From MaXXXine to Terrifier 3 by way of new Nosferatu and Alien movies, EJ Moreno looks ahead at the 2024 horror movie slate…
After a hit-or-miss year for the horror genre in 2023, we’re now looking towards another year’s offerings to deliver something frightening and fresh. We’ve collected a handful of the most anticipated and most talked about upcoming horror films, all of which are at least confirmed at the time of writing. While the Hollywood slate can shift at any time, these movies, we hope, get a wide release and a lot of buzz. Check out our list below…
Honorable Mentions:
- The First Omen
- The Strangers Chapter 1
A Quiet Place: Day One
With A Quiet Place officially becoming a cinematic universe with this movie, it will be interesting to see if the film can handle the weight of that pressure. A Quiet Place: Day One looks to expand the story, but will it be needed in horror? The past entries say this could be a smash hit.
The prequel features a stellar cast that includes Lupita Nyong’o, Joseph Quinn, and a returning Djimon Hounsou. Venturing outside the Emily Blunt-focused stories could help draw in a new group but could give the marketing more work on selling the film as something audiences are familiar with. But a solid trailer could grab people back into what became an almost pop culture phenomenon.
Without director John Krasinski leading the way, the alien sci-fi horror franchise is entering a new world, and it will be make or break for the budding franchise.
Lisa Frankenstein
Building the perfect lover isn’t a new story by any means; we saw it in 2023 with Poor Things. But it never hurts to know the story through a different lens. That’s why all eyes are on the horror comedy Lisa Frankenstein by writer Diablo Cody and filmmaker Zelda Williams.
The daughter of the legendary Robin Williams enters the world of filmmaker, and by the looks of the trailer, will bring a much-needed breath of fresh air to cinema. Quirky, cute, and fresh, Lisa Frankenstein updates the iconic story with a new vibe that will likely bring in a new generation. And with Diablo Cody attached, there’s a chance to add some real iconic dialogue to make this a cult classic, at the very least.
Zelda Williams is unproven, and the last Diablo Cody horror film took years to catch on, but something is screaming to the Gen Z market here, and they’re powerful.
Alien: Romulus
Alien: Romulus is one of the most mysterious projects on the list; it’s safe to say that a new Alien entry comes with a certain amount of hype. Even following things like Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, you can’t keep Xenomorph fans from watching the space horror madness unfold.
Little is known about the plot, except that it features a younger cast than usual and will be set between the events of Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986). The semi-standalone project will allow fans to experience the universe with the baggage of Ripley sequels or whatever Ridley Scott is cooking up this time. It’s hopefully a brand-new take that includes all the alien goodies we’ve come to love.
Cailee Spaeny & Isabela Merced are two young actresses with strong presences on-screen and will likely make this new Alien outing shine brighter than you’d expect.
Terrifier 3
In recent years, the Terrifier franchise has become a modern horror powerhouse. Art The Clown is the first horror baddie to become mainstream in years, and the movies have fueled tons of online chatter. That’s why a third film is likely to become another smash hit.
Terrifier 3 also has the added twist that it’s a Christmas horror film. That will likely spark controversy while providing genre fans with cheerful glee; those are two things you want from the genre. Can director Damien Leone keep topping himself with gore and madness? Who knows, but the filmmaker will try and most likely repulse us in the best way. Art The Clown (Santa’s Version) is bound to be the talk of the town in 2024.
Let’s hope the filmmakers have learned from the sequel and perfected the formula even more, as there’s a true slasher classic waiting to unfold here.
MaXXXine
It took a few years for indie filmmaker Ti West to find his groove, but when he did, he made his mark on modern horror. The one-two punch of X and then its prequel Pearl shook horror fans and gave A24 another notch in their belt. Now, MaXXXine looks to do it all over again, 80s style!
Mia Goth is back as Maxine, first introduced in the 70s-set X, and looks to make her name in the film industry. While it seems she’s going down a darker path, the horror final girl is ready for whatever is thrown her way. With X capturing its era well and Pearl being a technicolor masterclass, we’re thrilled to see what Ti West & Mia Goth cook up with the filthy glamour promised in MaXXXine.
Early rumblings of the film call this film the best of the trilogy so far, so let’s hope it can handle the hype and deliver something we’ll remember for years to come.
Nosferatu
Girls and ghouls, prepare for what madness awaits us with Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu. The filmmaker has made quite the splash with films like The Witch, The Lighthouse, and the action epic The Northman, but from what we’ve seen on this, we are in for something unique.
Eggers takes on the classic vampire tale, throwing back to the good ol’ days of Count Orlok, and has the transformative Bill Skarsgård in the lead role. With that type of combo (and a wild Willem Dafoe thrown in), Nosferatu is shaping up to be the horror event of the 2020s. Give the film some killer marketing and an iconic trailer, and we’re looking at a smash hit or at least a cult classic in the making.
Eggers has nothing to prove, as he’s done some masterful work before, but there’s something about this project that has the aura of a filmmaker waiting to wow you.
SEE ALSO: The Flickering Myth Horror Awards 2023
Which horror movies are you most excited for in 2024? Let us know on our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
EJ Moreno
