![\"\"](\"https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/themes\/pmc-variety-2020\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\")
\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\tHorror films have been a staple of cinema since at least the 1920s, when \u201cThe Cabinet of Doctor Caligari\u201d and \u201cNosferatu\u201d defined postwar German Expressionism. Today, the genre has been defined and redefined through myriad artists who have brought their visions to even greater audiences. Variety\u2019s first Horror Impact Report highlights the filmmakers, producers, executives, voices and festival mavens pushing the boundaries of genre films and content. Variety will also host the Hollywood and Horror event Oct. 15, where speakers include Jason Blum and Sam Zimmerman, senior VP, programming, at Shudder.<\/p>\n
\tRichard Brener, Dave Neustadter<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tRichard Brener
President, chief content office
Dave Neustadter
Executive VP, production & head of creative development
New Line Cinema<\/p>\n
\n\t
Thirty-year New Line vet Brener leads New Line while Neustadter oversees the company\u2019s horror hits, including all nine films in \u201cThe Conjuring\u201d franchise. The latest, \u201cThe Conjuring: Last Rites,\u201d set a record as the biggest opening for a horror film at $194 million worldwide in early September. It beat out 2017\u2019s \u201cIt,\u201d which Neustadter also shepherded. Another recent New Line-produced hit, \u201cWeapons,\u201d scored for Warner Bros., as did \u201cCompanion.\u201d And \u201cFinal Destination: Bloodlines\u201d revived the franchise. Upcoming projects include the anticipated \u201cMortal Kombat II,\u201d Lee Cronin\u2019s \u201cThe Mummy\u201d and \u201cThe Revenge of La Llorona.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tZach Cregger<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\t
Filmmaker
Cregger directed a contender for the year\u2019s best horror film and one of the summer\u2019s most unexpected hits: \u201cWeapons,\u201d grossing over $250 million at the worldwide box office. Cregger slipped onto the horror scene in 2022 with his feature debut \u201cBarbarian,\u201d emerging from comedy \u2014 he was one of the lead creators and stars of the sketch series \u201cThe Whitest Kids U Know.\u201d Up next, Cregger will direct the new \u201cResident Evil\u201d film adaptation, based on a script he co-wrote with Shay Hatten.<\/p>\n
\tRyan Coogler<\/p>\n
\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Gareth Cattermole\/Getty Images f\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tFilmmaker
Coogler\u2019s box office hit \u201cSinners\u201d was a complex history of the Jim Crow South and the different cultures that combined into a legacy that managed to thrive under societal repression disguised as a banger of a vampire horror pic. It had everything a horror aficionado could want: gore, classic vampire lore, lots of violence and Michael B. Jordan going all Rambo on a bunch of white supremacists.<\/p>\n
\tNia DaCosta<\/p>\n
\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Jed Cullen\/Dave Benett\/Getty Ima\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tFilmmaker
Genre films have always dealt in issues that impact marginilized members of society, and DaCosta certainly addresses themes surrounding the Black community and women, and with 2021\u2019s \u201cCandyman,\u201d she jumped into horror. A Black female director is, unfortunately, rare, but DaCosta rode the success of \u201cCandyman\u201d into \u201cThe Marvels,\u201d and her own twist on Hedda Gabler with \u201cHedda.\u201d But fans are really excited about what she\u2019ll bring to Sony\u2019s zombie thriller \u201c28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,\u201d part two of \u201c28 Years Later.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tMitch Davis<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tArtistic director & director of international programming, Fantasia Film Festival
Davis is the longest-running genre-festival programmer in North America, racking up respect at Montreal\u2019s massive and influential international Fantasia Film Festival, where he\u2019s been since 1997. The festival slots fiction features, animation, shorts and docs, and also sports juried competition sections and audience awards. Davis is also a director and producer, and has written about genre for several publications and books.<\/p>\n
\tLisa Dreyer<\/p>\n
