There is a high chance that 2024 will be an exciting time for fans of horror movies. New instalments of familiar franchises are set to share the big screen with terrifying originals, offering a diverse line-up of chills and thrills.
There is something for everyone. Fans of gore will get to see the sequel to the surprise hit Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey. Those who love a hint of the supernatural will have Imaginary perhaps making them look at a teddy bear with suspicion. The English remake of the Danish thriller Speak No Evil could perhaps succeed in highlighting how certain displays of human traits can turn out to be deeply disturbing for others.
Three movies in particular are among the most-awaited: A Quiet Place: Day One, Beetlejuice 2, and Nosferatu. The first is part of an acclaimed franchise. The second comes 26 years after the original, making it a legacy sequel. The third is a new adaptation of a classic movie from the early part of the 20th century.
The most-anticipated new horror movies of 2024
Lisa Frankenstein
Directed by: Zelda Williams
Cast: Kathryn Newton, Cole Sprouse, Liza Soberano, Henry Eikenberry, Joe Chrest, Carla Gugino
Release date: 9 February
About the film: The horror-comedy film marks the feature-length directorial debut of Zelda Williams, who is the daughter of the late Robin Williams. Set in the year 1989, the film is about a misunderstood teenager named Lisa Swallows (Newton) who reanimates a Victorian-era corpse (Sprouse). According to the logline of the film, the two then “embark on a murderous journey to find love, happiness and a few missing body parts.”
Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2
Directed by: Rhys Frake-Waterfield
Cast: Scott Chambers, Ryan Oliva
Release date: 14 February
About the film: Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 is the sequel to the 2023 movie of the same name, which, unexpectedly, was one of the most talked-about movies.
Despite the critical drubbing it received, the first instalment, which was made on a budget of less than USD 100,000, earned USD 6 million worldwide. This resulted in the makers agreeing to a sequel, which, according to The Hollywood Reporter, has been made on a budget of around USD 1 million.
The plot of the sequel is not known, but the roles of Christopher Robin and Winnie-the-Pooh are being played by new cast members, Chambers and Oliva, respectively.
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Imaginary
Directed by: Jeff Wadlow
Cast: DeWanda Wise, Tom Payne, Taegen Burns, Pyper Braun, Veronica Falcón, Betty Buckley
Release date: 8 March
About the film: The supernatural-horror revolves around Jessica (Wise), a woman whose stepdaughter, Alice (Braun), has grown attached to a teddy bear she calls Chauncey. Jessica discovers to her horror that Alice is exhibiting dangerous behavioural changes, and Chauncey is more than just a stuffed toy.
The Watchers
Directed by: Ishana Night Shyamalan
Cast: Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell
Release date: 7 June
About the film: The Watchers marks the feature-length directorial debut of Manoj Night Shyamalan’s daughter, Ishana.
Based on the A.M. Shine horror novel of the same name, the film follows Mina (Fanning), a woman travelling the Western Irish countryside. When her car breaks down and she is forced to wander through a forest in the night, Mina finds herself trapped with three strangers inside a bunker. Outside it are monstrous creatures observing them through a glass wall.
A Quiet Place: Day One
Directed by: Michael Sarnoski
Cast: Lupita Nyong’o, Joseph Quinn, Djimon Hounsou, Alex Wolff, Denis O’Hare
Release date: 28 June
About the film: A Quiet Place: Day One is the third instalment of the A Quiet Place film series. The movie serves as a prequel to the first two films. Reports suggest that even though plot details have not been disclosed, the film will centre on a group of new characters in the early days of the alien invasion by bloodthirsty creatures. At least two of the main protagonists will be essayed by Oscar-winner Nyong’o and Stranger Things star Quinn.
The film was previously planned for a March 2024 release but had to be postponed due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.
