More horror films follow ‘ It’ into 2018
Horror has become part of the “It” crowd. Following the critical and financial success of 2017 hits such as M. Night Shyamalan’s multiple personality thriller “Split” ($ 138 million), Jordan Peele’s Oscar prospect “Get Out” ($ 175 million) and the Stephen King adaptation “It” ($ 327 million), horror films have momentum as 2018 kicks off with its first offering, “Insidious: The Last Key” ( in theaters Friday).
“Horror was having a rough ride, but ‘ It’ put a definitive stamp on a year where horror kicked box- office butt,” says Brad Miska, editor and co- founder of the horror movie website BloodyDisgusting.com. “2017’ s success will be felt with the confidence studios have in 2018.”
Miska says studios will bullishly promote their slate of horror films, many of which feature high- profile Hollywood stars such as Helen Mirren, who stars alongside Jason Clarke in “Winchester” ( Feb. 2) as firearms heiress Sarah Winchester, who’s convinced she’s haunted by the souls killed by her family’s guns.
Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Gina Rodriguez play women hunting down a mysterious, terrifying force in “Annihilation” ( Feb. 23). John Krasin- ski directs and stars with real- life wife Emily Blunt as a family forced to live in silence for fear of attracting unknown terrors in “A Quiet Place” ( April 6).
Chance the Rapper makes his film debut as an out- law framed for a killing spree targeting pizza delivery men in “Slice” ( release date not yet set). “X- Men” will head in a clear horror direction with its 11th film, “The New Mutants” ( April 13), with a cast including “Game of Thrones” star Maisie Williams.
“Studios will be encouraged to fully support these films,” Miska says. “Even 20th Century Fox is seeing they have something really special with ‘ New Mutants,’ bridging horror and comic books.”
The return of “Insidious” marks a fourth chapter in the franchise after a critical and box- office setback with 2015’ s “Insidious: Chapter 3.” It’s not alone: The fabled “Halloween” franchise will rise again Oct. 19 with star Jamie Lee Curtis reprising her iconic role as Laurie Strode in a final confrontation with masked villain Michael Myers.
With nine “Halloween” sequels showing diminishing returns since 1978’ s “Halloween,” there’s much to prove with the reboot.
“There’s excitement, but the pressure is on. They are reworking one of the classic horror movies of all time,” says Perri Nemiroff, horror specialist for Collider. com.
“The Purge” franchise resurfaces with fourth film “The Island,” a prequel explaining how the world devolved into requiring an official night devoted to government- approved mayhem ( July 4).
In “The Meg,” Jason Statham leads a deep- sea submersible crew in a fight against a 70- foot prehistoric shark ( Aug. 10).
Warner Bros. and producer James Wan continue to expand the “Conjuring” horror universe with “The Nun” ( July 13), which builds a new plot around the deadly specter haunting a Romanian abbey alluded to in the killer doll film “Annabelle: Creation.”
The award for the most toe- tapping horror film goes to “Anna and the Apocalypse” ( release date pending), which features students singing and dancing through a zombie attack. The movie’s world debut last fall at Fantastic Fest in Austin stoked the hype: “People are freaking out about this movie,” Nemiroff says.