Horror Highlights: THE EXORCISM AT 1600 PENN, Chattanooga Film Festival, EDGAR ALLAN POE’S MURDER MYSTERY MUSICAL

IDW’s ACCLAIMED COMIC ‘THE EXORCISM AT 1600 PENN’ CREATED BY HANNAH ROSE MAY GETS BIG SCREEN ADAPTATION FROM BLUMHOUSE-ATOMIC MONSTER: “In a major crossover between the comic and film worlds, Blumhouse-Atomic Monster is adapting the breakout supernatural thriller comic book series, THE EXORCISM AT 1600 PENN. An IDW Publishing original horror from creator and writer, Hannah Rose May, and artist, Vanesa Del Rey, the acclaimed series will make the leap from page to screen in what is a landmark collaboration between one of horror’s most influential studios and one of the genre’s boldest emerging storytelling voices.

Set at the most famous address in the United States as it becomes a demonic battleground for good versus evil, THE EXORCISM AT 1600 PENN follows the first female president of the United States of America, as she balances boiling political tensions, the threat of World War III, being a mother to two teenagers, and a rapidly shifting media landscape.

Jason Blum will produce for Blumhouse, with Ryan Turek serving as executive producer. Series creator and writer Hannah Rose May and IDW Publishing CEO Davidi Jonas will also executive produce.

“Getting to work with Blumhouse to bring THE EXORCISM AT 1600 PENN to the big screen feels like a dream come true,” commented May. “Blumhouse has defined modern horror for a generation, and I could not be more excited to be working with them on this adaptation. I am so grateful to my incredible partners at IDW for their tireless work to share this story with audiences around the world.”

“We’re truly honored to be working with such amazing partners like Blumhouse and Hannah Rose May on the adaptation of THE EXORCISM AT 1600 PENN,” stated Jonas. “We’re so proud of this comic and we cannot wait for moviegoers to witness this horror masterpiece in theaters!”

“What immediately drew us to THE EXORCISM AT 1600 PENN was how grounded and urgent it feels,” said Ryan Turek, executive vice president, feature film development for Blumhouse. “Hannah has created a story that fuses classic possession horror with contemporary political tension in a way that feels bold and deeply human. It is exactly the kind of material we look for when we think about expanding horror into new spaces, and we are excited to identify a filmmaker who can bring this world to the screen with the scale and perspective it deserves.”

The adaptation underscores the growing cultural impact of May’s work, which combines grounded emotional stakes, contemporary political tension, and classic horror dread: a trifecta that has resonated strongly with both readers and critics.

The collected edition of THE EXORCISM AT 1600 PENN is on sale now wherever graphic novels are sold. Series creator and writer Hannah Rose May has also crafted the eagerly anticipated sequel, THE EXORCISM AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE, with the debut issue releasing on March 11, 2026, and pre-orders are currently open at comic shops. Additionally, May continues to deliver fear to comic book readers with SMILE: FOR THE CAMERA #1, on sale February 18, 2026.

May is represented by Verve, Luber Roklin and Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz.”

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The Acclaimed Chattanooga Film Festival Gets Lucky In Year 13: “After the recent launch of discounted Early Bird badges for their 2026 event (discount code EARL_LEE_BIRD valid through January 31!), organizers of the Chattanooga Film Festival — affectionately referred to as “summer camp for cinephiles” by its fans — teased a fun-sized first wave of films and events taking place at the 13th edition of their festival, which will be held in person at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre from June 18-21 and virtually June 19-27.

This event also marks the long-awaited return of a fan-favorite guest — filmmaker Joe Lynch, who along with his wife and frequent collaborator filmmaker Becca Howard will treat guests to a live episode of their popular podcast A COUPLE OF OLD FASHIONEDS.

Joe and Becca will also help the festival celebrate the anniversaries of two bona fide cult classics by hosting screenings of 1981’s HEAVY METAL and FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VI: JASON LIVES, which turn 45 and 40 respectively in 2026.

Also sure to thrill festival goers is the return of EVERYTHING IS TERRIBLE, who’ve graced CFF’s stages and events many times over the years and now return with the psyche-shredding spectacle that is their live MEMORY HOLE: ANIMALS ARE OVER show. 