Stree 2
Directed by: Amar Kaushik
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Abhishek Banerjee, Aparshakti Khurana, Vijay Raaz, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Tamannaah Bhatia, Varun Dhawan
Release date: 30 August
About the film: One of the most-awaited horror movies of 2024 in India, Stree 2 is the first direct sequel to the critically acclaimed Stree (2018). It is part of a shared universe created by film producer Dinesh Vijan, whose other movies include Roohi (2021) and Bhediya (2022).
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Although the plot of Stree 2 is not known, Indian media reports suggest that it will likely revolve around the story of the witch from the first film. In July, Rao shared a first-look motion poster of the sequel, which shows that it is set in the same village of Chanderi as the original. It also hinted that the sequel will see the villagers terrorised by a headless entity.
Speak No Evil
Directed by: James Watkins
Cast: James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Scoot McNairy
Release date: 9 August
About the film: A remake of the acclaimed 2022 Danish film of the same name, Speak No Evil is about a family who faces a nightmarish situation at an idyllic country house with another family while on their dream vacation.
Beetlejuice 2
Directed by: Tim Burton
Cast: Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, Willem Dafoe
Release date: 6 September
About the film: Beetlejuice 2 boasts some of the most famous names in acting, working under the direction of the maverick Tim Burton. In fact, the career of Burton, who is famous for his long association with Johnny Depp, took off with the success of the original Beetlejuice in 1988, which won an Oscar for Best Makeup.
As a sequel to the massively popular Beetlejuice, the film is one of the most highly anticipated horror movies of 2024. Not much is known about the plot of the sequel, except some character details. Keaton reprises his role as the titular troublemaking ghost. Joining him from the original is Winona Ryder, who returns as Lydia. Jenna Ortega plays Lydia’s daughter.
Saw XI
Directed by: TBA
Cast: Tobin Bell
Release date: 27 September
About the film: The critical acclaim of Saw X (2023) led to the confirmation of the 11th film in the franchise in December of the same year. Reports suggest that Bell, who has played John Kramer aka Jigsaw in all the movies except one in the acclaimed horror film series, will reprise his role in the upcoming instalment.
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The makers have not revealed plot details, cast or crew members. The only things known are the expected release date, based on a cryptic hint in Roman numerals in the official poster, and the words, “The game continues,” indicating that Saw XI may go deeper into Jigsaw’s personal life.
Terrifier 3
Directed by: Damien Leone
Cast: Lauren LaVera, Elliott Fullam, David Howard Thornton, Samantha Scaffidi
Release date: 25 October
About the film: Terrifier 3 is a slasher film which is the third instalment in the Terrifier franchise. Expectations are very high from it, especially since the second instalment earned a worldwide gross of USD 15 million on a budget of just USD 250,000.
Its story is about the return of the terrifying Art the Clown (Thornton) who unleashes chaos on the residents of the peaceful Miles County on Christmas Eve. Besides Thornton, returning cast members include Lauren LaVera as Sienna Shaw, Samantha Scaffidi as Victoria Heyes and pro-wrestler actor Chris Jericho as Burke.
Nosferatu
Directed by: Robert Eggers
Cast: Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Willem Dafoe
Release date: 25 December
About the film: Nosferatu is not just one of the most-anticipated horror movies of 2024, it is also among the biggest expected releases of the year. This is both because of its stellar ensemble cast and it being only the second remake of the landmark 1922 German Expressionist film of the same name which popularised the vampire genre in cinema. The original German film was, in turn, an unofficial adaptation of Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula.
According to Focus Features, the makers, Nosferatu is “a gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.” Nothing else is known about the film. A still on Focus Features’ official site, however, shows Lily-Rose Depp’s character Ellen Hutter looking out a window in a state of dread, with the shadow of a large hand with pointed fingers cast on her face.
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(Hero and Featured images: Courtesy of Michelle K. Short – © 2023 – Focus Features/IMDb)
This article first appeared on Lifestyle Asia India
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
– Which horror movie is banned?
Several horror movies have been banned in the past. Among the famous ones are The Exorcist (1973), which was banned in parts of Great Britain, and The Evil Dead (1981), which faced a ban in several countries, including Finland, Ukraine and Singapore.
