One of the films featured in our Fall 2025 Horror Preview was Mortal Kombat II, which had been set for theatrical release on October 24 at that time. Tonight, the date has changed.

Mortal Kombat II has officially moved all the way to May 15, 2026. The massive seven month move is likely to better position the film for a much bigger impact at the pre-summer box office next year, rather than risk the movie getting lost in a crowded back half of this year.

Check out the brand new release date announcement poster below.

Simon McQuoid returns to the director’s seat for Mortal Kombat II, which will feature a screenplay by Jeremy Slater (“The Exorcist,” “Moon Knight”).

Mortal Kombat II is rated “R” for “strong bloody violence and gore, and language.”

From New Line Cinema comes the latest high-stakes installment in the blockbuster video game franchise in all its brutal glory, Mortal Kombat II.

This time, the fan favorite champions—now joined by Johnny Cage himself—are pitted against one another in the ultimate, no-holds barred, gory battle to defeat the dark rule of Shao Kahn that threatens the very existence of the Earthrealm and its defenders.

Karl Urban stars as Johnny Cage, alongside Adeline Rudolph, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Tati Gabrielle, Lewis Tan, Damon Herriman, with Chin Han, Tadanobu Asano as Lord Raiden, Joe Taslim as Bi-Han, and Hiroyuki Sanada as Hanzo Hasashi and Scorpion.

New Line Cinema Presents an Atomic Monster/Broken Road Production, a Fireside Films Production, Mortal Kombat II. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.

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I’ll never forget seeing The Descent on the big screen for the very first time, but one thing I’d like to forget is that my memorable theater experience took place a full 20 YEARS AGO. Yes, Neil Marshall’s creature feature turns the big 2-0 this year, which doesn’t seem right. But it’s true. The movie came out in U.S. theaters in 2005. Where the hell does the time go?

The masterful first film was followed by the less-than-stellar The Descent Part 2 in 2009, but Marshall didn’t return to direct that one. All these years later, does he have any interest in heading back down into the caves and battling those horrifying monsters one more time?

Chatting with Metro this week, Neil Marshall noted that he can “definitely see it happening,” while also casually throwing out the idea of someday making a prequel to The Descent.

Marshall explains, “It’s something I think would be good to wrap up the story. So many other franchises have been exploited over the years, but nothing has really happened with The Descent. I’ve got a few ideas. The trend seems to be prequels. I was always interested in finding out what happened to the miners who went down with the cave first.”

[Related] ‘‘The Descent’ Has Lost None of Its Power After 20 Years

Speaking of The Descent, the official novelization of Neil Marshall’s movie is being released this coming October. Click here to read an exclusive excerpt and pre-order your copy now!

In The Descent, “After a tragic accident, six friends reunite for a caving expedition. Their adventure soon goes horribly wrong when a collapse traps them deep underground and they find themselves pursued by bloodthirsty creatures. As their friendships deteriorate, they find themselves in a desperate struggle to survive the creatures and each other.”

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Dennis Donnelly’s The Toolbox Murders (1978) feels like it wants to be Los Angeles’ The Town That Dreaded Sundown. The film shares traits with slashers of the 1970s, specifically the voyeurism of Bob Clark’s Black Christmas or John Carpenter’s Halloween, but primarily aims for that seedy, regional true crime infamy. The climax even concludes with a text blast that claims the pictured events are based on an actual 1967 case, but there’s no concrete evidence. It’s sensationalized violence that slaughters wide-eyed, hopeful Hollywood starlets, feeding off commentary about Los Angeles’ immoral aura and sleazy showbiz practices.

Producer Jacqueline Quella acquired the remake rights for The Toolbox Murders, but she apparently refused to finish Donnelly’s version, calling it “terrible” and “misogynistic” (as per exclusive DVD interviews). She strived to be better than Donnelly’s appalling torture of women for kicks, which became writers Jace Anderson and Adam Gierasch’s problem. It’s a strange choice, really—why remake a film you detest? That’s the worst possible approach a remake can take, pitting itself as competition instead of a companion watch or technological update.

Yet, here we are.

