THE LONG WALK Trailer Teases Long-Awaited Stephen King Adaptation

mark hamill as the major in the trailer for stephen king adaptation the long walk

Mark Hamill oversees a very deadly journey in the trailer for The Long Walk, the film adaptation of Stephen King‘s novel.

Director Francis Lawrence’s dystopian horror feature stars Cooper Hoffman as Raymond Garraty, David Jonsson as Peter McVries, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang as Hank Olson, Roman Griffin Davis, and Judy Greer.

The Long Walk centres on an annual contest in which a hundred teenage boys set out on the titular trek, a journey that requires them to maintain a quick pace without stopping and ends with just a single survivor. The prize is determined by the winner of the competition. Hamill portrays The Major, the leader of the secret police force known as the Squads, who enforces the rules of the Walk.

Lawrence directs from a script by JT Mollner, itself an adaptation of King’s 1979 novel, though it was originally published under his pseudonym, Richard Bachman. The story was inspired by the loss of young men’s lives to the Vietnam War, which was ongoing when King attended university and was writing it.

Lawrence serves as producer alongside Roy Lee, Steven Schneider, and Cameron MacConomy.

The Long Walk is scheduled to be released in the United States by Lionsgate on September 12th, 2025. Watch the trailer below:

THE RITUAL Sees Al Pacino and Dan Stevens Attempt An Exorcism

abigail cowen in trailer for the ritual

Al Pacino and Dan Stevens play two priests attempting an exorcism in the trailer for The Ritual. Filmmaker David Midell directs the pair, as well as Ashley Greene, Patricia Heaton, Abigail Cowen and Ritchie Montgomery.

The Ritual centres on Father Theophilus Riesinger (Pacino) and Father Joseph Steiger (Stevens, MonsterVerse franchise) as they aim to assist a young woman who appears to be possessed by demons. “We are the Lord’s army in this battle,” says Pacino’s character in the trailer. “She is touched by something otherwordly.”

The two priests’ attitudes appear to clash, however, when Stevens asks, “What if what she really needs is a doctor?” to which Pacino responds, “We are paying a price for your lack of faith.”

The Ritual is inspired by the 1935 book Begone Satan! A Soul-Stirring Account of Diabolical Possession, which recounts the case of Anna Ecklund (a pseudonym for Emma Schmidt), an American woman whose alleged demonic possession and exorcism occurred over several decades, culminating in a four-month-long exorcism in 1928. The case is considered by theology and paranormal scholars to be one of the most abundantly documented cases of possession in the 20th century.

Midell directs the film from a script he co-wrote with Enrico Natale. Serving as producers are Natale, Ross Kagan Marks, Andrew Stevens and Mitchell Welch. The Ritual hails from XYZ Films.

The Ritual releases in cinemas from June 6th. Watch the trailer below:

Sandra Bullock And Keanu Reeves Reunite For Romantic Thriller

keanu reeves and sandra bullock in speed

It’s a full-on Speed reunion in the upcoming romantic thriller from Amazon MGM Studios, starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. The project is still untitled.

Noah Oppenheim, who wrote the 2016 Jackie Kennedy Onasis biopic for director Pablo Larraín, Jackie, is penning the script. Plot details on the upcoming thriller are being kept locked up tight, but it is being described as “propulsive”.

Beyond a reunion for Reeves and Bullock after they co-starred in the 1990s action classic, as well as in the romantic drama The Lake House, the duo are reteaming with Mark Gordon, who produced Speed. Producing the picture are Sandra Bullock via Fortis Films, Reeves, Gordon and Bibby Dunn via The Mark Gordon Company, and Oppenheim and Sarah Bremner via Prologue Entertainment.

Reeves most recently voiced the video game character of Shadow in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and will soon appear in the Ana de Armas-led John Wick spinoff film, Ballerina. Bullock last starred in the romantic adventure thriller The Lost City, opposite Channing Tatum.

Oppenheim recently served as a writer on the Netflix limited series Zero Day, starring Robert de Niro. Another of his screenplays, an untitled Kathryn Bigelow-directed White House thriller, is currently in post-production.

