The Big Picture
- V/H/S/85 became the most-watched exclusive film debut on Shudder, leading to a high-demand acquisition day and the announcement of a seventh installment.
- The new V/H/S film will focus on sci-fi horror, exploring the terrifying possibilities of forbidden worlds and dangerous lifeforms in space.
- The success of the franchise and its innovative direction demonstrate the genre’s endless potential and the filmmakers’ ability to continuously deliver unique ideas.
Shudder isn’t ready to stash away their V/H/S player just yet. The latest entry in the found footage anthology series, V/H/S/85, recently became the most-watched debut of any exclusive film on the horror streamer and AMC+ for 2023 following its October 6 premiere. It was enough to make the following day, October 7, the biggest acquisition day of the year for Shudder, reaffirming the love for the spooky videotapes. Following that success, a seventh installment was announced at New York Comic-Con, promising to boldly go where no V/H/S has gone before — space!
The new film, which has yet to be named, will specifically focus on sci-fi horror instead of keeping the scares grounded on Earth. The two genres are a match made in heaven with iconic films ranging from Alien to The Thing, and even the campy Killer Klowns From Outer Space all exploring the horrors that lie beyond our planet. With such a wide range of avenues to go down with the genre, Studio71’s next five tapes set in a “sci-fi-inspired hellscape” promise new possibilities for a series so focused on celebrating the horrific visions of individual creatives. Much of the veteran V/H/S production team will be back for the sci-fi take, including Josh Goldbloom for Cinepocalypse, Bloody Disgusting co-founder and franchise architect Brad Miska, and James Harris, with executive producers Michael Schreiber and Adam Boorstin.
“Jason Voorhees, Leprechaun, Pinhead, Dracula, even the Amityville Horror house ended up in space, so as we move into our own Part 7 it was only natural that we should too,” Goldbloom said of the new installment. “The sci-fi horror genre provides us an infinite playground of forbidden worlds and dangerous lifeforms, a formula which we’re confident will lead to the biggest, maddest, bloodiest V/H/S ever.” That sentiment of exploration was echoed by Head of AMC Networks’ Film Group Scott Shooman who said of the new film:
“The V/H/S franchise has been terrifying and entertaining audiences for over a decade now thanks to the work of some of the genre’s most gifted filmmakers. Following the massive success of V/H/S/85 and its previous installments on Shudder, it’s clear that the filmmaking team won’t be running out of unique ideas anytime soon. We’re thrilled that the franchise is going in a bold, new direction that will surprise fans and newcomers alike, and demonstrate the innovative capabilities of sci-fi within the world of V/H/S.”
‘V/H/S’ Continues Reaching New Bloodcurdling Heights
V/H/S is one of Shudder’s crown jewels of horror, constantly delivering new installments since 2012 that bring in a mix of established and up-and-coming directors and writers to showcase their unique spins on terror. V/H/S/85 rounded out the franchise’s years trilogy, following up 94 and 99 with a bang by marking a 25% increase in viewership over its pre-Y2K-set installment from 2022. The franchise’s importance in Shudder’s catalog was on full display at NYCC as the streamer’s VP of Programming Samuel Zimmerman moderated a panel full of V/H/S royalty including Goldbloom alongside Hellraiser reboot director David Bruckner, Chloe Okuno, Natasha Kermani, and Tyler McIntyre.
The new sci-fi horror-centric V/H/S film will arrive in 2024. In the meantime, check out our interview with Bruckner on V/H/S/85 below.
