

Uma Thurman’s character is Charlotte “Charley” Brown, a former Special Ops operator who worked as Head of Security for serial killer enthusiast billionaire Leon Prater. Charley left New York City with her mother at the end of the first season, going home to Amherst, Pennsylvania… but it looks like she’s still going to be part of Dexter’s life in some way.

We recently learned that Brian Cox (Manhunter) has joined the cast of Dexter: Resurrection season 2 as the New York Ripper, “a serial killer who terrorized the City years ago. Though no longer active as a killer, he’s found a new way to live into his infamy by continuing to taunt the survivors of his long-ago murder spree.“

It was also announced that Dan Stevens (The Guest) will be playing Owen Stark, “the Five Borough Killer, and the second big bad of Season 2. Owen is a serial killer who, much like Zodiac, taunts the police with phone calls threatening the murder of innocent citizens. When he follows through with the awful deeds…the City and the Police are terrorized.“

Bookem Woodbine (Fargo) and Nona Parker Johnson (Mayor of Kingstown) are also in the mix. Johnson will be playing Fiona Mixon, “a training officer in the Homicide unit, a nepo-baby in the police world, and Harrison’s (Jack Alcott) new love interest.” Woodbine takes on the role of Captain Mixon, “a bulldog of a homicide captain and Fiona’s father.” These are both series regular roles.

Desmond Harrington, who played Joey Quinn on the original series and for two episodes of Resurrection season 1, has been promoted to series regular for season 2.

Are you a Dexter fan, and are you looking forward to Dexter: Resurrection season 2? Let us know what you think of Kane Hodder joining the show by leaving a comment below.

The post Dexter: Resurrection season 2 adds Friday the 13th legend Kane Hodder to the cast appeared first on JoBlo.

While Mortal Kombat is a global phenomenon in gaming, its movie presence almost died a gruesome death after just its second entry. Now, in 2026, we’ve got a new Street Fighter adaptation on the way and a long-awaited (and slightly delayed) Mortal Kombat II. But that sequel only exists because the 2021 reboot somehow survived: development hell, a global pandemic, and natural disaster-level production challenges.

So what went wrong and what went right? What character in the series might actually be cursed? Which actor did his homework by playing the games? And how did a Jackie Chan stunt team member help shape the action?

Let’s dig in and find out what happened to Mortal Kombat (2021).

The Origins: From Arcade Sensation to Cultural Controversy

Mortal Kombat was born during the arcade boom, when Street Fighter II was dominating. Midway Games tasked Ed Boon and John Tobias with creating a fighting game fast. The goal wasn’t perfection. It was speed. What they got instead was lightning in a bottle:

• Brutal combat
• Over-the-top fatalities
• Massive controversy

The game didn’t just dominate arcades, it sparked backlash from parents and even drew attention from Congress. Then came Mortal Monday, launching the game into home consoles and cementing its place in pop culture.

The First Films: A Strong Start… and a Brutal Finish

Following the trend of video game adaptations like Super Mario Bros. and Double Dragon, Mortal Kombat hit theaters in 1995… and actually worked. It outperformed expectations in:

• Budget efficiency
• Fan reception
• Overall entertainment value

A trilogy was planned. Then came Mortal Kombat Annihilation. And everything fell apart.

• Key cast members left
• Writers and director were replaced
• Fan-favorite Johnny Cage was killed off early

Worse? The film rfelt unfinished. The result:

• Box office failure
• Critical backlash
• Franchise shutdown

The third film: canceled.

Development Hell: Decades of False Starts

Hollywood didn’t give up, but it struggled.

Early 2000s Attempt

A reboot/sequel hybrid featuring original cast members nearly happened. Sets were even built. Then Hurricane Katrina destroyed them. Project canceled.

Mortal Kombat: Legacy

Director Kevin Tancharoen revived interest with the web series Mortal Kombat: Legacy. It showed promise. Fans were interested. But after 19 episodes… nothing. Back to limbo.

The Reboot Begins: Enter James Wan

In 2015, things finally started moving again when James Wan signed on as producer. A year later, director Simon McQuoid joined, making his feature debut. He almost passed on the project… until he read Greg Russo’s script. That changed everything. By 2019:

• Script finalized
• Pre-production began
• Filming set for Australia
• R-rating confirmed (finally!)

Yes, fatalities were coming back.

Casting: Big Names, Close Calls, and Perfect Fits

Early rumors included:

• Vin Diesel
• Liam Neeson
• Jason Momoa
• Megan Fox
• Ronda Rousey
• Tony Jaa

None of them stuck.

Joe Taslim as Sub-Zero

Joe Taslim was the first official casting, and a perfect one. He was:

• A lifelong fan of the games
• Initially hesitant
• Encouraged by his son

Fun fact: He moved so fast during fight scenes that the director had to ask him to slow down for the camera.

