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Filming is underway on My Secret Santa, a brand-new live-action romantic comedy that will likely be part of Netflix’s 2025 Christmas lineup. To celebrate, Netflix has announced four new cast members.

The news of the four new cast members comes just a week after we reported that Virgin River star Alexandra Breckenridge had joined the cast and would be filming ahead of Virgin River season 7, starting its shoot in Canada a few weeks later and filming officially kicked off on the movie in Kamloops, BC, on February 3rd, with a scheduled wrap for February 27th. Mike Rohl, who worked with Netflix on The Princess Switch and its two sequels, directs. Howard Braunstein Films is producing with the script put together by Carley Smale and Ron Oliver.

Netflix has also released a new synopsis for the film:

“My Secret Santa follows a vivacious single mom who, in need of a job,...

Photo: John Brotherton, Brooke D’Orsay

Credit: ©2024 Hallmark Media/Photographer: Steven Ackerman

Hallmark Channel has announced its new DaySpring movie, Following Yonder Star. Starring Brooke D’Orsay and John Brotherton, the movie is set to premiere as part of the network’s beloved Countdown to Christmas 2024. Read on to learn more about the movie and its cast and view beautiful images taken on the film set.

Following Yonder Star on Hallmark Channel Photo: Naomi Rubel Lifshits, Krish Kapoor

Credit: ©2024 Hallmark Media/Photographer: Steven Ackerman

According to TV Insider, Following Yonder Star is a faith-based DaySpring movie airing as part of Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas 2024.

The movie’s plot tells the story of Abby Marshall (Brooke D’Orsay) a television actress known as an “inspirational mother.” However, when a scandal strikes, Abby needs a quick getaway and decides to head to Vermont.

Photo: Isla Verot, John Brotherton

Credit: ©2024 Hallmark Media/Photographer: Steven Ackerman

However,...

Stars: Antonia Gentry, Megan Best, Madison Bailey, Graham Ashmore, Griffin Gluck | Written by Hannah Macpherson, Michael Kennedy | Directed by Hannah Macpherson

If the plot of Time Cut sounds a bit familiar, it should, Totally Killer covered much of the same ground not that long ago. But despite being released second, Time Cut was actually filmed a year before Totally Killer was announced. Maybe it should have used its time machine to get to our screens first.

The film begins in 2003 in Sweetly, Minnesota, where a killer known as The Sweetly Slasher has been targeting the local teens. Summer’s best friend Emmy was one of the victims, and she’s forced herself to come to the party honouring her and the other victims.

Unfortunately, the party gets some uninvited guests in the form of the police and The Sweetly Slasher himself. In the confusion, Summer ends up becoming a victim herself.

Rjle Films and Shudder give a look at the festive frights of the slasher-comedy It's a Wonderful Knife.

The trailer was shared by Entertainment Weekly with commentary from director Tyler MacIntyre. "It's a Wonderful Knife is a spin on the classic It's a Wonderful Life," he said. "It's about a young woman named Winnie Carruthers who lives in this town that's obsessed with Christmas. There's this tragedy that strikes the town, and she rises to the occasion, but her best friend is killed. We jump forward a year, and she's wracked with guilt, and she's unable to move on, and in her spiral she ends up making this wish that maybe things would be better if she didn't exist. She wakes up into a nightmare version of this town, and there's many more people dead, and it's up to her to solve this mystery before it's too late."

Related: Elevator Game...

The success of 1996's Scream reinvigorated the horror genre after it was seemingly on life support in the 90s. Much like the slasher films that were cranked out following the release of 1978's Halloween and Friday The 13th in 1980, the 90s saw its own horror movie renaissance once Scream made the genre viable again. I Know What You Did Last Summer, Scream 2, Disturbing Behavior, and Halloween: H20 followed, but none seemed more in line with Scream than Urban Legend.

Similar to the Wes Craven hit, Urban Legend had a unique narrative hook to go along with a good-looking ensemble cast stalked by an unknown assailant. Released 25 years ago, Urban Legend was deemed by most critics to be a rip-off of Scream in many ways, but in the years since its initial release, Urban Legend has stood out for its own campy charms that have endured it as a cult classic.

Plot: Supernatural horror, based on the eponymous online phenomenon, a ritual conducted in an elevator, in which players attempt to travel to another dimension using a set of rules that can be found online.

Review: After last year’s Glorious, Rebekah McKendry has become a name that my ears perk up to whenever I see a film with her name attached. She has an understanding of the genre and a level of technical prowess that makes her movies an absolute treat. Or at least I thought so. Because Elevator Game is certainly no Glorious. The premise of a game you play that kills you has been done time and time again, but this one has an interesting hook with it being set on an elevator, utilizing it as a portal to another dimension. But, concept aside, there’s very little else to attach to here.