The Approach

‘The Toolbox Murders’ (1978)

The late legendary Masters of Horror Tobe Hooper was selected to helm a 2000s update of The Toolbox Murders. Coincidentally, original producer Tony DiDio was inspired by Hooper’s insta-classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre—notably, its financial success. He wanted to gamble on releasing his own low-budget horror film, trying to copy Leatherface’s debut without blatant plagiarism. DiDio probably would never have guessed Hooper would eventually remake his cheapo horror flick, or how far Hooper’s redo would divert from its source, because there’s hardly any shared DNA (on purpose).

Anderson and Gierasch retain the bare minimum ingredients for a “Toolbox Murders” storyline. There’s a toolbox, there’s a killer, and a Los Angeles apartment complex. Otherwise, Toolbox Murders (2004) is about a building shrouded in occultist magic and a disfigured psychopath living in the walls referred to as “Coffin Baby” (because he supposedly clawed his way out of his deceased mother’s womb). Coffin Baby kills with no remorse or prejudice, becoming this nightly specter who strikes with intense aggression like any other 2000s-amped slasher prototype. The writers strip away the Kingsleys’ delirious “misogyny” from the first film, and substitute the most generic, squeezed-from-a-tube filler in the form of just another murderous freak.

Angela Bettis stars as Nell Barrows, a teacher who relocates to Los Angeles for her medical school student partner, Steven (Brent Roam). They’re Lusman Arms’ newest tenants, an under-renovation building that’s barely up to code with its electrical shorts, peeling wallpaper, and other architectural decay. Nell, who’s left home alone due to Steven’s erratic hours, hears screams and noises from other units that instigate a constant paranoid state. Nell’s instincts are right, of course, even though she has no idea her neighbors are being brutally executed by a balaclava-wearing sicko (Sheri Moon Zombie gets hammered to death during the cold open). With no support or reassurance, Nell investigates the secrets of Lusman Arms—including builder Jack Lusman’s dark spiritualist history—and hunts for a hidden townhouse that turns out to be Coffin Baby’s lair of a thousand corpses.

Does It Work?

‘Toolbox Murders’ (2004)

If you told me Hooper’s Toolbox Murders was a Nu-Horror Psycho wannabe born from its own ideas, I’d believe you. It’s a standalone that truly stands alone, giving “I don’t know her” vibes with a sneer. Anderson and Gierasch successfully pen a brand new plot around this facially disfigured Coffin Baby, who is now an equal opportunity slasher. Quella’s disdain for Donnelly’s perceived tits-and-gore shallowness informs a concept where buildings come alive and Los Angeles’ lowliest dreamers are doomed by their ambitions. By these terms, I’ll concede Toolbox Murders (2004) is one of the more freely creative remakes out there.

That said, as a remake, Hooper fails to reanimate even a glimmer of nostalgia for 1978’s uncomfortably vulnerable skin-and-chills flick. Whether intentional or not, it’s a lazy use of acquired rights. Anyone can repurpose name recognition for a project that has no relevance outside an off-the-rack costume and geographic location. What’s more impressive is something like Danishka Esterhazy’s Slumber Party Massacre (2021), which rewrites the original’s industry-bred misogyny into a hilarious satire that isn’t afraid to cherish what exists, but also hold certain aspects accountable (with love). That’s infinitely more interesting than disengagement, because a ski mask and power tools are the least unique elements of The Toolbox Murders (1978).

Frankly, it’s a piss-poor remake that leaves a head-scratching aftertaste. What’s introduced anew all play like downgrades, and there’s no familiarity to grasp. It’s a bad film on its own merits, which only damages the original’s reputation—a false reputation based on entirely different concepts. Anyone turned off by Toolbox Murders (2004) will have no desire to check out the ’70s version, presuming it’s also a cockamamie ghost story. Likewise, fans of Donnelly’s gruesome tale of slain damsels and a kidnapped teen will feel betrayed by Hooper’s 2000s remix, which lacks meaningful adherence to established (albeit separate) canon.

The Result

‘Toolbox Murders’ (2004)

Toolbox Murders (2004) is not only a throwaway remake, but it’s also a flat-out awful experience. It’s one of Hooper’s worst releases; a slapdash and incomplete attempt to recreate the grit and inhumanity of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Wasted are the dilapidated conditions of the Lusman Arms grounds, which do set a haunted-as-heck, “Tower of Terror” vibe with all the flickering lights and crumbling interiors. There’s nothing exceptional about yet another gorefest that’s got some gnarly kills to brag about but technical flaws like a Willard-sized rat infestation. Plenty of 2000s horror remakes didn’t get their due upon release—Hooper’s rental catastrophe ain’t one of ’em.