The Rest of the Cast

Key roles included:

• Mehcad Brooks as Jax
• Tadanobu Asano as Raiden
• Sisi Stringer as Mileena
• Ludi Lin as Liu Kang
• Josh Lawson as Kano
• Hiroyuki Sanada as Scorpion
• Jessica McNamee as Sonya
• Chin Han as Shang Tsung

The “Kano Curse”?

Two previous Kano actors passed away:

• Trevor Goddard
• Darren Shahlavi

Which… yeah, makes you a little nervous for Josh Lawson.

The Jackie Chan Connection

Max Huang, a member of Jackie Chan Stunt Team, played Kung Lao. He also helped choreograph fights across the entire film.

Actor Preparation: Who Did the Homework?

Some actors were longtime fans. Others, not so much.

Hiroyuki Sanada (Scorpion)

Sanada had no prior experience with the games, so he played them himself. He lost. A lot. But it helped him understand the character.

Ludi Lin (Liu Kang)

A lifelong fan, Lin even brought a Mortal Kombat game on his Nintendo Switch to set. That’s commitment.

Filming: Heat, Quarries, and an NC-17 Problem

Filming began in Adelaide, Australia, with a $55 million budget. To create Outworld, the team used Black Hill Quarry, an abandoned coal mine. Not exactly glamorous, but visually effective.

The NC-17 Cut

The first version of the film got hit with an NC-17 rating. That’s basically unreleaseable. So:

• Blood was trimmed
• Violence adjusted
• An R rating was secured

Ironically, the 1995 film had the opposite problem, being toned down to PG-13.

The Missing Johnny Cage

Johnny Cage was originally planned for the ending, but the scene was never filmed due to COVID-19. The plan became:

• Save him for the sequel
• Avoid overshadowing other characters

Smart move… depending on who you ask.

On-Set Drama: Trouble Behind the Scenes

Actor Mehcad Brooks reportedly caused tension on set. Stories include:

• Delaying shoots for multiple takes
• Causing overtime issues
• Friction with cast and crew

There were even rumors of recasting. But in the end, he stayed. And returned for the sequel.

Release: A Pandemic-Era Success

Mortal Kombat (2021) released on April 23, 2021:

• Box office: $84 million
• Budget: $55 million
• Simultaneous HBO Max release

Context matters:

• Theaters were still recovering from COVID
• Streaming numbers were massive
• It became one of the most pirated films of the year

Reception: Fans vs Critics

Fans:

• Loved the action
• Loved the fatalities
• Hated Cole Young

Critics:

• Mixed to negative

But the numbers? Good enough for a sequel.

Final Thoughts: A Comeback Worth the Wait

It took over 20 years to get a proper third Mortal Kombat movie. But against all odds, the 2021 reboot:

• Revived the franchise
• Delivered on fan expectations (mostly)
• Set up the future

Now, Mortal Kombat II aims to finish the fight.

Outro

The road to Mortal Kombat (2021) was long, messy, and nearly fatal. But in the end, it stuck the landing just enough to earn another round. And now, you know what happened.

A couple of previous episodes of this show can be seen below. For more, check out the JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel—and don’t forget to subscribe!

The post What Happened to Mortal Kombat (2021)? appeared first on JoBlo.

Mike

The nineties may have been the best time to live life on planet Earth, especially if you’re into thrillers. Erotic thrillers. Detective thrillers. And particularly serial killer thrillers that dipped their toe into the horror genre. The film we’re talking about today, Copycat, was released just one year before Scream would perfect the mix of serial killer mystery and slasher horror. In this breakdown, we’ll explore why it shares so many elements with the film that changed horror forever… and how making it was, at times, a horror movie in itself.

Test screenings went horribly wrong. Editors were fired. And the ending had to be scrapped and rebuilt from scratch. This is what happened to one of the most underrated serial killer thrillers of the 1990s: Copycat.

Development: From Rejection to Reinvention

Copycat was only the second project written by Ann Biderman (later known for Ray Donovan) alongside David Madsen. The script initially went to director Jon Amiel, who rejected it immediately. He felt it was too violent and exploitative, particularly in its depiction of violence against women. When the studio offered him creative control, he reconsidered.

Working with collaborator Jay Presson Allen (uncredited), Amiel made several major changes:

• Detective Monahan was rewritten from male to female
• The relationship dynamic with Dr. Helen Hudson was removed
• The story shifted toward two strong female leads

This fundamentally changed the tone, flipping the perspective on violence. Amiel also chose to set the film in San Francisco, using locations like Pacific Heights and Twin Peaks to contrast beauty with brutality.

Sigourney Weaver and the Psychology of Fear

For the lead role of Dr. Helen Hudson, the production landed Sigourney Weaver, best known as Ellen Ripley in Alien. Hudson is a brilliant criminal psychologist suffering from severe agoraphobia after a brutal attack. She communicates with the outside world through early internet technology until a new serial killer case pulls her back in.

