Horror fans are in for an exciting 2025. With iconic franchises expanding into TV series and hit shows returning for new seasons, there’s plenty to look forward to next year, including series based on some of thebest horror films of all time. From psychological thrillers to post-apocalyptic nightmares, as well as another Stephen King-Mike Flanagan pairing, upcoming releases are calibrated to keep viewers on the edge of their seats.
While it’s still obviously too early to know whether the upcoming shows will actually hit the sweet spot with fans of the genre, there’s plenty of room for optimism around a handful of key projects set to debut or return next year. The slate of upcominghorror showsdemonstrates the genre’s endless creativity and ability to reinvent itself.
Cast
TheAlienfranchise has always delivered spine-chilling terror blended with atmospheric storytelling, and the new TV adaptation,Alien: Earth, promises to elevate the fear factor. The show, spearheaded by acclaimed showrunner Noah Hawley (Fargo,Legion), brings a fresh yet familiar approach to the horrifying universe. It’s easy to wonder how the claustrophobic dread of xenomorphs will translate to a serialized format. With Hawley’s knack for layered narratives and intense character development, viewers are eager to see how he will reinvent the franchise.
Set in the year 2120, just two years before the events of the originalAlienmovie,Alien: Earthreportedly focuses onhumanity’s initial reckless attempts to weaponize the xenomorphs, resulting in chaos on Earth itself. Headlined by Timothy Olyphant and building on the franchise’s iconic blend of sci-fi horror and existential dread, this storyline feels both timely and plausible. Hit or miss,Alien: Earthis poised to become a must-watch spectacle for fans everywhere.
It: Welcome to Derry
IT: Welcome to Derry serves as a prequel to the IT films, exploring the origins of Pennywise the Clown. Set in the 1960s, this installment dives into the backdrop of Derry, unveiling the dark history and circumstances surrounding the infamous creature.
Stephen King’sITuniverse is expanding withWelcome to Derry, a prequel that dives into the sinister history of the infamous town. Set in the 1960s, the series is expected toexplore the origins of Pennywise and the generational trauma afflicting the residents of Derry.Fans of the eerie storytelling in King’s novel and the blockbuster movies can anticipate fresh horrors as the show fleshes out the haunting clown’s macabre beginnings.
The creative roster alone positionsWelcome to Derryas a must-watch. The show brings back Andy Muschietti, the director of the blockbusterITfilms, promising continuity in vision and terror. According to early reports, the show will be both a prequel toITand an origin story for the supernatural alien Pennywise, offering chilling answers to questions that fans have long speculated about. That alone already has horror devotees speculating wildly.
Yellowjackets
Yellowjackets is a television series exploring the survival ordeal of a high school girls' soccer team stranded in the remote wilderness after a plane crash. It interweaves psychological horror and coming-of-age themes, simultaneously depicting their harrowing transformation and its lasting impact on their lives 25 years later.
Showtime’sYellowjacketsbecame an instant favorite with its dark, gripping story of a high school soccer team stranded in the wilderness. Season 3 promises to up the ante, continuing the dual timeline approach that contrasts their harrowing survival story in the ’90s with their modern-day lives, riddled with secrets and psychological scars aplenty. After the shocking cliffhangers of season 2, audiences are eager to unravel the mysteries of Shauna, Taissa, Misty, and Natalie, as well as the eerie force that looms over their struggle for survival.
Thankfully, season 3 seems set to explore those angles. Series creator Ashley Lyle promisedthe new season will finallyanswer some of the majorYellowjacketsquestionslingering over the first two seasons, including what happened in the past that the women are so fearful will be exposed. Envisioned as a five-season story, it’s safe to assume the center season of that story arc should bring plenty of Yellowjacket secrets into focus and set the stage for the story’s ultimate conclusion.
The Last Of Us
The Last of Us is a post-apocalyptic drama series set two decades after a global catastrophe. It follows Joel, a seasoned survivor, who is tasked with escorting Ellie, a teenage girl, across a desolated United States, transforming into a harrowing journey of survival and companionship.
With stellar performances by Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, a hauntingly beautiful post-apocalyptic world, and terrifying infected creatures, the first season of the HBO drama enthralled viewers and left them hungry for more. Season 2 will be based onThe Last of Us Part II, the controversial yet revered sequel to the original video game. To say fans are eager to see how theLast of Usshowrunners will adapt the game’s emotionally turbulent story, which dives deeper into themes of revenge, trauma, and morality, is an understatement.
Central to the questions will be if Ellie’s darker, more vengeful arc will match the intensity of the video game source material and how the show will expand its world-building to reveal even more horrifying infected variations. Neil Druckmann, co-creator of the original game, and showrunner Craig Mazin (Chernobyl) have proven their storytelling prowess in crafting emotionally resonant and terrifying narratives. The new season should put their tightrope approach to an even more exacting test.
Stranger Things
Stranger Things is a Netflix series set in the 1980s, where the mysterious disappearance of a young boy leads a small town to uncover secret experiments and supernatural forces. A significant focus is on a peculiar girl who may hold the key to the unfolding mystery.
The announcement of Stranger Things season 5 back in February 2022 has left fans buzzing with excitement ever since – and for good reason. After four seasons of supernatural thrills, the stakes have never been higher in Hawkins. With series creators Matt and Ross Duffer promising an “epic conclusion,” fans can expect a horror-packed spectacle that ties up the show’s narrative arcs while introducing fresh twists.The anticipation ofanswers to long-standingStranger Thingsmysterieslike Will’s connection to the Upside Down is enough to keep viewers on edge.
