From The Watchers to Nosferatu, these are all the upcoming horror movies we’re keeping our eyes peeled for in 2024.
2023 was a spectacular year for horror. From indie horrors like Infinity Pool and Huesera: the Bone Woman to successful studio flicks like Evil Dead Rise, Megan, Beau is Afraid, and Scream VI, the genre saw a terrific revival. When Evil Lurks, Birth/Rebirth, (both streaming on Shudder) Skinamarink, and No One Will Save You were some other notable horror flicks from last year. Of course, there were some disappointments too like Exorcist: The Believer and Pet Sematary: Bloodlines. But for every film that falls short, and every clumsy horror sequel and remake, we’ve also had a diverse roster of original horror films.
Read: 20 Best Films of 2023 and Where to Find Them
The horror genre in 2024 is looking even more promising. Although the year started with a dud like Night Swim, there are quite a few anticipated horror films lined up this year. While well-known horror series like A Quiet Place, Saw, Silent Hill, and Alien are making a comeback to frighten us, there are also some originals on the way. These are from filmmakers like Fede Alvarez (Don’t Breathe), Robert Eggers (The Witch), and the daughter of M. Night Shyamalan, Ishana Night Shyamalan, who is making her directorial debut with The Watchers.
Movies like The First Omen, Beetlejuice 2, and The Wolfman are returning to the horror universe after quite a few decades. While the idea of re-dos doesn’t initially seem appealing, it’d be fascinating to see how modern filmmakers approach the established horror tropes and monstrous creatures. Quickly then, here are all the upcoming horror movies we’re excited about in 2024, 2025. Save these dates to get your fill of thrills and chills.
Here are 21 upcoming horror movies we’re excited about:
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Upcoming Horror Movies
1. Imaginary – March 8, 2024
Imaginary is directed by Fantasy Island’s Jeff Wadlow via Blumhouse and Lionsgate. It’s about a woman who goes back to her childhood home and discovers that her imaginary friend isn’t “imaginary” at all. In fact, he’s still there, and he isn’t very happy he was forgotten and left behind. Starring the award-winning and distinguished Betty Buckley, this movie is sure to have you feeling nostalgic.
2. The First Omen – April 5, 2024
Arkasha Stevenson’s feature-length directorial debut, The First Omen, is a prequel to the 1976 horror classic Omen. The First Omen will revolve around a young nun named Margaret who discovers a dark conspiracy that questions her beliefs and faith. Nell Tiger Free plays the central role, and the ensemble cast includes veteran actors like Bill Nighy, Sonia Braga, and Charles Dance. Last year, the sequel to the horror masterpiece The Exorcist was critically panned but had a decent box office run. Hence, fans will be eager to see how effectively The First Omen incorporates the eerie mood of the original.
3. Abigail – April 19, 2024
Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, known for directing Ready or Not (2019) & Scream (2022), are helming the extremely violent horror thriller Abigail. The film is said to be a reboot of the 1936 horror flick Dracula’s Daughter. The narrative, however, is set in the present and revolves around a group of criminals who kidnap the titular character, looking for a hefty ransom from her wealthy father, a powerful underworld figure. But little do they know about the real identity of 12-year-old ballerina Abigail.
Irish child actor Alisha Weir is playing the central role. The supporting cast includes well-known actors like Giancarlo Esposito, Kathryn Newton, Kevin Durand, and Melisa Barrera.
4. Tarot – May 10, 2024
Based on Nicholas Adam’s 1992 novel, Horrorscope follows a group of college students that go to a horoscope reading. Soon enough, they begin getting killed in ways that relate to their readings. Audiences will be excited to see Spider-Man‘s Jacob Batalon and trailblazer Avantika. It follows the same vein as movies like Urban Legend and Final Destination. Here are all the Hollywood movies we’re excited about in 2024, 2025.
5. The Watchers – June 7, 2024
Ishana Night Shyamalan is set to direct The Watchers, and we love to see a woman of color in the director’s chair. Dakota Fanning (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) will play Mina, an artist lost in a forest in western Ireland. She and three other strangers find shelter, but they soon discover mysterious creatures are hunting them.
Fanning stars alongside veterans of the genre Olwen Fouéré (Mandy) and Georgina Campbell (Barbarian).
6. A Quiet Place: Day One – June 7, 2024
In 2018, John Krasinski showed us a post-apocalyptic world where monstrous creatures hunt by sound. The Abbott family must live in silence to survive. The original and its sequel were both huge hits. A Quiet Place: Day One is a spin-off prequel, which mostly revolves around different characters from the same world. The only recognizable character from the previous film is Djimon Hounsou’s Island Man character. The main cast also includes Lupita N’yongo (12 Years a Slave), Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things), and Alex Wolff (Hereditary).
A third installment in the Quiet Place series, with Krasinski again at the helm, is scheduled for 2025.