Weaver has said the role was emotionally exhausting. The psychological toll left her feeling deeply unsettled, and she trained nightly with a karate instructor just to break out of the victim mindset. She also conducted extensive research, including time spent with real-life criminal psychologists like Park Dietz. Despite the grim subject matter, especially following her work in Death and the Maiden, she found the experience intellectually energizing.

Director Jon Amiel specifically wanted Weaver for her credibility. He criticized films that cast superficial “sex symbol” types in serious roles and praised Weaver for embracing a vulnerable, complex character.

The Opening Scene: A Hint of Scream

The film’s opening bathroom sequence is unforgettable, and was brutal to film. Weaver had to simulate hanging from a metal cable for days during production. Amiel even stated he wanted to do for women’s restrooms what Alfred Hitchcock did for showers in Psycho.

The result: a chilling opener that feels eerily similar to Scream.

From Christopher Young’s score to the film’s dark humor, Copycat carries a proto-Scream energy, making it an ideal companion piece.

Casting a Killer: Harry Connick Jr.

One of the film’s biggest surprises was casting Harry Connick Jr. as killer Daryll Lee Cullum. At the time, Connick Jr. was struggling to land acting roles and nearly stepped away from the industry. During a dinner meeting, he experimented with darker, more unsettling versions of his New Orleans accent, assuming he had bombed the audition. A week later, he got the role.

Even he didn’t fully understand why he was chosen, but the performance works. Between the unsettling mannerisms and disturbing intensity, he delivers genuinely skin-crawling moments.

On-Set Tension and Method Distance

Connick Jr. later recalled that Sigourney Weaver kept her distance from him throughout filming, often leaving rooms when he entered. Their first real conversation didn’t happen until the premiere.

Still, Weaver appreciated his lighter moments between takes, like singing Sinatra during breaks. Though, let’s be honest, that probably got old fast for at least one crew member.

Holly Hunter and the Strength of Monahan

Holly Hunter plays Detective MJ Monahan, a role originally written for a man. Fresh off The Firm, Hunter brings depth, grit, and emotional complexity. Her performance echoes Jodie Foster’s Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs.

Her dynamic with partner Ruben (Dermot Mulroney) adds warmth, making his eventual fate all the more frustrating.

Supporting Cast Highlights

• Will Patton elevates a small role into something memorable, adding emotional weight as Monahan’s ex-boyfriend
• William McNamara delivers a compelling second-act killer with a chilling, almost American Psycho-like presence

However, introducing a second killer created narrative issues, something audiences picked up on during test screenings.

Test Screenings Disaster and Editorial Chaos

This is where things really started to unravel. Editor Jim Clark (who replaced Alan Heim after poor test screenings) later revealed that the film’s problems stemmed from its ending, not the editing.

Original Ending Issues:

• Monahan is shot and left hanging but survives with a bulletproof vest
• No explanation for how she escapes
• Dr. Hudson suddenly overcomes her agoraphobia with no buildup

Audience reaction: overwhelmingly negative. Another version had a SWAT team kill the villain, removing agency from both leads.

The Fix: Reshoots and a New Ending

After disastrous screenings, Warner Bros. halted post-production and invested in major reshoots. They brought in Frank Darabont to rewrite parts of the script and reconstructed sets to reshoot the ending.

According to Clark:

• 6 of the film’s 12 reels were significantly altered
• The story was heavily restructured

Production Challenges: Sound Problems

As if that wasn’t enough, the film faced serious technical issues. Much of it was shot in a converted U.S. Coast Guard hangar with terrible acoustics, described as “a toilet inside a church inside an echo chamber.” To fix it, the crew built massive sound-dampening rigs and blacked out large sections of the space.

They also lost their original sound team to Mission: Impossible, forcing them to adapt mid-production.

Release and Reception

Copycat finally hit theaters on October 27, 1995.

• Budget: $20–27 million
• Box office: ~$79 million worldwide

It was a solid success for Warner Bros. Critics and audiences praised:

• Performances
• Tension
• Atmosphere

It also performed well on home video, ranking #2 in national rentals in April 1996.

The Sequel That Never Happened

The film teases a sequel, with Cullum continuing his influence from prison. It sets up a scenario where Dr. Hudson could face endless copycat killers, a concept that feels very Scream-like. And yet… no sequel was ever made. Probably for the best.

Legacy: A Cult Favorite

Today, Copycat lives on as a cult favorite. It’s the kind of movie that sparks instant appreciation among fans who know it, an under-the-radar gem that still holds up. With:

• A brutal, unforgettable opening
• Strong performances
• A unique psychological angle

It’s absolutely worth revisiting, especially for fans of Scream.

The film’s use of agoraphobia and early internet culture gives it a distinct horror edge that still feels effective today. And that… is what happened to Copycat.

A couple of previous episodes of this show can be seen below. For more, check out the JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel—and don’t forget to subscribe!

The post Copycat (1995): What Happened to This Underrated Serial Killer Thriller? appeared first on JoBlo.