Hooper’s vision matches most aughts remakes, meeting the upped ferocity of Platinum Dunes productions, or delving into the abhorrent meanness (in terms of themes) of a title like Black Christmas (2006). It’s also frustratingly dunderheaded, especially given how choppy cuts that feel like a record skip between scenes become. If internet lore is correct, Hooper’s shoot ended prematurely due to one of the listed production companies going under, which stinks—but doesn’t excuse nonsense logic paths. Editor Andrew Cohen struggles to piece together a Coffin Baby branded puzzle of scenes that’s missing crucial pickups, while Hooper does nothing to challenge horror tropes, like moronic LAPD officers who can’t find a nearly-dead musician nailed to her ceiling. Sure, the 2000s weren’t a gold mine for impenetrable horror scripts, but Toolbox Murders (2004) is an especially deflated narrative that continually tries to justify its own nonsense.

For all that talk about Donnelly’s perverse softcore mentality, Nell’s struggles within Lusman Arms don’t escape a whole lotta male bullshit (sans gaze). Nell’s fractured psyche is a result of Steve constantly leaving her stranded in a crummy apartment and his constant belittling of her fears. Then there’s Nell being saved partly by the horny cyber peeper next door, who produces Coffin Baby evidence only because he’s spying on Juliet Landau’s hottie next door, Julia, through his webcam. In The Toolbox Murders (1978), there’s a plot-driven motivation behind all the creeping on women through windows and emphasis on sexual gratification behind closed doors. If anything, Donnelly is better aware of the stance his film is taking on gendered inadequacies than the braindead speedrun of yet another upset woman who cries wolf too many times and almost gets table-sawed in half as a result. It’s all so … boring and predictable.

The Lesson

‘Toolbox Murders’ (2004)

If you’re going to try to outshine an original with your remake, you’d better bring your A++ game. Toolbox Murders (2004) does not, and looks foolish as a result. Hooper’s downpour of violence inside what was meant to be a luxury getaway for Hollywood’s brightest stars is a rigid progression through straight-to-video horror tropes that, forgive me, appear amateurish. Hooper’s legacy as an influential genre figure is not evident in this ill-informed remake, despite the inclusion of a corpse maze during the finale. You come at the king, as they say, you best not miss.

● Maybe starting from a place of disgust is the wrong approach to a remake, even as a producer.

● Even the greatest minds in horror storytelling can’t salvage a clunky screenplay.

● Whether or not there are production issues, even ones severe enough to cut schedules short, all that matters is what’s shown to the audience.

● There’s a fine line between bringing originality to a remake and leaving the source material behind without any care.

Here’s the thing: The Toolbox Murders (1978) isn’t even a particularly great film itself. Everything with Uncle Vance and Kent at the end is skeevy, succumbs to overuse, and throws the whole slasher element into a weird funk. That said, Donnelly is confident in the film’s messages and at least goes headfirst into this exploitation-y fever-dream about an old man trying to “rescue” young girls from impurity. Hooper doesn’t display that same tenacity, pushing through arthritic motions to reach the next graphic demise. It’s a wild one, but disappointingly, for all the wrong reasons.

The post ‘The Toolbox Murders’ – When a King of 1970s Horror Remade a 1970s Horror Movie in 2004 appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

With The Toxic Avenger in theaters now, its soundtrack is heading to vinyl from Mutant. Due out in November, it costs $35.

It features score selections from composers Brooke Blair & Will Blair (Green Room, Rebel Ridge) alongside tracks from Motörhead, The Giraffes, and East Hundred as well as in-movie acts The Killer Nutz and The Whoopsie Dews.

The album is pressed on 150-gram green and black vinyl with glow-in-the-dark splatter, limited to 500. Enjoy the Ride Records carries an exclusive color-in-color variant with splatter, limited to 250. A retail edition on neon green vinyl will also be available.

