The world of upcoming horror movies has seen a mysterious title daring fans to learn more about its mystery. Previously known as an “untitled Universal monster movie,” all we knew was that Scream VI directors Radio Silence were at the helm, and that Melissa Barrera and the late Angus Cloud would be part of the cast. Well, now we know a lot more about the movie we can now call Abigail, and I’m so here for this entry on the 2024 movie release schedule.
But first, a warning. While I absolutely love the first trailer that Universal has released for Abigail, there may be some of you who want to keep the contents of this movie as a mystery. I kind of wish I was able to do that myself, but after seeing the trailer, I’m still amped after learning what’s really going on here. So if you haven’t watched the footage above yet, you can still turn back.
Are you still here? Awesome, because as the Abigail footage above tells us, this mysterious “monster movie” is about, to mix the words of both Melissa Barrera and co-star Kathryn Newton, a damn ballerina vampire (Alisha Weir). That’s the twist I wish I could have saved for seeing the movie fresh in theaters, but at the same time it’s still intriguing.
Also, I guess you can kind of figure that much out on your own when a poster that looks like this drops:
What’s even more exciting about Abigail is the fact that it feels like a return to familiar stomping grounds for directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. This new horror thriller with comedic overtones seems right at home with the tone, setting, and even the color palette of 2019’s Ready or Not. Only this time, the hide and seek game is definitely being controlled by the supposedly defenseless party.
Also, this bloodsucking romp has one hell of a cast that defines the term “all-star.” In addition to being one of Angus Cloud’s final performances, Abigail boasts the likes of Giancarlo Esposito, Kathryn Newton, and Dan Stevens; almost all of whom are properly freaked out by the scenario at hand.
And I’d be a fool if I didn’t bring attention to genre veteran/vampire exterminator extraordinaire Kevin Durand being present. Though I don’t think the knowledge from his four seasons on The Strain have been passed down to his new protagonist. To be totally fair, would it have been as much fun if it had?
“Fun” is certainly what impresses me the most about our first tastes of mayhem from Abigail, especially after Universal’s Night Swim seemed to lack that very factor. This movie absolutely looks like it came from the studio that pleased crowds with two of 2023’s most offbeat entertainments: M3GAN and Cocaine Bear. So thanks to that sort of energy, you can definitely count me in to check out Abigail. Just don’t ask me to babysit her. I’m not that crazy.
If you want to take a bite out of Abigail’s twistedly funny story, you’ll be able to do so when the film debuts on April 19th. And if you too are thinking about what a M3GAN/Abigail dance-off would look like, you can use your Prime Video subscription to revisit the adventures of last year's robot menace. All I'm saying is a new canon of Universal Monsters could be launched off of these formidable female foes, especially with the news that M3GAN 2.0 has brought back a key lead.
