Reel Horror News Roundup: June 23 - 29, 2025

A Life in Three Acts: Mike Flanagan’s Latest Stephen King Adaptation Shines

Mike Flanagan swaps scares for sentiment in The Life of Chuck, a heartfelt adaptation of Stephen King’s novella. Early buzz from TIFF suggests this might be one of Flanagan’s most intimate and uplifting projects yet. If you’re curious about how the master of horror handles a gentler, more reflective tone—this review breaks it down beautifully.

👀 Read the full review on Bloody Disgusting: The Life of Chuck – TIFF Review 

Jason’s Greatest Hits… in Plastic!

Custom toy artist Dan Polydoris of Death by Toys has turned some of the gnarliest kills from the Friday the 13th franchise into one-of-a-kind action figures, and horror fans are losing it.

From head crushes to sleeping bag smashes, these handcrafted pieces are a blood-soaked love letter to the series’ most iconic deaths. Each figure comes packaged with retro-styled cardbacks and enough nostalgia to haunt your toy shelf.

“This was just me recreating all the kills that made me yell at the screen growing up,” Polydoris told Bloody Disgusting.

👀 Check out the full article and images here:
🎯 Artist Turns the Best 'Friday the 13th' Franchise Kills into Their Own Action Figures

🎬 Doug Liman Set to Direct New Adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand

After years of development attempts and previous screen versions, Stephen King's apocalyptic epic The Stand is getting another shot—this time as a feature film helmed by action-thriller veteran Doug Liman (Edge of Tomorrow, The Bourne Identity). Backed by Paramount, the adaptation promises a cinematic take on the ultimate battle of good vs. evil following a viral catastrophe.

This project could finally bring King's massive novel to the big screen with the scale and grit it deserves.
👉 Read more about The Stand movie and Doug Liman’s involvement at Fangoria

Danny Boyle’s long-awaited sequel 28 Years Later stomped back onto the scene with a $60 million global opening, marking one of the biggest horror debuts in years and solidifying a massive win for the Rage Virus saga.

👀 Check out the full box office breakdown here:

https://www.fangoria.com/28-years-later-box-office-opening/

Pennywise Returns With a Twist. 

HBO’s upcoming It prequel, Welcome to Derry, promises a deeper dive into the origins of Stephen King’s infamous clown. This article explores how the series might surpass previous adaptations by reimagining key elements of the character and sticking closer to the source material.

Horror fans, this one’s worth a read — especially if you’re curious about how Welcome to Derry could shake up what we thought we knew about Pennywise.

🧠 Want the full scoop? Read it all here:

HBO's IT Prequel Can Adapt Stephen King's Book Better Than The Movies

Mysterious Floating Mass Claims Four Campers at Remote Lake

In what local authorities are calling “an inexplicable tragedy,” four college students vanished this past weekend while swimming in a remote, unmonitored lake in the Northeast. Witnesses say a strange black substance was seen spreading across the water’s surface shortly before the group went missing.

Rangers closed off the area after fragments of clothing and a torn wooden raft washed ashore early Monday morning. One local resident claimed, “That lake’s always been weird… not the first time people disappeared out there.”

No further details have been released, but some online forums are already linking the event to a decades-old urban legend involving a similar incident back in the '80s.

At press time, no official comment from the Department of Natural Resources. Our advice? Stay on the shore.

🎞️ Based on the story “The Raft” by Stephen King, featured in Skeleton Crew and the film Creepshow 2.