The opening of the film sets up the premise perfectly,...

AMC Networks revealed the monster-sized return of AMC’s “FearFest,” its long-running horror and genre programming event, with over 700 hours of films, series and specials to be curated by Shudder, AMC Networks’ streamer for horror, thrillers and the supernatural, for the very first time. “FearFest, Shocked by Shudder” will expand into September and across AMC Networks’ entire portfolio of networks and streamers over the two-month event.

“Countdown to Fearfest” began on, September 1 with Shudder’s 101 Scariest Horror Movie Moments of All Time every Friday at 11:00 p.m., leading into a primetime takeover the last week of September featuring iconic horror movies every night of the week including the Scream and Halloween franchises as well as Stephen King classics like The Shining and Firestarter.

October will then kick off wall-to-wall coverage, including a mix of fan-favorite horror films as well as new programming from Shudder. AMC will continue to host...

Based on the online phenomenon of the same name, Elevator Game follows a group of recent high school graduates who host an online series that debunks urban legends. However, when the entertainers hit a snag about what subject matter to cover for their next session, their new intern, Ryan [Gino Anania], suggests playing the "Elevator Game." The rules are simple. Participants ride the elevator in a specific sequence in hopes of unlocking a gateway to another dimension. But beware! If the 5th Floor Woman enters, do not look at her or talk to her.

Lead actor Anania and producer Stefan Brunner recently spoke to Cbr about urban legends, grounding the characters, creating suspense, and what makes the 5th Floor Woman so terrifying.

Cbr: How aware were you of the actual Elevator Game and its origins before the script came your way?

Stefan Brunner: I wasn't. The script that Travis Seppala...

Stars: Megan Best, Gino Anania, Verity Marks, Alec Carlos, Nazariy Demkowicz, Madison MacIsaac, Liam Stewart-Kanigan | Written by Travis Seppala | Directed by Rebekah McKendry

Elevator Game is the new film by Rebekah McKendry, a director who caught my attention with All the Creatures Were Stirring and impressed me with Glorious. On the other hand, she also has a writing credit on the dismal Bring It On: Cheer or Die. So I was a little apprehensive when she did another teen-themed film that not only shared a lot of that film’s cast but was based on an urban legend that’s about ten years past its expiration date.

However, it was an enjoyably creepy legend. I even got talked into playing it walking back to my hotel after several films and several beers at Sfff one year. Of course, nothing happened, but it was unnerving when the doors opened and I...

Getting stuck in an elevator is one thing; getting haunted by one is a whole different beast. Fans of urban legends may be tickled by a new Shudder offering called Elevator Game, based on the infamous online challenge that requires you to ride a lift of your choosing in a very particular order, which may or may not yield real-life haunts into another universe. The fictional new feature stars Gino Anania as Ryan, a passionate young adult who joins a web series crew with the ulterior motive of tracking down his lost sister Becki (Megan Best), who had previously tried the "game" and has since gone missing. Is her disappearance tied to the urban legend, or is Becki just a runaway?

We recently caught up with Anania and producer Stefan Brunner, who dished on their love for horror and some of the more challenging sequences in Elevator Game. It all...

A good ghost story can be hard to achieve in the world of mass-produced haunting flicks, and Elevator Game struggles to find its footing. While the film boasts a frightening villain and a few good scares, the disjointed storytelling and lackluster acting hold this movie back. Confusing and slow, Elevator Game fails to layer an effective story around the horror elements, which are far and few between. Elevator Game doesn't know whether it wants to be a dark horror film or a comedic ghost flick, resulting in a sloppy film that ends up feeling like an episode of Goosebumps.

Based on the online phenomenon of the same name, Elevator Game follows a group of young people who run a web series where they dissect frightening online legends. When newcomer Ryan (Gino Anania) suggests that the group use the infamous "elevator game" as their next dare, the content creators get more than they bargained for.

Think that a film about people riding up and down in an elevator sounds dull? The great thing about having a film within a film is that you can say so, and make your excuses up front. Rebekah McKendry’s latest horror tale follows a group of YouTubers whose show, Nightmare On Dare Street, is struggling and at risk of losing its sponsor. To survive, they need to turn around a complete new episode in just two days. When new intern Ryan (Gino Anania) suggests that they try the Elevator Game, they figure that they’ll just have to do their best to make it as scary as they can. As it turns out, that won’t be much of a struggle.

On the 3rd of June, 2006, 16-year-old Hirosuke Ichikawa was wheeling his bike backwards out of an elevator when a sudden systems failure led it to lurch upwards with its doors still.