This experience can best be described by using their own words: “a surreal, anti-civilization performance and video that unfolds in a mind-melting spectacle you’ll never forget (no matter how much you wish you could). Composed entirely of found home video, it’s an uncanny blend of art, horror, hilarity, and sadness. The experience will have you giggling in terror, all while wondering if there’s a monster lurking just behind you. Memory Hole proudly presents their latest work Animals Are Over, interwoven with a live performance/score, plus previously unseen clips from their 11-year archive of madness.”

CFF also once again honors its long-running commitment to audience accessibility by offering a jam-packed slate of films and events that will be presented virtually. This includes the fourth year of the wildly popular nightly secret screening series RED EYE, in which fans are treated to virtual screenings and accompanying watch parties featuring some of the weirdest cinema on Earth. Though the CFF continues to embrace new technologies which make it easier for film fans to participate in the fun, they’ve doubled down on their highly publicized ban on films and productions made with the use of generative AI software.

“As we rapidly approach a world in which all major film studios are owned by the same small group of billionaires and both the theatrical window and the human side of film production are being threatened, we feel a deep responsibility to remind fans that it’s human heart, creativity and community that have made the medium of motion pictures such an impactful one,“ said Chris Dortch II, Festival Director and Lead Film Programmer.

In addition to CFF’s GenAI ban, festival organizers are also launching their first-ever A.I. (Analog Idiocy) filmmaking challenge. The festival is asking filmmakers to create their own AI-free 30-60-second anti-AI public service announcement videos. Those interested in participating can email their Anti-AI ads to the festival at CFFhelpdesk@chattfilmfest.org before midnight on April 31st. The festival’s programming team will select a winner and, in addition to receiving a pair of hybrid 2026 VIP festival badges, the winning spot will also screen before each and every one of the festival’s in-person screenings. 

GRIND (d. Brea Grant, Ed Dougherty, Chelsea Stardust)

This horror anthology tackles the modern work landscape through four timely perspectives – the hustle culture of an MLM, the endless repetitiveness of a food delivery driver, the online horrors of a content moderator, and the unionization of a familiar-feeling coffee shop.

CAMP (d. Avalon Fast)

Presented by Dark Sky

Haunted by a traumatic past, Emily finds solace as a camp counselor while navigating grief, witchcraft and the power of female friendship. Emily feels at home as she’s taken in by the other counselors, who accept her as she is and wrap her in a veil of peace & forgiveness. Emily stands at the forefront of a new kind of life, but there’s a voice out there in the woods she can’t quite seem to ignore. The voice is whispering – and she’s telling Emily to go home.

FLUSH (d. Grégory Morin)

Presented by Dark Sky

Middle-aged coke fiend Luc (Jonathan Lambert, Quentin Dupieux’s REALITY) is having a pretty terrible night. Having gone to confront his ex at the club where she works, determined to somehow win back her love, one thing leads to another and he soon finds himself wedged firmly in a toilet, effectively trapping him in a bathroom stall. Trapped, we should mention, with a heap of coke that he stole from the bar’s resident dealer. He’s soon found, setting off an increasingly crazy series of circumstances that veer from the hilarious to the intensely grotesque as Luc’s world is assailed from every conceivable direction in a bizarre race against time that will have you gasping.

FIRST FEATURE (d. Curtis James Matzke)

World Premiere

Intrepid student filmmaker Thomas Reilly-King (affectionately known as TRK) spends years doing whatever it takes to complete his first feature film, aptly titled Enduring Destiny, as classmate Curtis Matzke documents his antics and looks back on the experience together ten years later. Searching for fame in a production spanning several years, the unflappable writer/director/actor calls in every favor and spends his last dime to realize his bizarre vision. The resulting film is its own brand of absurdity, featuring an 80s-style theme song, superfluous green screen, and excessive ADR. He even makes talking action figures of his character. What began as a behind-the-scenes student production, FIRST FEATURE is a love letter to student filmmaking in the digital age, showcasing the absurdity of what could be a future cult classic.