Darren Aronofsky-Produced PENDULUM Adds To Cast

the grudge actress jacki weaver to star in darren aronofsky produced horror pendulum

A Darren Aronofsky-produced “terrifying new genre film”, Pendulum has cast two-time Academy Award nominee Jacki Weaver. The Bird Box and Silver Linings Playbook actress joins Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Phoebe Dynevor, and Norman Reedus on the project, which is currently shooting in New Mexico.

Black Swan and The Boogeyman screenwriter Mark Heyman makes his feature directorial debut from his own script.

Pendulum follows young couple Patrick (Gordon-Levitt) and Abigail (Dynevor) on a journey to a new-age retreat in New Mexico, drawn by the possibility of recovering with the much-revered mystical healer Ella-Rose (Weaver) after going through a traumatic event.

Patrick is willing to do anything to help his wife, but becomes distrustful of Ella-Rose, even as Abigail falls under her spell. As paranoia builds, the couple must determine whether Ella-Rose’s intense spiritual practices offer genuine healing or mask a terrifying truth that threatens to consume them both.

Aronofsky produces via his Protozoa banner, along with Jacob Jaffke for Motel Mojave and Dave Caplan for C2.

Aronofsky is known to make and produce films with surreal and disturbing elements, and is most acclaimed for his work directing films like Requiem for a Dream, Black Swan, Mother!, and The Whale.

A release date for Pendulum has yet to be announced.

SUBVERSION Submarine Thriller Stars Chris Hemsworth

chris hemsworth in 12 strong

Far from Asgard’s majestic architecture or the post-apocalyptic wastelands of Australia, Chris Hemsworth is headed under the sea in the upcoming submarine thriller, Subversion.

The upcoming Amazon MGM film is being directed by Patrick Vollrath and produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura (best known as one of the architects of the Transformers franchise). The project is looking to begin production in Australia this autumn.

Written by Andrew Ferguson, Subversion has been described as a “Die Hard on a submarine” style thriller centring on a once-promising Naval commander (Hemsworth) who is blackmailed by a cartel-like operation into piloting a dangerous submarine carrying illegal cargo across international waters. Thrust into a high-stakes game of cat and mouse, the man must outmanoeuvre blockades and navigate perilous threats both inside and outside of the submarine. THR broke the news of Hemsworth’s casting.

Patrick Vollrath is best known for helming another contained environment thriller, 7500, in which Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as a pilot stuck in his cockpit as his plane is hijacked.

Hemsworth, last seen in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, is also starring in the all-star thriller Crime 101, also for Amazon MGM, and which also stars fellow MCU alum Mark Ruffalo, as well as Barry Keoghan, Halle Berry and Monica Barbaro. Hemsworth is also among the announced cast of Avengers: Doomsday, reprising his role as Thor.

Dungeons and Dragons Core ‘SRD’ Rules Updated

DRAGONS AND TREASURES

The world’s most played fantasy TTRPG, Dungeons and Dragons, has had its core rules updated and made available to the public under Creative Commons.  (A system that allows the ‘for free’ distributions of an otherwise copyrighted work.

You can find the full System Reference Document v5.2.1 here.

Since the year 2000, the core rules of Dungeons and Dragons have been available under some form of open agreement.  This has vastly aided the popularity of the game, allowing creators to generate content for the game and fill the market with D&D-themed products.

The new SRD is extensive and over 364 pages long. SRD 5.2 expands on existing content with additional spells, feats, monsters, and equipment. More than enough to create new and exciting worlds, adventures and the like for a D&D game. (If you’re thinking you could use this to run your games, well you certainly could. However, the full books are very good and contain tonnes of good advice. The  Monster Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide and Player’s Handbook are all worth owning and using if you’re going to play D&D. The SRD is nice, but nothing beats the actual core books.

You can download the latest SRD and its FAQ here.

(A previous version of this news piece was released on April 22nd2025. We have updated and republished as the SRD document was updated on May 1st 2025).

Sc-Fi Lit Auction Raises Funds for Trans Rights

Top authors Lauren Beukes and Jeannette Ng have raised over £14,000 so far for The Good Law Project and The Triangle Project.  The Genre Creators for Trans Rights In The UK & SA can be found here. The auction was launched at Eastercon 2025 in Belfast earlier this week.  Beukes and Ng were Guests of Honour at that convention.

