10/01/2017

2016 was a great year for horror, even in the mainstream, proving that the genre hasn’t gone anywhere. For every 31, OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL, and THE SHALLOWS, we got HUSH, DON’T BREATHE, CONJURING 2, and TRAIN TO BUSAN. As we’re closing out a rather turbulent year, we’re taking a look at a sampling of our most anticipated horror films coming up in 2017, no official order.

SPLIT: (January 20, 2017)

While nearly become a cliche of himself, M. Night Shyamalan scored well with audiences in his last film, THE VISIT, going back to storytelling and leaving himself out of the movie. SPLIT looks to do the same, as the always amazing James McAvoy, a man with 24 different personalities, kidnaps three girls, including Anya Taylor-Joy. They must learn to manipulate several of the personalities to help them escape before the dreaded “Beast” arrives.

RINGS: (February 3, 2017)

Even though it’s been delayed on four separate occasions, it’s been confirmed that the third film in THE RING series is locked down for a February release. This entry follows Faith (Laura Wiggins) who discovers her boyfriend Holt (Alex Roe) has been meddling with the Samara death tape. In an effort to save him she also watches and she has seven days to find a way to escape the evil force before she is the latest victim.

A CURE FOR WELLNESS (February 17, 2017)

This Gore Verbinski film looks nothing short of both creepy and mesmerizing. According to the film’s website: “An ambitious young executive is sent to retrieve his company’s CEO from an idyllic but mysterious “wellness center” at a remote location in the Swiss Alps. He soon suspects that the spa’s miraculous treatments are not what they seem. When he begins to unravel its terrifying secrets, his sanity is tested, as he finds himself diagnosed with the same curious illness that keeps all the guests here longing for the cure.” Verbinski has previously shown that he can do the job previously with THE RING and this looks to leave audiences wondering what planet they’re on.

GET OUT (February 24, 2017)

Written and directed by Jordan Peele, there has been some confusion as to what genre or tone this film is. Starring Keith Stanfield, Allison Williams, and Catherine Keener, the film follows a young African-American man who visits his caucasian girlfriend’s family and discovers that along with the disturbing family and neighbors, there may be more insidious reasons he’s there. It looks like this will be a dark but intelligent film that layers on social commentary into the story.

THE BELKO EXPERIMENT (March 17, 2016)

80 office workers in Columbia suddenly find themselves locked in their office building and become part of a twisted social experiment where co-workers are forced to turn on each other in order to survive. Written and produced by James Gunn between his time on GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 1 and 2, it stars Josh Brener, Adria Arjona, and Michael Rooker.

AMITYVILLE: THE AWAKENING (June 30, 2017)

Single mother Joan (Jennifer Jason Leigh) moves into a large but cheap house (wonder why?) with Belle (Bella Thorne) and her sister Juliet (Mckenna Grace) along with their comatose brother James (Cameron Monaghan.) As strange things become to happen in the house and Bella starts to envision things, she begins investigating exactly where they have moved into. And things are only getting started when her brother suddenly wakes up.

ANNABELLE 2 (August 11, 2017)

After the first film didn’t sit well with many audiences, David F. Sandberg is taking the story of the haunted doll back. Way back. After their little girl dies, a doll maker and his wife take in a nun and several orphaned girls to help after their orphanage is closed. When the doll seems to take on characteristics of being possessed, the entire family may be in her sights. Stars Miranda Otto, Stephanie Sigman, and Alicia Vela-Bailey.

IT (September 8, 2017)

A new take on both Stephen King’s classic novel and the 1990 mini-series, IT follows a small group of kids who are haunted by a terrorizing monster who can take shapes to prey on the fears of its victims. Bill Skarsgård takes on the role of Pennywise the Clown and is directed by Andres Muschietti. While no one can ever replace Tim Curry as one of the most infamous clowns in history, photos of Skarsgard reinforce that Pennywise will lose none of his scariness.

BYE BYE MAN (January 13, 2017)

Taking on flavors of IT FOLLOWS, three college students discover a murderous entity that passes through hosts to commit its killing sprees. The students race to find the creature’s origins and the secret to destroying it or avoid becoming infected. If hearing the phrase “don’t think it, don’t say it” keeps echoing through your mind, head out to the theater and check it out.

FRIDAY THE 13TH (October 13, 2017)

After being in development hell for years, pieces are starting to come together for the upcoming reboot(?) with director Breck Eisner. There have been multiple plots and formats (don’t worry, it’s NOT going to be found-footage) but one thing is certain, our favorite killer is going to be walking briskly through the woods again soon, with October 13th being the absolute perfect release date.

INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 4 (September 28, 2017)

The further adventures of Elise, Specs, and Tucker, this Leigh Whannell written and Adam Robitel directed 4th entry has the return of franchise stars Lin Shaye, AngusSampson, and Whannell himself. Those some images have come forth, there hasn’t been a lot of information on plot or details of the story, but you can bet that we’ll be exploring deeper into The Further to save more haunted souls.

SAW: LEGACY (October 27, 2018)

The owner of the Halloween box office returns to its throne as we head back into the world of torture and traps. Details are sparse or nonexistent and we have no idea if John/Jigsaw will return and if it’s even a continuation of the original storyline, or if it involves a copy cat who wants to carry on Jigsaw’s legacy.

CULT OF CHUCKY (October 2017)

One of the few franchises that spans nearly 30 years without being rebooted, (the original Child’s Play was written directed by our own Tom Holland,) the seventh film follows CURSE OF CHUCKY’s Nica as she spends time in an asylum for the events in the last film, as a smiling, innocent Good Guy Doll starts picking off patients left and right. CULT OF CHUCKY sees the return of one-of- a-kind voice Brad Dourif and his daughter Fiona Dourif, along with the return of franchise favorites Jennifer Tilly and original CHILD’S PLAY 1 and 2 hero Alex Vincent, all grown up.

SUSPIRIA (2017, no firm release date yet)

A remake of Dario Argento’s classic 1977 film that has been met with some hesitation and hostility, the Luca Guadagnino directed film involves a ballet dancer who attends a prestigious dance school, who after a series of murders discovers that sinister and supernatural forces may be behind them. Chloe Grace Moretz, Dakota Johnson, and Tilda Swinton are set to star in the film.

XX (February 17, 2017)

From the film’s website: “XX is a new horror anthology with a gender twist – all segments will be helmed by female directors and will star female leads. The directors have been given free creative rein within budget and time constraints, but all of the segments themselves will involve the horror genre.” The film will debut on multiple on-demand services on release.

Rock Paper Dead (2017)

Michael Madsen, Tatum O’Neal, Jennifer Titus and Luke Macfarlane have joined the cast of Tom Holland’s horror film Rock Paper Dead, which follows a serial killer’s return to his family estate after being released from a mental hospital supposedly a “cured” man. The film will be released this year year.

The film brings together a crew who are legendary in the genre including Vincent Guastini (Requiem for a Dream), Victor Miller (Friday the 13th) and composer Harry Manfredini — also stars Anna Margaret (Scream Queens), Maureen McCormick (The Brady Bunch) and Gabriel Stone (Death House).

There are probably dozens of more horror films coming to us over the next 12 months that we could spend hours talking about. You can be certain that we will be filling your eye holes with trailers, images, news, and reviews for all of these films and more throughout what’s sure to be another amazing year of horror. Which are you excited about watching this year? Are there any missing here that’s on the top of your own list?

Let us know in the comments!

Jason Stollery has horror films encoded into his DNA, going so far as to name his sons Michael and Fred. He can be found talking film on Twitter @smegghed.

Source: Tom Holland’s Terror Time