Article From The Hollywood Reporter:
“EXCLUSIVE: The Dakota Fanning-led horror movie Vicious is set to debut via streaming later this year after it was previously removed from Paramount Pictures‘ theatrical release calendar.
Writer-director Bryan Bertino’s feature will premiere at Fantastic Fest in Austin next month before its release on Paramount+ and digital formats Oct. 10. Kathryn Hunter, Mary McCormack, Rachel Blanchard, Devyn Nekoda, Klea Scott and Emily Mitchell round out the cast.
Vicious centers on Polly (Fanning), who receives a gift from a late-night visitor and becomes trapped in a world where reality is not what it seems.
The film had initially been scheduled to hit theaters in August of this year, before its theatrical release was moved up to Feb. 28, 2025. Late last year, the studio took the project off of its calendar amid a search for a better date for the film.
Other features that were announced Thursday as set to premiere at Fantastic Fest include Paramount’s Primate, Sony’s Sisu: Road to Revenge, Universal’s Black Phone 2 and Lionsgate’s The Strangers — Chapter 2.
A movie shifting its release from theatrical to a purely streaming launch has become less trendy in Hollywood of late, as studios have benefited from the attention that a project can get from hitting theaters. For example, Universal’s video game adaptation Five Nights at Freddy’s was released day-and-date on Peacock and in theaters in 2023, while the forthcoming sequel will debut exclusively in theaters later this year.
The decision to debut Vicious on the streamer was made by the previous Paramount regime, prior to its recent Skydance merger, with the aim of giving viewers an at-home option ahead of Halloween.
Fanning’s recent credits include such features as The Watchers and The Equalizer 3, along with the series Ripley and The Perfect Couple.
Bertino is known for writing and directing the 2008 horror film The Strangers, starring Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman.
