Dread Central

Today, it’s hard to imagine horror without Scream. Wes Craven’s 1996 classic didn’t just become a box office smash, it revitalized the slasher genre, launched one of horror’s biggest franchises, and inspired countless films that followed. But according to legendary KNB EFX Group co-founder Howard Berger, almost nobody expected that to happen. Speaking on the Too Reel Pod, Berger admitted he initially hated Kevin Williamson’s screenplay, believing it recycled ideas that had already been done.

I’m a Disney adult. Always have been. I grew up on the Disney parks, and many of those classic attractions are still among my favorite experiences ever created. So whenever Disney starts tinkering with one of the all-time greats, I immediately get a little nervous. I’ll probably never forgive them for gutting Journey Into Imagination, and I still miss several of the original dark rides that disappeared from EPCOT over the years. That said, I don’t hate every update.

After a record-breaking opening, Paramount Pictures will send its Scream parody, Scary Movie, to VOD and Digital on July 21, 2026, Dread learned.

It’s long been rumored that Mike Flanagan‘s new take on The Exorcist is titled The Exorcist: Martyrs. Over the weekend, eagle-eyed fans spotted Exorcist: Martyrs listed among the productions on Mike Flanagan’s Red Room Pictures website, seemingly confirming the long-standing rumor. The cast is stacked.

Following last week’s first official image, Focus Features has now unleashed the first trailer for Robert Eggers’ Werwulf, the filmmaker’s hotly anticipated follow-up to Nosferatu and The Witch. Known for crafting some of modern horror’s most visually arresting films, Eggers returns with what looks to be another bleak, atmospheric descent into folklore.

While Robert Pattinson is still set to return as the Dark Knight in Matt Reeves’ The Batman Part II, a new rumor suggests James Gunn may have quietly found the DC Universe’s own Batman. According to film pundit John Campea, the role has reportedly already been cast, though he stopped short of naming the actor until he’s more confident in the information. Shortly afterward, online speculation quickly centered on Tom Brittney, with multiple scoopers claiming the British actor is the mystery choice.

I’m guessing some of you may not be aware of Riley Dandy, but she’s awesome. I first caught her in Joe Begos’ holiday horror pic, Christmas Bloody Christmas (pictured above), a Terminator-style thrill-ride in which Dandy Sarah Connors her way through a killer robotic Santa. Bloody blast of a movie, made even better by Dandy’s kickass performance. Deadline reports that the actress is once again stepping into the genre world with engagement party thriller, Cut Your Teeth.

Basketball can be deadly, it seems, as Imani Lewis (pictured above in Vampires vs. the Bronx) and Tanya Wright (“Orange Is the New Black”) have signed on to star in Killa, reports Deadline. The pic is described as a “horror-drama”–just say horror–that “follows Asa Jones, a girl from Louisiana who wants to conquer the world of girls’ basketball.

I’m a little embarrassed to admit it, but I’m an adult man who plays Fortnite (I know, I know). Why? Well, I have a lot of long-distance friends, and it’s a “free” game that’s easily accessible for us to play together. The rest of you likely don’t play, though, so you may not be aware of Fortnitemares, the game’s annual Halloween celebration that unleashes various horror icons into the map.

Here’s a weird one for you this afternoon. Deadline reports that Anirudh Pisharody (pictured above in “Never Have I Ever”) has wrapped a lead role in Chronos, described as an “indie thriller” with a pretty curious premise. The film “follows a father who, when his family disappears on a Greek beach, is lured by an ancient device to a hidden island trial.