Friday Night Frights: Violent Night 2 & Blumhouse’s Blumfest 2026 Panel Recap

Here’s what we learned:

• According to David Harbour, this film “gets weirder and weirder.”
• Kristen Bell loves the first movie.
• Tommy and Kelly say it still feels like a Christmas movie, focusing on the film’s heart and relatability.
• The film will take place in a shopping mall.
• First look: A comedic, gory fight scene in a bakery that breaks the cookie-cutter mold for both Christmas and action.
• Tommy wanted to do a kitchen fight scene for comedy and action opportunities.
• We get our first glimpse of Mrs. Claus, and she kicks ass.
• Mrs. Claus is substantially older; according to Kristen Bell, we will get a taste of her elven history.

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Blumfest 2026 saw Jason Blum, James Wan, LaKeith Stanfield, Heidi Wong, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Joshua Giuliano, Rob Savage, Jessica Roth Drew Hancock, Curry Barker and Cooper Tomlinson appear.

Here’s what was announced:

• MatPat is working with Blumhouse, adapting indie games and small YouTube channels.
• The first project is Amanda The Adventurer, described as “Dora the Explorer meets the Ring.”
• Blum voted to call it “Other Mommy,” not “Other Mother.”
• Blumhouse has a new slate of 9 theatrical movies next year.
• First up is The Exorcist: Martyrs, directed by Mike Flanagan and starring Scarlett Johansson.
• Co-star Chiwetel Ejiofor talks about The Exorcist script and getting scared while reading it, wondering how the audience will feel.
• The trailer’s world premiere was shown and looks biblically horrifying.
• Heidi Wong, who adapts “horror movie scenes for a social media audience,” recommends movies via social media.
• She discussed making a movie with Blumhouse and wearing a butterfly dress as a “teaser.”
• Said the film is based on Eastern mythology.
• Director Joshua Giuliano introduced the trailer for River, starring Jane Levy and Jessica Rothe.
• Rothe (Happy Death Day) stepped out to encourage fans to watch it in theaters with as many people as possible, stating everything in the film is practical effects as well,
• The cozy horror video game Grave Seasons from Blumhouse Games was discussed.
• Robocop series for Prime Video, starring Dan Stevens, was discussed.
• Rob Savage, director of The Other Mommy, will direct Molepeople, a film “in the vein of Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Hills Have Eyes.”
• Lead actor Lakeith Stanfield is brought out. He states he thinks Molepeople is engaging while also being commentary.
• Companion director Drew Hancock announced the Prime Video series Seasons will premiere on November 12, 2027, with Ron Perlman.
• A new Blair Witch Project directed by YouTuber Dylan Clark was discussed.
• Ian Tuason will direct a new Paranormal Activity.
• Blumhouse purchased SAW and is “bringing it home.”
• Curry Barker and Cooper Tomlinson came out to talk about Obsession’s success and their new movie, Anything But Ghosts, about two ghost-hunter con artists.
• Curry spoke about stepping in front of the camera and wrote the movie with them in mind to star in together.
• Something is Killing the Children film begins production next year.

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