Horror Highlights: THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, DOPEFOOT, FRESH MEAT

New BLAIR WITCH Film Moves Forward: "Lionsgate and Blumhouse-Atomic Monster have tapped up-and-coming horror director Dylan Clark to helm its new imagining of The Blair Witch Project.

Joshua Leonard and Michael C. Williams, two of the original stars of The Blair Witch Project, as well as the original filmmakers—Eduardo Sánchez, Daniel Myrick, and Gregg Hale—will serve as executive producers on the film, bringing the full mythology and legacy of the franchise to a new generation of storytelling.

Atomic Monster's James Wan and Blumhouse's Jason Blum will team with producer Roy Lee to produce the new film. Adam Hendricks and Greg Gilreath are producing for Divide/Conquer. Steven Schneider is an executive producer. Michael Clear and Judson Scott are executive producing for Atomic Monster, with Alayna Glasthal overseeing for the company. Scott O'Brien and Pavan Kalidindi are overseeing the project for Lionsgate. Phil Strina negotiated the deal on behalf of the studio.

Chris Devlin wrote the original screenplay, with a current rewrite by Clark.

The Blair Witch Project was released in 1999. It became a worldwide blockbuster, taking in $248 million. Lionsgate currently operates Escape Blair Witch, one of Las Vegas’s most popular escape room experiences.

Dylan Clark is a genre filmmaker who has gained a large following in the YouTube horror space. He recently signed on with Universal to adapt his horror short Portrait of God, with Sam Raimi and Jordan Peele producing. He is also writing to direct an adaptation of his short film Story Time, with Zak Olkewicz and LD Entertainment producing. He is represented by 3 Arts, UTA and Ginsburg Daniels Kallis."

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DOPEFOOT: "Joshua Millican is an emerging published author from California. His best-known book is Teleportasm, part of the Killer VHS Series from Shortwave Publishing (distributed by Simon & Schuster). The series has been described as “Goosebumps for adults” by Horror Obsessive.

His next novel, Dopefoot, is being released by Mad Axe Media on June 16^th, 2026. It’s a dark woodlands horror anchored by a cryptid mystery and a countdown to potential Armageddon.  Millican will support this release through events/signings/appearances beginning in May/June 2026 and running through the fall season.

Synopsis: When a college drop-out accepts work on a cannabis farm in the woods of Northern California, he realizes almost immediately the harsh realities of this life won’t match his naïve fantasies. He’ll have to work hard—and watch his back. Dubbed “Harmless” by his cultish cohorts, the young man learns the logistics of cultivation and the dark philosophies dictating conduct in this outlaw wilderness.

The farm sits on a mountain the locals call Satan’s Tumor, above a valley called The Green Cauldron, where dangerous elements have been brewing beneath the misty canopy. Overstimulated gangs of smugglers and well-funded foreign mobsters vie for control of this fertile territory, threatening to disrupt an elaborate ecosystem that predates history.

And beneath it all, in the most dismal corners of The Green Cauldron, even darker forces are stirring… angry, agitated, pushed to the brink. The forest is an explosive tinderbox on the verge of ignition.

Bio: Joshua Millican is a graduate of UC Santa Cruz where he earned degrees in American Literature and Creative Writing. He is a journalist (Dread Central), an actor (Cannibal Comedian), and an active member of the Horror Writers Association. His best-known works of fiction include Teleportasm (Killer VHS Series #3), Deeper Than Hell, and Chopping Mall: The Novelization. His latest novel, Dopefoot, is a gory cryptid mystery that V. Castro (Goddess of Filth) calls “the best Bigfoot lore book I have ever read.” Joshua splits his time between Los Angeles and Northern California. He’s easy to find on social media and enjoys interacting with his readers."

Dopefoot

ISBN-13: 978-1-966497-24-0
Publication: June 16, 2026
Publisher: Mad Axe Media
Distributor: Ingram
Genre: Horror/Thriller/Mystery

To pre-order, visit: https://madaxemedia.square.site/product/dopefoot-by-joshua-millican-paperback-preorder-/LDGXUB52IJWQKXTAWSTJB7O5?cs=true&cst=custom

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The Horror Collective Acquires Canadian Horror Film Fresh Meat for Cannes Launch: "The Horror Collective has picked up worldwide rights to Fresh Meat, the Canadian horror film from writer/director Daniel Turres, with Studio Dome set to launch international sales at the Cannes Film Market.

The 2025 feature follows internet influencers who venture into an abandoned prison to create content, inadvertently unleashing a ravenous inmate. The group finds themselves trapped and fighting for survival while capturing their terrifying ordeal.

Turres directed from his own script and produced alongside Christian Turres and Executive Producers Sheila Warren and David Carruthers through Fresh Meat Films inc. The cast includes Joelle Farrow, Mika Amonsen, Tyson Wong, Hannah Galway, Jorja Cadence, Alex Sands and Douglas Vermeeren.

The film targets the social media horror subgenre that has gained traction with genre audiences. The Horror Collective continues to expand its slate of independent horror titles for theatrical and streaming release.

Recently showcased at the Blood in the Snow Film Festival, Fresh Meat took home Best Special Effects by The Butchershop FX Studio.

&Quot;This is easily our most wide-ranging program yet," said Kelly Michael Stewart, Festival Director and Founder. &Quot;Fresh Meat is by far the most violent film we’ve ever played.&Quot;

"Fresh Meat taps into our current obsession with content creation and asks what happens when the pursuit of viral fame becomes a matter of life and death. The abandoned prison setting creates this claustrophobic nightmare where escape feels impossible.&Quot; says Daniel Turres.

&Quot;Fresh Meat fits perfectly with The Horror Collective's mission to bring fresh voices in horror to audiences worldwide. Daniel has crafted a film that speaks to our social media age while delivering the scares genre fans expect.&Quot; says David Josh Lawrence, Acquisitions, Studio Dome.

The Horror Collective, the genre label of Studio Dome, is a home for bold, commercial, filmmaker-driven horror. Known for championing fresh, high-concept genre films, The Horror Collective has produced and released standout titles including the killer-pants cult favorite SLAXX, a Shudder Original, and FilmThreat’s AwardThis winner, THE DEATH OF SNOW WHITE. With the recently launched streaming service BloodStream, the label continues its mission to deliver distinctive, audience-ready horror built for genre fans hungry for smart concepts, unforgettable scares, and the next cult hit."