7. Longlegs – July 12, 2024
Oz Perkins, best known for the psychological horror The Blackcoat’s Daughter (2015), has written and directed this occult horror. Maika Monroe plays protagonist Lee Harker, an FBI agent pursuing an unsolved case of serial murders. Monroe has previously played central characters in horror films like It Follows and Watcher. The other more exciting thing about the cast is Nicolas Cage. The versatile actor apparently plays the antagonist and serves as one of the film’s producers.
Longlegs’ teaser promises a chilling atmospheric horror with a supernatural twist. Alicia Witt and Blair Underwood are also part of the ensemble cast.
8. Alien: Romulus – August 16, 2024
Alien: Romulus’ plot is still a mystery, but the title alone is enough to get fans excited. It will feature all-new characters played by actors such as Cailee Spaeny (The Craft: Legacy), Isabela Merced (Dora), and Archie Reneaux (Shadow and Bone). New to the Alien franchise is director Fede Álvarez, but he is no stranger to directing horror (Don’t Breathe, Evil Dead 2013). Ridley Scott will produce alongside him.
WATCH: 10 Horror Films Ignored by the Oscars
9. Beetlejuice 2 – September 6, 2024
“Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!”
Tim Burton’s 1988 classic is finally getting a sequel. Fans will see Michael Keaton, Catherine O’Hara, and Winona Ryder all reprising their roles. Other featured actors include scream queen Jenna Ortega, Willem Dafoe, and Mulholland Drive‘s Justin Theroux. Burton is set to direct the revival of this horror comedy as well.
10. Terrifier 3 – October 25, 2024
American filmmaker and producer Damien Leone’s twisted imagination gave us one of the most iconic 21st-century horror characters: Art the Clown. The first Terrifer movie, made on a shoestring budget in 2016, garnered a cult classic status in the indie circuit. The 2022 sequel was both a commercial and critical success. Now, Leone returns with a threequel this Halloween. Details about Terrifer 3 are scarce, but it’s known that the film will be set during the Christmas season.
Terrifer 3 is being made on a relatively bigger budget than the first two, promising a broader theatrical release for Art the Clown‘s chilling spree.
11. The Wolfman – October 25, 2024
The Golden Age of Horror cinema is often associated with Universal Studios’ iconic monster characters such as Frankenstein, Dracula, The Wolf Man, and The Mummy. This year, The Wolf Man is getting resurrected, which, if it succeeds, could possibly revive the werewolf sub-genre. Nevertheless, Universal’s Dark Universe isn’t happening any time soon.
Leigh Whannell, known for directing Saw, Insidious, and The Invisible Man, helms the project. While Ryan Gosling was initially expected to play the central role, he is now replaced by Girls fame Christopher Abbott. Julia Garner (Ozark, The Assistant) is also part of the cast. Not much is known about the plot, but the tentative release date is this Halloween weekend.
12. Nosferatu – December 25, 2024
Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu is a remake of F.W. Murnau’s 1922 silent horror classic of the same name, which itself was an unofficial adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The remake is set in 19th-century Germany, where a powerful Transylvanian vampire torments a young woman. Bill Skarsgaard will play the vampire Count Orlok. The actor is known for his daring physical transformations in films like IT and the upcoming adaptation of the graphic novel The Crow.
Willem Dafoe, who played a prominent character in Eggers’ previous film The Lighthouse (2019), will play the vampire hunter, Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz. The cast also includes Lily-Rose Depp, Emma Corrin, and Nicholas Hoult.
13. Iron Lung – 2024
Mark Fishbach, also known as Markiplier, is creating his first feature film called Iron Lung. Based on the horror game of the same name released in 2022, Mark will be spearheading the film as director, writer, and star.
The plot hasn’t been revealed yet, but the game is about a convict being sent in a submarine into a blood ocean on a distant planet. The developer David Szymanski is also a writer on the film.
14. Return to Silent Hill – 2024
Silent Hill is yet another video game that has been made into a movie. While the films weren’t well received by critics, the games have a devoted fan base who love the films as well. Our main character James Sunderland returns to the town of Silent Hill – hence the title – in search of his lost love. He runs into old and new faces that cause him to question his sanity.
15. MaXXXine – July 5, 2024
Ti West’s MaXXXine is the third installment of the X movie franchise, following X and Pearl. Mia Goth reprises her role as Maxine (from X). Ti West’s slasher films have turned Mia Goth’s troubled character into a modern horror icon. The narrative is set in the early 1980s Los Angeles. The plot will follow Maxine as she pursues her acting dreams after surviving the massacre at a remote farm.
Director Ti West has also teased the prospects of a fourth film if MaXXXine is successful. MaXXXine’s ensemble cast also includes prominent names like Kevin Bacon, Elizabeth Debicki, Lily Collins, and Michelle Monaghan.
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Conclusion
These are all the upcoming scary movies that have us excited. There are a few other horror movies expected to release in 2024 that don’t yet have a release date. Ti West’s X finale Maxine, Final Destination 6: Bloodlines and an unnamed film by Jordan Peele are some other horror movies with no official release date.
Honorable mention goes out to M3GAN 2.0 which is set to come out in 2025.
