Focus Features and Blumhouse Atomic have set a date for supernatural horror pic ‘Playhouse’, about a mysterious children’s show.
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Focus Features and Blumhouse Atomic have announced that they will release the supernatural horror pic Playhouse in theaters on April 2, 2027. Universal Pictures International will handle international distribution.
The buzzy micro-budget film was the winner of Fantastic Pitches and is the latest collaboration between Focus Features, Blumhouse Atomic and Divide/Conquer, following the worldwide, record-breaking success of Obsession.
We reported on the acquisition in October after Mary Beth McAndrews caught Play House at Fantastic Fest and called it “both haunting and life-affirming in one fell swoop” in her four-star review.
Per the logline, “While renovating a dilapidated house in hopes of winning back his ex, Elliot (Will Harrison) discovers VHS tapes of a forgotten children’s TV show, Mr. Morton’s Monster Alley. As his obsession with the mystery behind the tapes grows, the sinister world of the show begins bleeding into his own life with horrifying consequences.”
Turning kids’ TV shows into creepy horror pics is all the rage these days, with Casper Kelly’s Buddy becoming a hit in theaters this year. That follows others like Hulu’s Mr. Crocket and, of course, the first season of Channel Zero revolving around the fictional show Candle Cove.
Nicolas Curcio directed from a script he co-wrote with Kirby Gladstein. The film marks Curcio’s feature debut.
Jessica Sula, Jordan Gonzalez, and James Urbaniak also star.
Producers are Curcio, Kirby Gladstein (Skinny Ghost), Ben Gojer, Jack Forbes, and Derek Tramont. Executive producers include Ahbra Perry (Chroma), Daniel Levin (Narrative), Adam Hendricks, Greg Gilreath (Divide/Conquer), and Jason Blum (Blumhouse Atomic).