From the haunting return of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” to the dark allure of Vecna’s origin story, the show excels at mixing terrifying moments with heartfelt character arcs. With visual effects set to outdo anything seen in Netflix’s signature series before, this final season could redefine the boundaries of horror on TV. Fans are promised a finale that is darker, more intense, and emotionally impactful than ever to bring the story to a close.
Dexter
Dexter is a television series following Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter analyst for Miami Metro Police who secretly leads a dual life as a vigilante serial killer. Released in 2006, the show focuses on Dexter’s internal conflict as he hunts down criminals who elude justice within the legal system.
The return of Dexter is already creating waves. Three years after the popular character was shot and killed by his son at the controversial end ofDexter: New Blood,Michael C. Hall is set to return as the infamous blood spatter analyst-turned-serial killerin this sequel series. With production set to begin next year, details of the project are still heavily under wraps, including how Dexter could have possibly survived his seemingly conclusive death.
Unlike the one-offNew Bloodreunion,Dexter: Resurrectionis being envisioned as a full return of the Dexter character, with franchise mastermind Clyde Phillips already stating the new show is an ongoing series that could run for several seasons. Expected to roll out in the summer of 2025, it’s also unclear whether any other originalDextercast members will be regulars in the new show or where Dexter’s new adventures may be set. Regardless of the specifics, any return for one of cable’s all-time great anti-heroes is bound to stoke loads of conversation when the show finally arrives.
4The Bondsman
Amazon Prime Video
It never hurts to have a veteran of the horror genre leading a cast, so the mention of Kevin Bacon as the star of Amazon Prime Video’s upcomingThe Bondsmanhas already garnered plenty of attention. Bacon plays Hub Halloran, a backwoods bounty hunter and struggling musician who is mysteriously resurrected from the dead to find his old job has taken on a decidedly darker supernatural twist.
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With a story blending gritty crime drama with supernatural horror,The Bondsmanmay mark a fresh take on traditional ghost stories.After getting killed off in glorious fashion in the original horror classicFriday the 13th(1980), then creepy performances in movies likeStir of Echoes(1999) andHollow Man(2000), everyone is interested to see what an older, more seasoned Bacon can bring to a new horror-tinged series.
3Carrie
Almost 50 years after Sissy Spacek made Carrie a household name, a new series adaptation of Stephen King’s blockbuster debut novel is on the way, this time shepherded by no less a horror icon than director Mike Flanagan (Gerald’s Game, Ouija: Origin of Evil). WhileCarrieis a horror property that keeps returning, including the Chloë Grace Moretz remake from 2013, the true headliner here is Flanagan, who comes into the series riding a wave of goodwill from fans following his run at Netflix.
Tabbed as showrunner of this eight-episode adaptation, Flanagan had a can’t-miss record producing horror shows for Netflix, including a string of well-loved shows likeThe Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor, The Fall of the House of Usher, andMidnight Mass. While only scant details have been released about the Carrie reboot (or who may be chosen to play that iconic role), it’s enough to haveMike Flanagan’s name attached to get horror fans salivating at theCarrie possibilities.
Crystal Lake
Crystal Lake explores the origins of the infamous Crystal Lake killer, set against the backdrop of a quiet, lakeside community. The series delves into the dark history and secrets that haunt the fictional town, intertwining past and present narratives. This prequel to the Friday the 13th franchise promises to shed light on the events leading to the horror saga, providing a deeper understanding of the eerie and sinister locale.
It’s only appropriate that a series starring one of the slasher genre’s most often resurrected serial killers should find itself rising unexpectedly from the grave. More than 2 years after the reported 12-part prequel series to theFriday the 13thfranchise was announced, the project seemed effectively dead after the ouster of original showrunner and visionary Bryan Fuller (Hannibal, Pushing Daisies) earlier this year.
However, much like Jason Voorhees himself,Crystal Lakeis now back on track under new showrunner Brad Caleb Kane. Along with working on shows likeFringe, Black Sails, andTokyo Vice, Kane is also an executive producer and co-showrunner onWelcome To Derry. Now fans can focus on whetherCrystal Lakewill explore the origins of one of horror’s most iconic villains, Jason Voorhees, and the infamous Camp Crystal Lake. While the movies left audiences with countless questions about Jason’s backstory and the camp’s dark history,Crystal Lakecould unravel that mystery once and for all.
HBO
The Conjuring
The Conjuring is a multi-film franchise that started in 2013 with James Wan’s The Conjuring. Since then, it has expanded with spinoffs like Annabelle, The Nun, and sequels to the original film. Due to the popularity of the movies, The Conjuring has become one of the most profitable franchises in Warner Bros.' portfolio.
With loads of spinoffs and offshoots already, it’s probably a bigger surprise that it took over a decade to bring a TV series extension ofThe Conjuringuniverse into existence. Announced in 2023, there have been precious few updates on the state of this HBO project over the past two years, other than that the series would continue the story of the popular film franchise.
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Then last summer, HBO chief Casey Bloys told reporters that the series was still in active development, ending speculation the idea had been quietly axed. There’sno word if original film series stars Patrick Wilson or Vera Farmiga would returnor even if the series is on track to make a 2025 premiere. However, any mention of an upcomingConjuringproject is enough to get horror fans speculating on what’s ahead.