Items up for sale include the promo flower and material for The 2nd Hellfire Gala X-Men storyline (donated by Kieron Gillen), a signed first edition of Terry Pratchett’s Monstrous Regiment (donated by Rob Wilkins and Rhianna Pratchett) and memberships for EasterCon 2026 and EasterCon 2027.

Also available are a variety of critiques and workshop-style services from authors and publishers in the field. KJ Charles has donated the dedication of their next book, All of Us Murderers, so if you ever wanted to be in a novel, now is your chance.

The auction ends at Midnight, British Summer Time on the 2nd of May. You can find out more here.

Elf Lyon’s Horror Project Seeks Funding

Elf Lyons

Crowdfunding has begun for The Corridor, a horror film based on Elf Lyon’s award-winning one-woman show, Raven.

Raven was loosely inspired by the work of Stephen King (it’s peppered with references to his work). It’s a mesmerising and darkly comedic piece of theatre that blends childhood fear, horror tropes and a graceful physical performance from world-class comedian Elf Lyons.

The Corridor is a project that intends to turn this stage show into a film. The directorr, Jack Carrivick, is no stranger to horror. His previous works include Aisling Bea’s horror short Be Uncertain and the critically acclaimed How To Disappear.

Carrivick told the press, “I want to make this film because horror is evolving, and ghost stories need to evolve with it. Rather than relying on conventional horror tropes, The Corridor taps into a universal fear, the passage of time, and the isolation that can come with it. This story resonates now more than ever as we navigate an era where past traumas and future anxieties constantly shape our present. By crafting a horror film that is both eerie and emotionally charged, I aim to engage audiences beyond the genre’s standard jump scares and offer something more profound, a haunting meditation on loneliness, memory, and perception.”

You can back the project here, and the campaign runs until Sunday, May 11th.

THE OTHER Trailer Teases Home Invasion Horror From FINAL DESTINATION Creator

the other official trailer 2025

While most look to outside their walls for threats, some homes are invaded from the inside, warns the trailer for The Other. A new horror film from the Final Destination franchise creator and Hellbent‘s director? Sign us up.

In The Other, after years of being unable to conceive, Robin and Daniel adopt Kathelia, a mute orphan who has survived a tragic childhood. But their shared dream turns to horror when they realise the violence in their foster’s past has returned to destroy the new family. As Kathelia’s behaviour grows unsettling, and as an evil force takes hold, the couple must fight for their survival.

Final Destination‘s Jeffrey Reddick produces the film, which also marks the return of Hellbent writer and director Paul Etheredge. This is Etheredge’s first film since 2009, when he directed renowned stunt actress Zoë Bell in the action thriller Angel of Death.

Starring in the upcoming feature are Olivia Macklin as Robin, Dylan McTee as Daniel, and Avangeline Friedlander as Kathelia. Also in the cast are Lily D. Moore and Shawnee Smith. Lisa Normand, Jeffrey Reddick, Jeff Walker, and Tim Nagle produce.

Quiver Distribution brings The Other to digital and on-demand platforms on June 13th, 2025. Watch the trailer below:

WEAPONS Trailer Sees Julia Garner Tormented By Missing Students

weapons trailer

The full official trailer for Barbarian filmmaker Zach Cregger’s newest horror project, Weapons, sees children disappearing from their homes in a small town. “Those kids walked out of the homes,” someone says in the trailer’s voiceover. “No one pulled them out. No one forced them.”

One normal Wednesday morning, “Every other class had all their kids. But Mrs Gandy’s room was totally empty… Because the night before, at 2:17 in the morning, every kid woke up, got out of bed, walked downstairs, and into the dark. And they never came back.”

The multi-story film reportedly touches on police corruption, generational trauma, witchcraft, blood rituals, and religious abuse in a small Floridian community.

Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, Benedict Wong and Amy Madigan star in the feature. Cregger, Roy Lee, J.D. Lifshitz, Raphael Margules and Miri Yoon serve as producers.

Cregger appeared on the CinemaCon stage earlier this month to share the first footage from Weapons. During the presentation, New Line boss Richard Brener described the movie as “intriguing and unpredictable, with a nice helping of batshit insane.”

Next, Cregger is writing and directing a reboot of the Resident Evil franchise, with Austin Abrams in the lead role.

Watch the trailer for Weapons below. Warner Bros. releases the film in cinemas from August 8th.