\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Trevor Garza\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tDirector, Fantastic Fest
As head of the largest and most influential genre festival in the U.S., Dreyer has a huge impact on horror features, and as the Austin, Texas-based fest celebrates its 20-year anniversary, it has played a huge role in championing independent genre filmmakers. She started at the fest as a volunteer in 2018 and was named director in 2022. Under her watch, such fan faves as \u201cV\/H\/S\/ Beyond\u201c and \u201cSaw X\u201d bowed, while Dreyer & Co. Continue to champion fresh voices. One new initiative is Fantastic Pitches in partnership with Chroma Pictures in which the winning pitch gets $100,000 to complete their film, a guaranteed world premiere at Fantastic Fest 2026 and global all-rights distribution through Chroma, which is backed by Narrative Distribution.<\/p>\n
\tXero Gravity<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Andrew Fennell\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tJournalist
A genre writer who has contributed to publications like Fangoria, BET and Dread Central, Gravity is focused on sharpening a distinctive social media voice showcasing the best of the genre. From interviews to videos to hosting vibrant panels and discussions, Gravity brings an energy that mixes knowledge, professionalism and fan excitement.<\/p>\n
\tHeidi Honeycutt<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tDirector of programming, Etheria Film Festival
Along with Stacy Pippi Hammon, Honeycutt co-founded the Etheria Film Festival in 2014, and serves as the director of programming. The Kansas City, Mo.-based festival showcases short genre films directed by women. It has been a platform for creatives like Chloe Okuno, Axelle Carolyn and Rose McGowan, and has partnered with Shudder to show selected films.<\/p>\n
\tStephen King<\/p>\n
\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Variety via Getty Images\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tWriter
King has been writing horror classics for more than 50 years, and his works have been adapted for film, TV and even Broadway almost as long as he\u2019s been writing them. But in 2025, King\u2019s works have been especially popular: on the big screen, there\u2019s \u201cThe Monkey\u201d to \u201cThe Long Walk\u201d to \u201cThe Running Man\u201d and \u201cThe Institute\u201d and \u201cIt\u201d spinoff \u201cWelcome to Derry\u201d on the small screen. The prolific writer\u2019s works continue to be fertile ground for adaptations.<\/p>\n
\tJustin LaLiberty<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tProducer, Vinegar Syndrome
Director of operations, OCN Distribution
LaLiberty has been an archivist at Vinegar Syndrome, the distribution company focused on genre, cult and horror films, since 2019. He\u2019s also the director of operations at OCN Distribution, a sister company that handles manufacturing and fulfillment. Vinegar Syndrome has given new life to countless nearly-lost giallo, slasher and exploitation classics, including collections like \u201cBloodstained Italy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tRoy Lee<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: FilmMagic\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tProducer
A giant in the genre sector, Lee\u2019s prolific output includes such seminal hits as \u201cThe Ring,\u201d \u201cThe Grudge\u201d and their sequels, \u201cThe Woman in Black\u201d and \u201cBarbarian.\u201d Through his Spooky Pictures shingle, Lee also produced 2024 hit \u201cLate Night With the Devil.\u201d In 2025, he saw \u201cCompanion\u201d do brisk business, while \u201cWeapons\u201d was summer\u2019s sleeper hit. Stephen King adaptation \u201cThe Long Walk\u201d scored at the box office in a September release. Upcoming projects in development include a remake of the 1978 horror-thriller \u201cMagic,\u201d and a long-in-development \u201cBioshock\u201d feature.<\/p>\n
\tAdam Lewinson<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Tubi\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tChief content officer, Tubi
Tubi has grown quickly by recognizing that niche programming doesn\u2019t mean small numbers. The streamer offers a huge selection of genre features and series (free with commercial breaks) that has created a loyal following among genre fans. Tubi has also been producing original horror content since 2022, including \u201cGreat White Waters\u201d and \u201cPlease Don\u2019t Feed the Children.\u201d In June, Tubi announced that it hit 100 million monthly active users. \u201cYou have to hyper-focus on personalization, and making sure that your viewers are watching what\u2019s really relevant to them,\u201d he said in June at a streaming conference.<\/p>\n
