20 Upcoming Horror Movies That Could Save Franchises
These movies could save these horror franchises from total ruin.
Horror is the genre that, above all others, just keeps on giving and giving, because most moderately successful horror films will end up getting a sequel or two, if not being franchised out until we all get sick of them.
There's a natural ebb and flow to most horror franchises, which might decline in popularity as trends change and audiences tire of the formula, only for someone to resurrect the IP with a compelling new entry years, even decades later. And while it's tough to predict where any horror series will end up, the odds are at least looking good that these new movies might well bring their respective franchises back to mainstream prominence.
From belated sequels with some serious genre talent attached to reboots that could even potentially surpass the original, these announced upcoming horror films all have the potential to restore these franchises to their prior glory.
Of course, it remains to be seen how things will pan out, because anything can happen, but these movies are all at least doing something to get optimistic about. Cross your fingers, cross your toes, cross everything...
20. Paranormal Activity 8
The Paranormal Activity franchise certainly had a good run, given that the original 2009 film grossed almost $200 million on an initial budget of just $15,000, while spawning a franchise that's since made close to $900 million globally.
The series ended its original theatrical run with 2015's critically panned Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension, before a standalone seventh entry, Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin, was sent straight to Paramount+ in 2021.
Next of Kin was so poorly received that even producer Jason Blum admitted it was "terrible" before insisting that the series was now dormant until a filmmaker offered up a worthwhile vision for its revival. And in December 2025, that time finally came, when it was announced that James Wan would be co-producing Paranormal Activity 8 alongside Blum and franchise creator Oren Peli, with indie standout Ian Tuason (Undertone) set to direct.
Hot off the success of his low-fi feature debut, Tuason certainly seems like an inspired choice to tackle Paranormal Activity, with Undertone proving his aptitude for crafting subtle, minimalist scares. Though Tuason hasn't said much about the film yet, he has suggested that advancements in camera technology will play a major role.
With Wan and Blum meanwhile positioning the picture as a big-screen resurrection of the franchise, it's easy to have faith that it'll return to the atmospheric terror of the earlier entries.