Better be careful, or the Boogeyman will get you!
If you ask kids what they’re most afraid of, they’ll probably all say “The Boogeyman,” which is kind of a generic term you can use for any scary figure. Jason Vorhees and Freddy Krueger are Boogeymen of some form or another. Stephen King himself made up his own version of The Boogeyman in his famous short story of the same name, which was part of his iconic collection of short stories, Night Shift. This short story is getting a feature-length movie adaptation from 20th Century Studios and Shawn Levy’s 21 Laps, best known for producing Stranger Things.
The Boogeyman film has been given a prime June 2 release date from 20th Century Studios, and the fact that they’re going exclusively theatrical for this one shows they must have faith in how it turned out. The horror genre has been good for them lately, with Barbarian making a solid $45 million domestically on a $4 million budget. At the same time, The Menu was a rare art-house hit, grossing $79 million (and counting) worldwide. In our recently posted 2023 Disney Preview, it was noted that the film was originally set for Hulu, but tested so well its getting a theatrical release.
The Boogeyman sports a solid cast led by Yellowjackets star Sophie Thatcher and Chris Messina. Genre fave David Dastmalchian also has a role, and the synopsis from the studio is as follows:
“The Boogeyman,” a horror-thriller from the mind of best-selling author Stephen King, opens June 2, 2023, in theatres nationwide. High school student Sadie Harper and her younger sister Sawyer are reeling from the recent death of their mother and aren’t getting much support from their father, Will, a therapist who is dealing with his own pain. When a desperate patient unexpectedly shows up at their home seeking help, he leaves behind a terrifying supernatural entity that preys on families and feeds on the suffering of its victims.
The film is adapted from King’s short story by A Quiet Place writers Scott Beck & Bryan Woods, as well as Black Swan writer Mark Heyman. The movie is directed by Rob Savage, who directed the JoBlo-approved Host and Dashcam.
Does anyone think this PG-13 horror flick has a chance to become the next Barbarian or Smile? Let us know in the comments! Check out the poster below:
