New Horror Movie From the Writers of 'Hellraiser' Officially Brings a 'Weapons' Star Back [Exclusive]

One of the most exciting, inventive horror hits of the past decade is Zach Cregger's sensational Weapons. This chilling, unpredictable horror effort is quietly skin-crawling in moments and loudly terrifying in others. The highlight of the film for many is Amy Madigan's standout performance as Aunt Gladys, a role for which she earned an unlikely Best Supporting Actress Oscar at this year's 98th Academy Awards.

So impressive was this performance that a prequel to Weapons is currently in development under the title Gladys​​​​, and is scheduled to hit theaters on September 8, 2028. But Madigan, in all her enigmatic glory, wasn't the only performance worthy of praise in Weapons. In fact, the film was packed with top turns from both established stars and promising up-and-comers. This includes the likes of Julia Garner, Josh Brolin, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Benedict Wong, and breakout Luke Speakman​​​​, who already has his sights set on another horror film in his very young career.

Speakman is starring in the exciting invasion horror The Heretiks, which hails from writers Luke Piotrowski and Ben Collins, who are perhaps best known for their work on the 2022 Hellraiser reboot on Hulu. Piotrowski and Collins have also partnered up on

The Night House and Super Dark Times, with Siren and Dance of the Dead director Gregg Bishop behind the camera for The Heretiks. In a previous statement about the film, Bishop said, "I couldn’t be more proud of what this team pulled off. We set out to make a visceral, high-stakes Halloween horror experience, grounded in performance and built for a crowd, and I can’t wait to share it."

This exciting new invasion story is one of several eye-catching features that will screen at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, this September, with Collider bringing you plenty of exclusives ahead of the event. One such exclusive is the nightmare-inducing image below from The Heretiks, which should be enough alone to get the horror taste buds tingling for fans.

Who Else Stars in 'The Heretiks'?

Speakman is adding the role of Wesley in The Heretiks to his quickly growing list of horror performances despite being just 13 years old. The film also features a selection of other newcomers, including Kimberly Epstein as Cai, Josie Wert as Ada, Ava Mae Seidensticker as Mabel, Tess Williams as Neve, and Spencer Brabham as Ryan. A logline for the film reads, "On Halloween night, a rebellious dropout must protect her sister when a feral coven invades their home to awaken an ancient evil."

Fantastic Fest 2026 is held at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar in Austin, Texas, from September 17 through 24. Check out our exclusive image above and stay tuned here at Collider for further sneak peeks at the projects heading to the genre festival this year. More information on all the titles heading to the genre event can be found on the official Fantastic Fest film guide.