The record is housed inside a silver mirrorboard sleeve with glow-in-the-dark elements alongside liner notes by writer-director (and elder brother to the composers) Macon Blair.

“The original Toxie soundtrack was such a bonkers mash-up of styles,” says Will Blair. “Dancey-pop songs would be followed by punk rock, then go immediately into big orchestral pieces, followed by weird electro score — and it not only worked, it became part of the Troma experience. We trusted it would work with Macon’s version of Toxie, and we’re grateful he cut us loose to throw everything we had at it.”

In the fresh take on the 1984 cult classic, a downtrodden janitor is exposed to a catastrophic toxic accident, transforming him into a mutant vigilante. Toxie must take on ruthless corporate overlords and corrupt forces who threaten his son, his friends, and his community.

Peter Dinklage (“Game of Thrones”), Jacob Tremblay (Doctor Sleep), Taylour Paige (Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F), Julia Davis (Phantom Thread), Jonny Coyne (“11.22.63”), Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings), and Kevin Bacon (Friday the 13th) star.

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Three of this year’s recent theatrical horror releases made their debuts at home this week, while the big screen is being taken over by Troma’s monster hero for the long holiday weekend.

Here’s all the new horror released from August 25 – August 31, 2025!

For daily reminders about new horror releases, be sure to follow @HorrorCalendar.

Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. reprise their roles as Julie James and Ray Bronson in new legacy sequel I Know What You Did Last Summer, now available at home.

Over 30 minutes of special features will have you hooked on this killer movie night at home, including behind-the-scenes footage, bloopers, deleted scenes, easter eggs and more.

When five friends inadvertently cause a deadly car accident, they cover up their involvement and make a pact to keep it a secret rather than face the consequences. A year later, their past comes back to haunt them and they’re forced to confront a horrifying truth: someone knows what they did last summer…and is hell-bent on revenge.

As one by one the friends are stalked by a killer, they discover this has happened before, and they turn to two survivors of the legendary Southport Massacre of 1997 for help.

Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (Do Revenge) directs from a script she co-wrote with Sam Lansky, based on a story by Robinson and Leah McKendrick (M.F.A.). Madelyn Cline (“Outer Banks”), Chase Sui Wonders (Bodies Bodies Bodies), Jonah Hauer-King (The Little Mermaid), Tyriq Withers (Him), and Sarah Pidgeon (“The Wilds”) lead the new cast.

Drawing inspiration from ’70s horror classics The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Hills Have Eyes, Brute 1976 is now available on VOD at home from Cinephobia Releasing.

Marcel Walz (Blood Feast, Blind) directs from a script by frequent collaborator Joe Knetter (Blind, Twilight of the Dead). Neon Noir produces.

Set in August 1976, Raquel and her girlfriend have car trouble and break down on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere…

At the same time, a group of people are in the desert for a photo shoot. Soon, they stumble upon an abandoned town where a family of masked psychopaths reside.

Adriane McLean, Sarah French (Blind), Gigi Gustin (The Retaliators), Adam Bucci (“Halt and Catch Fire”), Mark Justice, Robert Felsted Jr., Ben Kaplan, Dazelle Yvette, Bishop Ali Stevens, Jed Rowen (Blind), Alex Dundas, and Andreas Robens star.

The Purge creator and director James DeMonaco is back with his latest project The Home, a brand new horror movie starring “Saturday Night Live” alum Pete Davidson.

The Home is now available on Digital at home.

In this horror thriller from the creator of The Purge, a rebellious twenty-something is sentenced to community service at a quiet retirement home. The residents on the fourth floor are strictly off-limits, said to require “special care.” As his suspicions grow and he digs deeper, he uncovers a chilling secret that puts both the residents’ lives and his own in grave danger.

John Glover and Bruce Altman star alongside Pete Davidson.

James DeMonaco wrote the screenplay alongside Adam Cantor.

Fuse together with your loved ones from the comfort of home with NEON’s body horror movie Together, now available on Digital for rental ($19.99) or purchase ($24.99).

Dave Franco and Alison Brie star as a couple who find their relationship at a crossroads as they move to the country, abandoning all that is familiar in their lives except each other.

With tensions already flaring, a nightmarish encounter with a mysterious, unnatural foe threatens to corrupt their lives, their love, and their flesh.