\tMary Beth McAndrews<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Mary Beth\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tEditor-in-chief, Dread Central
A filmmaker, author and critic, McAndrews\u2019 Dread Central is a go-to website for horror fans. There, she has sought to expand the content and writing pool to \u201cprovide a platform for underrepresented voices not just in film, but in horror journalism\u201d with a spotlight on minority voices in the genre. She also co-hosts the \u201cScarred for Life\u201d podcast and has run fundraisers with the site\u2019s \u201cHorror Is Political\u201d merchandise to raise money for such organizations as the Trevor Project.<\/p>\n
\tAndy and Barbara Muschietti<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tFilmmakers, producers
The director and producer behind the blockbuster \u201cIt\u201d franchise look to expand the Stephen King universe even more with \u201cIt: Welcome to Derry\u201d for HBO Max. Bill Skarsg\u00e5rd reprises his role as the terrifying clown Pennywise. In 2021, the brother and sister team launched label Double Dream, with \u201cAttack on Titan\u201d in development<\/p>\n
\tPhil Nobile Jr.<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Credit: Nanor Zinzalian\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tEditor-in-chief, Fangoria
Nobile became Fangoria editor-in-chief in 2018 and under his tenure he evolved the magazine into a prestige quarterly publication, featuring bylines from such auteurs as Paul Thomas Anderson, Jordan Peele and Stephen Graham Jones. He\u2019s also pushed the 46-year-old brand into a more vocally progressive position over the years, both editorially and via initiatives like Fango\u2019s annual Pride shirt fundraiser, which has raised tens of thousands of dollars for local LGBTQ+ organizations. He\u2019s the executive producer of the acclaimed documentaries\u00a0\u201cHorror Noire\u201d\u00a0and\u00a0\u201cQueer for Fear.\u201d <\/p>\n
\tTom Owen<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tVP, network strategy, Cineverse
Co-founder of genre site Bloody Disgusting, which was acquired by Cinedigm (now Cineverse) in 2021, Owen oversees an expanding horror media empire that includes podcasts, publishing, events, social media platforms and most importnat, fast-growing streamer Screambox, home of hit movies and series including \u201cTerrifier 2\u201d and \u201cTerrifier 3,\u201d as well as recent pickup \u201cPig Hill\u201d and such theatrical releases as \u201cThe Toxic Avenger.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tOsgood Perkins<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tFilmmaker, producer
Perkins wrote and directed well-received atmospheric slow burns like \u201cThe Blackcoat\u2019s Daughter\u201d and \u201cI Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House\u201d but it was the one-two punch of \u201cLonglegs\u201d in late 2024 and \u201cThe Monkey\u201d in early 2025 that solidified him as one of the genre\u2019s most unique and fascinating filmmakers. His films mix genuine dread with a spirit of fun and serve as fascinating character studies with standout performances. His latest directorial effort, \u201cThe Keeper,\u201d hits theaters in November.<\/p>\n
\tDanny and Michael Philippou<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tFilmmakers
The Australian identical twin brothers made a splash among genre fans when they transitioned from YouTube creators to directing the energetic and emotional 2023 supernatural feature \u201cTalk to Me.\u201d That film took in $143 million worldwide. The duo returned in 2025 with the darker follow-up \u201cBring Her Back.\u201d On the horizon, they are set to direct a \u201cTalk to Me\u201d sequel for A24.<\/p>\n
\tPeter Phok<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Getty Images for A24\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tProducer
The producer\u2019s close collaboration with filmmaker Ti West has yielded such cult favorites as the \u201cX\u201d trilogy \u2014 \u201cPearl,\u201d \u201cMaxxine\u201d and \u201cX\u201d \u2014 as well the \u201cThe House of the Devil\u201d and \u201cThe Innkeepers.\u201d Upcoming is Sonja O\u2019Hara\u2019s \u201cCottagecore,\u201d which Verve Ventures and UTA Independent Film Group introduced to buyers at June\u2019s Tribeca Creators Market, and Jenny Leigh Reed\u2019s \u201cFeed\u201d in July\u2019s Fronti\u00e8res Co-Production Market, which runs in conjunction with the Fantasia Intl. Film Festival.<\/p>\n