In 2013, the world was transfixed with the story of Elisa Lam. A Canadian native, the young woman had gone missing while on a visit to Los Angeles, only for her body to be discovered three weeks later mysteriously floating in a water tower on top of the Cecil Hotel where she had been staying. While police would ultimately rule that her strange death was connected to her bipolar disorder, the case opened up a door for the online community and amateur sleuths to pick apart every bit of Lam’s final moments. Many came to believe that she was playing what’s come to be known as The Elevator Game, a spooky game of chance that’s said to carry players into a different dimension. Coming to Shudder on September 15, Elevator Game will take audiences on a thrill ride alongside a teenager named Ryan (Gino Anania) who, with a group of friends,...

Riffing on a decade-old viral challenge, a group of vloggers set off to a high-rise where supernatural peril supposedly awaits

Inspired by an online challenge that went viral nearly a decade ago, Rebekah McKendry’s second feature feels out of date from start to finish. The central game is simple: one must enter the lift of a 10-floor building and proceed to travel in a specific sequence through a series of floors, the last of which supposedly opens a portal to a dangerous parallel world. The trick here is to close your eyes, or risk being torn to pieces by a mysterious apparition referred to as “the woman on the fifth floor”.

Such a scenario is ripe with potential for world-building details and creative designs, but there is little visual flair on show here. A group of popular vloggers head to a notorious lift where a girl has gone missing after attempting the perilous challenge,...

AMC Networks has announced a monster-sized return of AMC’s “FearFest,” its long-running horror and genre programming event, with over 700 hours of films, series and specials to be curated by Shudder, AMC Networks’ streamer for horror, thrillers and the supernatural, for the very first time. “FearFest, Shocked by Shudder” will expand into September and across AMC Networks’ entire portfolio of networks and streamers over the two-month event!

Here’s everything you need to know….

“Countdown to Fearfest” is already underway with Shudder’s 101 Scariest Horror Movie Moments of All Time every Friday in September, leading into a primetime takeover the last week of September featuring iconic horror movies every night of the week including the Scream and Halloween franchises as well as Stephen King classics like The Shining and Firestarter.

October will then kick off wall-to-wall coverage, including a mix of fan-favorite horror films as well as new programming from Shudder.

September heralds in the start of Halloween season, and that means it’s officially that time of year where streaming platforms go all in on horror. Whether you’re looking for brand new releases or an endless sea of horror options to pad out your Halloween watchlists, this month has it all. So, here’s a quick, handy guide for horror streaming in September 2023.

This month’s noteworthy streaming titles spotlight new exclusives, repertory offerings that’ll help you prepare for upcoming releases, and so much more.

Here are ten noteworthy horror titles available for streaming in September 2023 on some of the most popular streaming services, along with when/where you can watch them.

Crabs! – Screambox

A horde of mutant crustaceans descend on a small coastal town in this wacky horror comedy. There’s no pretense with Crabs!; it’s abundantly clear upfront exactly what type of movie it is...

AMC’s 2023 “Fearfest” lineup includes classic horror film franchises Scream and Halloween, the original The Shining and Firestarter, and four Joe Bob Briggs specials. New genre films and season four of Creepshow also join the lineup to deliver chills and thrills.

This year’s horror-centric programming spreads across all of AMC Networks’ properties and kicked off on September 1st with the return of Shudder’s 101 Scariest Horror Movie Moments of All Time. New episodes will air on Fridays at 11pm Et/Pt.

Overall, Fearfest 2023 will include 700+ hours of programming.

Fearfest Highlights

Perpetrator (Shudder Original Film)

Premieres Friday, September 1 on Shudder and AMC+

Jonny Baptiste is a reckless teen sent to live with her estranged Aunt Hildie. On the event of her 18th birthday, she experiences a radical metamorphosis: a family spell that redefines her called Forevering. When several teen girls go missing at her new school, a mythically feral Jonny goes after the Perpetrator.

August horror releases like The Last Voyage of Demeter and Elevator Game have received positive viewer feedback. All Fun and Games follows a group of teens who unleash a demon through a cursed dagger, forcing them to play deadly versions of childhood games. The Nun II dives deeper into the origin of the demon Valak, as Sister Irene and a girl named Sophie try to combat the spreading evil.

So far, 2023 has been a spectacular year for moviegoers, with films such as Barbie, Oppenheimer, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 showering them with a plethora of unique ideas. However, the horror genre has also seen numerous releases, including Scream VI, The Pope's Exorcist, Evil Dead Rise, and many others, although some of them, like Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, have turned out to be complete disasters.

