Blumhouse and Atomic Monster used a 90-minute panel at New York Comic Con to preview a packed slate of upcoming horror films, offering audiences a mix of trailer debuts, casting announcements, and status updates on some of the genre's most anticipated franchises. The Friday night event, dubbed «Blumfest», brought together Blumhouse founder Jason Blum and Atomic Monster founder James Wan, along with a roster of directors and stars.
The panel opened with the announcement that YouTube creator MatPat has signed a deal with Blumhouse to produce films based on indie horror games. The first project under that agreement will be an adaptation of Amanda the Adventurer. The reveal set the tone for a presentation that moved quickly between major franchise updates and new original projects.
Director Mike Flanagan and actor Chiwetel Ejiofor appeared to debut the trailer for The Exorcist: Martyrs. Flanagan said he set out to make the scariest project of his career and believes he succeeded, telling the crowd the film is «so goddamn scary» and that he could feel it on set. The trailer reportedly draws on elements of The Exorcist III.
Content creator Heidi Wong, known as the Horror Queen, announced she will write and direct an original short film for Blumhouse, with the intention of developing the concept into a feature. Wong said her story is inspired by Eastern mythology and folklore, subject matter she feels close to after growing up in Asia, though she declined to share plot details.
A first look at River was also shown. The slasher film premiered at TIFF, where it sparked a bidding war that Universal won in partnership with Blumhouse and Atomic Monster for $10 million in distribution rights. The trailer showed Jessica Rothe's character swimming in a river before a hulking, silent man, played by Dane DiLiegro, leaps in and swims directly at her as she tries to reach a boat carrying her siblings, played by Jane Levy and Max Mattern. Rothe, a Happy Death Day star, was on hand and called the film «a wild fucking ride».
Several franchise reboots received brief check-ins with little new information. RoboCop is being developed as a Prime Video series with Dan Stevens starring, while Dylan Clark is directing the fourth Blair Witch Project film. For Saw 11, Blum emphasized the importance of purchasing the franchise and returning it to the guidance of Wan and Leigh Whannell, who made the original together. Blum promised they would bring Saw back «in a whole new way». Wan said he chose Mike P. Nelson to direct because he felt Nelson was a good fit and had a talent for delivering surprises. Asked what makes a Saw movie essential, Wan teased that a crucial element must remain secret for now, saying audiences will have to wait but that it will be worth it.
Paranormal Activity 8 received more concrete updates. Blum said the original film, which launched Blumhouse, will always be significant to him, but credited Wan with pushing for a new entry. Wan said they could «make a movie as scary as the first one and really pay tribute to the first one». A video from the set showed director Ian Tuason saying they would be «taking you back to a familiar space», with footage from the original film intercut to reveal that the set was the bedroom of the ill-fated Katie and Micah from the first Paranormal Activity.
Director Rob Savage, who has Other Mommy in theaters, appeared with Wan to announce his next project, Molepeople. Savage described it as a subterranean horror movie in the vein of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Hills Have Eyes. Lakeith Stanfield will star, and he made a surprise appearance, saying he was drawn to the film because he found it engaging, action-packed, cool, and fun, with a bit of commentary to think about as well.
Writer-director Curry Barker and actor Cooper Tomlinson were also present to discuss their comedy-horror film Anything But Ghosts, in which they play ghost hunter con artists who stage elaborate shows to mask their tricks. The pair also reflected on the box office success of Obsession and how it has changed their lives since release.