\tRyan Turek<\/p>\n
\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Molly Pan\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tProducer, VP, development, Blumhouse
Turek, whose credits include \u201cM3GAN,\u201d \u201cFive Nights at Freddy\u2019s\u201d and \u201cImaginary,\u201d among others, started as a journalist who co-founded the influential DreadCentral.com and then moved into production. His next project for the genre powerhouse is \u201cInsidious 6,\u201d which he is executive producing. This new entry follows the massive success of 2023\u2019s \u201cInsidious: The Red Door,\u201d which earned nearly $190 million globally. The sixth installment of the Blumhouse production is slated for release in August 2026 by Sony Pictures.<\/p>\n
\tEli Roth<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Val Flores\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tFilmmaker, producer
Few names in horror carry as much weight as Roth\u2019s. In 2025, the \u201cCabin Fever\u201d and \u201cHostel\u201d filmmaker showed no sign of slowing down within the genre, launching the Horror Section with Media Capital Technologies in March, allowing fans to directly support Roth\u2019s forthcoming films and share in their profits. Its first acquisition was \u201cJimmy and Stiggs,\u201d written and directed by Joe Begos, that was released in August on 800 screens. Roth\u2019s got \u201cIce Cream Man\u201d for the Horror Section on deck, which he is slated to direct, produce and write. Roth exec produced docuseries \u201cLet the Devil In,\u201d which is a hit for MGM+<\/p>\n
\tJames Wan<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\t
CEO, founder, Atomic Monster
The visionary director who kicked off the \u201cSaw,\u201d \u201cInsidious\u201d and \u201cConjuring\u201d franchises, Wan saw the latter come to a conclusion this year, serving as a producer on blockbuster \u201cThe Conjuring: Last Rights.\u201d Under his production company, Atomic Monster, he also produced \u201cThe Monkey\u201d and \u201cM3GAN 2.0\u201d this year and is set to release five more titles in 2026. Fans can look forward to Netflix\u2019s \u201cTrue Haunting\u201d series, set to drop Oct. 7, from the master of horror.<\/p>\n
\tSamara Weaving<\/p>\n
\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Getty Images\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tActor
Weaving\u2019s turn in such films as \u201cThe Babysitter\u201d and its sequel, \u201cMayhem,\u201d \u201cReady or Not,\u201d \u201cScream VI\u201d and \u201cAzrael\u201d has made her the most recent royal in the \u201cscream queen\u201d pantheon. The versatile actor has edgy thriller \u201cOver Your Dead Body,\u201d \u201cCaroline Caroline\u201d and \u201cReady or Not: Here I Come\u201d on deck.<\/p>\n
\tSam Zimmerman<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tSenior VP, programming and acquisitions, Shudder
As genre streamer Shudder celebrates its 10th anniversary, it upped Zimmerman, who has worked with such filmmakers as Issa L\u00f3pez, Chloe Okuno, Jayro Bustamante, Coralie Fargeat, Josh Ruben, David Bruckner, Demian Rugna and Jennifer Reeder. Managing the curation of the seminal horror label and deeply involved in every aspect of the streamer, Zimmerman oversaw the streaming and theatrical releases of \u201cThe Ugly Stepsister,\u201d \u201cThe Rule of Jenny Pen,\u201d and \u201cClown in a Cornfield.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Horror films have been a staple of cinema since at least the 1920s, when \u201cThe Cabinet of Doctor…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":188784,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[96,83026,2839,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-188783","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-movies","tag-entertainment","tag-horror-impact-report","tag-movies","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188783","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=188783"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188783\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/188784"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=188783"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=188783"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=188783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}