That being said, the horror films released in August, including The Last Voyage of Demeter...

The terrifying found footage franchise V/H/S returns to Shudder on October 6 with V/H/S/85.

Directors include David Bruckner, Scott Derrickson, Gigi Saul Guerrero, Natasha Kermani, Mike Nelson.

An ominous mixtape blends never before seen snuff footage with nightmarish newscasts and disturbing home video to create a surreal, analog mashup of the forgotten 80s.

New Shudder Films Premiere Every Friday, including: Perpetrator – Premieres Friday, September 1 (Shudder Original)

Jonny Baptiste is a reckless teen sent to live with her estranged Aunt Hildie. On the event of her 18th birthday, she experiences a radical metamorphosis: a family spell that redefines her called Forevering. When several teen girls go missing at her new school, a mythically feral Jonny goes after the Perpetrator. Written and directed by Jennifer Reeder (Knives and Skin, Night’s End) and starring Kiah McKirnan (Mare of Easttown), Christopher Lowell (My Best Friend’s Exorcism), Melanie Liburd (The Idol), Ireon Roach (Candyman [2021]), and Alicia Silverstone (Clueless,...

"The entire game is real!" "When we played the game, we broke a rule." And now you're screwed! Shudder has unveiled an official trailer for a horror movie called Elevator Game, based on the eponymous online phenomenon. Who's in the mood for a very scary horror about elevators demons? The film will be streaming on Shudder on September 15th. This supernatural horror film is about a ritual conducted in an elevator, in which players attempt to travel to another dimension using a set of rules that can be found online. To play, you must ride the elevator in a specific sequence, invoking a supernatural creature called "The 5th Floor Woman". But they break a rule - so she starts coming after them. This stars Gino Anania, Verity Marks, Alec Carlos, Madison MacIsaac, Liam Stewart-Kanigan, Nazariy Demkowicz, and Megan Best. This actually does look like it will have some seriously scary moments.

Directed by Rebekah McKendry (Glorious) Written by Travis Seppala (Captive) Starring Gino Anania, Verity Marks, Alec Carlos, Madison MacIsaac, and Liam Stewart-Kanigan Synopsis: Based on the online phenomenon of the same name, Elevator Game follows socially awkward teenager Ryan, who ingratiates himself into a group of recent high school graduates that run an online web series debunking urban …

The post Shudder’s Elevator Game Directed by Rebekah McKendry appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.

The urban legend known as "The 5th Floor Woman" becomes all too real for a group of friends in the Elevator Game, and ahead of its September 15th release on Shudder, we have a look at the trailer and poster for the new horror film directed by Rebekah McKendry and written by Travis Seppala.

Synopsis: Based on the online phenomenon of the same name, Elevator Game follows socially awkward teenager Ryan, who ingratiates himself into a group of recent high school graduates that run an online web series debunking urban legends. But Ryan has a secret: His sister disappeared months earlier, and he believes they – and a dangerous online challenge called ‘The Elevator Game’ – were responsible. To play the game, you must ride the elevator in a specific sequence, invoking a supernatural creature called ‘The 5th Floor Woman’. In an attempt to gain more information as to the whereabouts of his sister,...

Last year, director Rebekah McKendry impressed our reviewer Tyler Nichols with the horror film Glorious, which took place in a rest stop bathroom. (You can read Tyler’s 8/10 review at This Link.) Now McKendry has made another “supernatural happenings in a confined location” horror film called Elevator Game, and it’s going to be released through the Shudder streaming service very soon… just not as soon as we had previously heard. Elevator Game was once set to start streaming on August 11th, but its release date has since shifted back to September 15th. And with that date just over a month away, a trailer has arrived online. You can check it out in the embed above.

Elevator Game will be available for Shudder subscribers in the US, the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. It will also stream on AMC+ in some areas.

Michael Goi (Megan Is Missing) was originally attached to direct the film,...

Rebekah McKendry's Elevator Game will stream on Shudder on September 15th. The new horror flick from the director of Glorious has a new trailer and poster to mark today's announcement. Find the trailer below and the poster in our gallery. Based on the online phenomenon of the same name, Elevator Game follows socially awkward teenager Ryan, who ingratiates himself into a group of recent high school graduates that run an online web series debunking urban legends. But Ryan has a secret: His sister disappeared months earlier, and he believes they – and a dangerous online challenge called ‘The Elevator Game’ – were responsible. To play the game, you must ride the elevator in a specific sequence, invoking a supernatural creature called ‘The 5th Floor...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Based on the online phenomenon of the same name, Rebekah McKendry (Glorious) is playing the Elevator Game with her next horror movie, and it’s coming soon to Shudder.