MOCKBUSTER (d. Anthony Frith)

A struggling filmmaker’s chance at redemption collides with chaos and compromise as he navigates the eccentric world of notorious production house, The Asylum. Mockbuster is a comedic, behind-the-scenes documentary of the making of a B-grade smash, THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT, that is both an unashamed celebration of trash cinema and a forensic look at the collision between art and commerce.

LUCID (d. Deanna Milligan and Ramsey Fendall) 

A 1990s art student uses a lucid dreaming elixir to break through creative blocks, but soon finds herself trapped in a nightmarish underworld where her suppressed memories and inner demons become deadly monsters.

With its commitment to audience and filmmaker accessibility, its warm-hearted southern hospitality, and its consistently surprising and eclectic programming, the Chattanooga Film Festival has, in just 13 years, been chosen as One of the 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World (MovieMaker Magazine), one of FilmFreeway’s Top 100 Best Reviewed Film Festivals in the World out of the nearly 14,000 festivals on that platform, been chosen One of the Best Genre Film (MovieMaker) and Horror Festivals (Dread Central) and hailed as “the gold standard on how to run a welcoming, unpretentious, no-bullshit film fest for folks who want to hang out and have a good time together” by legendary cinema publication FANGORIA.

The Chattanooga Film Festival is a 501c3 non-profit run entirely by a small but passionate crew of volunteers. All proceeds from the festival’s ticket and badge sales and donations go directly to the staging of each year’s festival. For more information, visit chattfilmfest.org or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube or even join our virtual monthly secret screening series with The Double Secret Cinema Society on Patreon.

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Edgar Allan Poe’s Murder Mystery Musical: “Ten years ago, in 2016, we Kickstarted and created our first major digital series, Edgar Allan Poe’s Murder Mystery Dinner Party, a comedic romp in which the famous gothic writer invites other literary greats over to a dinner party that turns deadly. In the years that followed, this beloved series has racked up over 3 million views, been shown at festivals around the globe, and won numerous awards. Now, to celebrate ten years of Poe Party, we’re reimagining it live, on stage, and adding musical numbers written by our brilliant composer (and two-time recipient of the Alan Menken Award) Dylan Glatthorn. This time, you’re actually invited! Join us in Los Angeles in the late summer/early fall of 2026 to experience this show like you’ve never seen it before. And never fear! If you can’t travel to see it live, digital tickets of the experience will be available after the run of the show. But of course, all of this is only possible if we raise enough money to relive that fateful night.

Even if you’re a fan of the original, there will still be plenty of surprises in store! We’ll be welcoming back some familiar faces from the show and introducing some exciting new dinner guests. We’ll also be rewriting the finale – creating THREE different endings that will be performed separately on different nights. And of course, we’re adding a host of toe-tappin’ tunes to the Persauds’ award-winning script.

If you’re new to Shipwrecked Comedy, we are a group founded by Indian-American siblings Sean and Sinéad Persaud that has been making comedy content, often inspired by history or literature, for the internet and beyond since 2013. We have made two full-length series: the aforementioned Poe Party, as well as Headless: A Sleepy Hollow Story, which won the Telly Award in Gold for Scripted Webseries in 2023 and is currently playing on Tubi as a part of Kickstarter’s FilmStream Collective. We’ve also made shorts, such as our film noir The Case of the Gilded Lily or our movie trailer mashup Little VVomen. Our last major project was a 24-episode audio narrative, The Case of the Greater Gatsby. Collectively, our projects have raised over $400,000 on Kickstarter and been viewed over 7 million times. Additionally, Sean and Sinead have spent the last couple of years as staff writers on The Librarians: The Next Chapter for TNT. Edgar Allan Poe’s Murder Mystery Musical will be Shipwrecked’s first ever live show!

All of the money we raise will go toward renting out a beautiful theatre to perform in, building sets and costumes for the show, and of course, paying our incredible cast and crew! We’ve put together a coterie of perks to whet your appetite – each level receiving all of the perks of the levels below it. And know that every dollar you put toward this project will help make it as hilarious, dazzling, and heartbreaking as it can be.”

Learn more and support the campaign at: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/shipwrecked/edgar-allan-poes-murder-mystery-musical