2021 saw the horror nation slowly return to theatres to welcome back some of our favorite icons as well as be introduced to some new not so friendly fiends. James Wan once again cemented his iconic status with a fresh take on multiple personality disorder with “Malignant.” Director Scott Cooper gave us an artistically tremendous outing with “Antlers,” and director Josh Ruben created a new horror comedy classic with “Werewolves Within.” While these original fresh films lit up our dark hearts, the new takes on old tales led the horror nation down a different path. Mike P. Nelson’s take on the Wrong Turn franchise took an unusual trek through those famous woods, leaving fans of the franchise scratching their heads. Jordan Peele produced “Candyman” update left audiences with a bitter taste in their mouths. The biggest horror film of the year was also the most controversial. “Halloween Kills” was praised by some as a blood-soaked super sequel, while others felt the film strayed too far from the creepy origins that made Mr. Myers an icon. While horror films were hit or miss in 2021, horror literature continued a raging renaissance. Richard Chizmar and Grady Hendrix rolled out two instant New York Times Best Sellers with, “Chasing The Boogeyman” and “The Final Girls Support Group” respectively. Will 2022 see more original content come to the mainstream, or will returns to some of our favorite franchises garner better reception?
JANUARY: SCREAM
Franchise staple Kevin Williamson takes over as producer this time round with the team from “Ready or Not” scripting and helming the film. Sydney, Dewey, and Gail are all back as a new ghostface killer starts terrorizing a new group of teens in Woodsboro, hoping to revel secrets from the town’s deadly past. The early trailer showed us some slick new technology mixed in with old school scream legacy, but will that be enough to revamp the franchise?
February: TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE
Netflix will release the newest version of the iconic series. Producing and writing the original story, Fede Alvarez oversaw the production that was helmed by David Blue Garcia. In this direct sequel to the original, hipsters from Austin stroll into town in attempts to gentrify the community. Standing in their way is a local legend with a saw to grind. Alvarez burst onto the scene with his “Evil Dead” reboot and solidified himself as a major player with “Don’t Breathe.” It was a slippery step into the role of producer as “Don’t Breathe 2” failed to capture the intensity of his first two films. Does he create another super sequel to a classic franchise, or will this installment join several others as quickly forgotten?
April: Morbius
“Morbius” is now set to be released this April, after what is the fifth delay. Nothing the team behind the film could have prevented with the first wave of the pandemic but, with several films that were completed before “Morbius” having been released, one has to wonder why the studio did not attempt to release the film in the summer of 2021. With a passionate built-in audience and stars Jared Leto and Michael Keaton, the film looked like a sure-fire smash. This April will hopefully provide the long-awaited fans a long-toothed return for their patience.
July: Nope
After producing the disappointing “Candyman” spiritual sequel, Jordan Peele once again steps behind the lens for his newest outing, “Nope.” Not much is known about the film, but an early poster with a peculiar cloud floating past a city, has fans wondering if Peele will venture into alien territory. After the award winning “Get Out,” Peele floundered with “Us.” Will “Nope” reinstate Peele as a modern master of horror, or has his time come and gone?
July: How To Sell A Haunted House
Grady Hendrix is arguably the biggest name in horror literature. 2021’s “The Final Girl Support Group” was another smash hit following his last two sensations, “My Best Friend’s Exorcism” and “The Southern Book Club’s Guide To Slaying Vampires.” Only vague details about the incoming book have been revealed. This outing looks to delve into a family’s dark history. With another quirky title, and Hendrix’s mix of horror and comedy abound, “How To Sell A Haunted House” looks to be another best seller.
August: Clown In A Cornfield 2
Author Adam Cesare showed the horror nation that a young adult novel can be fun for fans of all ages. “Clown In A Cornfield” was a basic slasher tale, set for young adults, but left horror hounds barking for more with the book’s blood soaked third act. Cesare goes against standard publishing rules and honors the genre by simply calling the next installment part 2, refreshing to see. Early details tell the tale of heroine Quinn fighting off conspiracies that the massacre never happened. Once she is attacked back in her hometown of Philadelphia, Quinn must once again fight for her life. If this sequel can match the slasher style of the original, the fans are in for another blood-soaked book.
October: Halloween Ends
Will it? If the box office returns come anywhere close to the first two installments in this updated trilogy, the answer is no. The Blum team could never have imagined that the first two films would gross over a half a billion dollars in gross revenue. After the fiscal success of “Halloween Kills,” talks from the studio have already spoken of several more films in the Halloween universe coming to a theater or streaming service near you. After surviving a beat down from the Haddonfield citizens, Myers will return to roam those streets once more in what is supposed to be the conclusion of Laurie Strode’s saga. The film is to be set two years after “Halloween Kills,” and the surviving characters will be not only battling the scars from the previous film, but also the horrors of a pandemic. Laurie and her granddaughter will both be returning, but no plot details have revealed if Laurie’s daughter survived her last frame attack. While this trilogy has split the horror nation in two, another financial hit is sure to ensue, because evil never dies, and monsters make money.