Announced this morning, Elevator Game will begin streaming exclusively on Shudder on September 15. The film had previously been scheduled for Shudder premiere on August 11.

Watch the brand new official trailer down below.

Elevator Game follows socially awkward teenager Ryan, who ingratiates himself into a group of recent high school graduates that run an online web series debunking urban legends.

But Ryan has a secret: His sister disappeared months earlier, and he believes they – and a dangerous online challenge called ‘The Elevator Game’ – were responsible.

To play the game, you must ride the elevator in a specific sequence, invoking a supernatural creature called ‘The 5th Floor Woman’. In an attempt to gain more information as to the whereabouts of his sister, Ryan...

Horror is an engraved genre in many people’s lives as they can’t pass the day without seeing a new horror film, and that’s a terrific way to lead an exciting and ever-intuitive life. It isn't the most popular genre for nothing since countless films are released every year by blending a variety of other genres, such as psychological, comedy, and romance, which makes it a fruitful source of entertainment.

We had some incredible horror films in July 2023, including Insidious: The Red Door, Bird Box Barcelona, Cobweb, and The Flood, but the month of August, with plenty of new releases, shows an even more promising schedule. That said, the upcoming month offers unique horror material, ranging from a creature thriller starring Jason Statham to a 1900s novel adaptation.

Meg 2: The Trench (August 4)

Creature films have always been an essential source of horror since the mid-1970s when...

For everything, there is a season. The Byrds once encapsulated this sentiment in their feature song, a catchy release with an echoing refrain, "To everything - turn, turn, turn. There is a season - turn, turn, turn." And films are no different. In the movie verse, much is seasonal, meaning features may be in vogue one day and out of style the next.

Across the board, genres are targets of ever-evolving tastes. From romance to horror, they each have their days in the sun. Unfortunately, for one specific genre, the years have been harsh. For the most part, horror movies haven't wowed their fan base in years. But that's no surprise. The general trend of films of late is hit or miss.

Genres typified as hits or misses never equate to huge seasonal successes. It is, therefore, good that fans are forward-looking. Given their devotion to the genre, they rarely throw in the towel.

Last year, director Rebekah McKendry impressed our reviewer Tyler Nichols with the horror film Glorious, which took place in a rest stop bathroom. (You can read Tyler’s 8/10 review at This Link.) Now McKendry has made another “supernatural happenings in a confined location” horror film called Elevator Game, and Deadline reports that Elevator Game is going to be released through the Shudder streaming service, just like Glorious was!

Elevator Game will be available for Shudder subscribers in the US, the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand to stream as of August 11th. It will also stream on AMC+ in some areas.

Michael Goi (Megan Is Missing) was originally attached to direct the film, but by the time production began McKendry was at the helm. Scripted by Travis Seppala, Elevator Game centers on socially awkward teenager Ryan, who discovers that the night his sister disappeared she had played ‘The Elevator Game...

Based on the online phenomenon of the same name, Rebekah McKendry (Glorious) is playing the Elevator Game with her next horror movie, which was acquired by Shudder.

Deadline reports this afternoon, “the film will stream on AMC+ in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Shudder, meanwhile, operates in the U.S., Canada, the UK, Ireland, Germany, Australia and New Zealand.” It’s coming to Shudder on August 11, 2023.

Elevator Game follows socially awkward teenager Ryan, who ingratiates himself into a group of recent high school graduates that run an online web series debunking urban legends to find his sister, who disappeared months earlier, probably while taking the dangerous challenge.

Playing the game involves riding the elevator in a specific sequence to invoke a supernatural creature called ‘The 5th Floor Woman.’

Travis Seppala (Captive) wrote the upcoming horror movie.

“It was several years ago when I first read about ‘The Elevator Game‘ online,...

Exclusive: AMC Networks’ horror streamer Shudder has acquired the supernatural feature Elevator Game. The Rebekah McKendry-directed flick will stream on Shudder beginning August 11, 2023 in territories including the U.S., UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. It will also stream on AMC+ where available.

Based on the online phenomenon of the same name, Elevator Game is penned by Travis Seppala (Captive). It follows socially awkward teenager Ryan, who ingratiates himself into a group of recent high school graduates that run an online web series debunking urban legends to find his sister, who disappeared months earlier, probably while taking the dangerous challenge. Playing the game involves riding the elevator in a specific sequence to invoke a supernatural creature called “The 5th Floor Woman.”

“It was several years ago when I first read about ‘The Elevator Game‘ online, and I was immediately intrigued by the rules, curse, and ‘The 5th Floor Woman,...