DirectorLee Croninmade waves with his 2023 filmEvil Dead Rise,and we now know when he will be frightening audiences with a new project. Warner Bros.' New Line Cinema has set Cronin’s next film for an August 22, 2025, release, according toThe Hollywood Reporter. The film remains shrouded in mystery, but has two heavy hitters attached to it; Cronin’s feature will come from Atomic Monster and Blumhouse Productions in what will be the first film to be greenlit by the horror production companies since theymerged earlier this year.
Cronin is also writing the film in addition to directing. According to THR, it has been described as a “modern take on something ancient.” No casting has been announced yet, but the project is seemingly in good hands with Atomic Monster/Blumhouse. Atomic Monster’sJames WanandBlumhouse’sJason Blumare known for helming some of the most successful horror franchises of the past few years. Beyond this, Cronin signed a first-look deal with New Line earlier this year through his Doppelgängers production company, which will also be involved with the film, so the studio seems like a perfect pairing. Leeshared a picture of the script on Xand also released a statement:
“I am super excited to be gathering up my gang of oddballs from Doppelgängers to join forces with the overlords of horror at Blumhouse and Atomic Monster. Collaborating with Jason, James and the wonderful teams from these two storied and massively successful organizations is what perfect nightmares are made of. Getting to return to New Line Cinema and my wonderful partners over there is the cherry on top. I’ve got something wickedly entertaining and terrifying hidden up my sleeve, and I can’t wait to bring it screaming to the big screen on April 17th, 2026.”
Cronin had made only one prior full-length film when he took the reigns ofEvil Dead Rise,the fifth installment in the wildly popularEvil Deadseries. The film, which starredMorgan Davies,Alyssa Sutherland,andLily Sullivan,was originally set to premiere on Max, but Warner Bros. decided to release it theatrically after positive test screenings - and it paid off;Evil Dead Risegrossed more than $140 million worldwideon a budget of less than $20 million, and cemented Cronin’s status as a star horror director.
Cronin is keeping himself busy, too; beyond this new film, the director is also collaborating with New Line on another horror thriller,Thaw.That film is set years after the polar ice caps have melted with concurrent rising sea levels. It centers on a group of survivors at sea searching for a new home. They discover an inhabitable town but encounter a new nightmare living just below the water’s surface. No release window for that film has been set yet.
Cronin’s next film will release on June 28, 2025.Evil Dead Riseisstreaming now on Max.