Together marks the feature debut of writer-director Michael Shanks. Damon Herriman, Sunny S. Walia, Jack Kenny, and Mia Morrissey round out the cast.

In case you haven’t heard, Steven Spielberg’s Jaws turns 50 this year. To commemorate the occasion, the seminal shark horror movie is back up on the big screen right now.

Jaws swam onto IMAX (and 4DX!) beginning August 28, and tickets are on sale now.

In the classic film, “When the seaside community of Amity finds itself under attack by a dangerous great white shark, the town’s chief of police (Roy Scheider), a young marine biologist (Richard Dreyfuss), and a grizzled shark hunter (Robert Shaw) embark on a desperate quest to destroy the beast before it strikes again.

“Featuring an unforgettable score that evokes pure terror, Jaws remains one of the most influential and gripping adventures in motion picture history.”

Spielberg’s 1975 original summer blockbuster was written by Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb, based on Benchley’s 1974 novel. You can also grab the 50th Anniversary 4K release.

Bambi: The Reckoning, the latest installment in the Poohniverse from the producers of Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, has stomped its way onto VOD at home today.

Described as “Cujo meets Jurassic Park,” the twisted take on the classic character is available to rent ($12.99) or purchase ($19.98) exclusively through Amazon via ITN Distribution.

In the film, “After a car wreck, a mother and son become hunted by Bambi, a mutated grief-stricken deer on a deadly rampage seeking revenge for the death of his mother.”

Produced by Jagged Edge Productions, Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 editor Dan Allen directs from a script by Rhys Warrington.

Roxanne McKee (“Game of Thrones”), Nicola Wright (Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood & Honey 2), Russell Geoffrey Banks, Tom Mulheron, and Samira Mighty (“Love Island”) star.

Primetime Emmy-winning actor Peter Dinklage stars as the Toxic Avenger in director Macon Blair’s The Toxic Avenger, a fresh take on the cult classic franchise from Troma.

The Toxic Avenger is now playing in theaters nationwide. Get your tickets now and help Bloody Disgusting & Cineverse erase millions of dollars in medical debt in the process!

“Macon’s beautiful film is a real movie, unlike the first Toxic Avenger. It’s a work of art — and better than the original Toxic Avenger,” Troma’s Lloyd Kaufman declares to Bloody Disgusting. “Troma fans like it, as well as normal people,” he chuckles.

“The main piece of advice Lloyd gave was just to make it entertaining,” Blair adds.

When janitor Winston Gooze is exposed to a catastrophic toxic accident, he’s transformed into a new kind of hero: The Toxic Avenger. Now, Toxie must rise from outcast to savior, taking on ruthless corporate overlords and corrupt forces who threaten his son, his friends, and his community. In a world where greed runs rampant… justice is best served radioactive.

The Toxic Avenger is distributed by Cineverse, produced by Legendary Entertainment.

After a one night theatrical release earlier this month, Samuel Goldwyn Films has brought their comic book movie adaptation Red Sonja to Digital platforms at home beginning today.

The film is rated “R” for “Strong/bloody violence.” M.J. Bassett (Ash vs. Evil Dead) directed the Red Sonja movie, with Matilda Lutz (Revenge) starring as the title character.

Here’s the new official synopsis: “Enslaved by an evil tyrant who wishes to destroy her people, barbarian huntress Red Sonja must unite a group of unlikely warriors to face off against Dragan The Magnificent and his deadly bride, Dark Annisia.”

Robert Sheehan (The Umbrella Academy), Wallis Day (Sheroes), Michael Bisping (Den of Thieves), Luca Pasqualino (Snowpiercer), Rhona Mitra (Underworld: Rise of the Lycans), Martyn Ford (Final Score), Ben Radcliffe (Cuban Fury), Eliza Matengu (Predestination), Veronica Ferres (Crisis), Phillip Winchester (Strike Back) and Trevor Eve (Waking the Dead) star alongside Matilda Lutz.

The Red Sonja movie was written by Joey Soloway and Tasha Huo.

Red Sonja, played by Brigitte Nielsen in the 1985 film, is a comic book heroine created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith for Marvel Comics back in 1973. The character was based on the previously created Red Sonja of Rogatino from Robert E. Howard.

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