'The Boogeyman': Release Date, Trailer, Cast, and What to Expect (2024)

There has been no shortage of Stephen King content in recent years. The septuagenarian has been consistently pumping out new horror stories almost as often as he fires off politically-inclined tweets. The Boogeyman is not a new story, as it was first published in a 1973 issue of Cavalier magazine and later included in King’s 1978 short-story collection, “The Night Shift.” It is one of the latest to be announced as under development for a feature-length adaptation.The project was initially announced in 2018, with Scott Beck and Bryan Woods co-writing the screenplay. Beck and Woods have been filmmaking partners for a while now, co-writing and executive producing films such as A Quiet Place, and writing and directing Haunt for producer Eli Roth. Production came to a halt when the film was canceled in 2019, following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox. The project was brought back in 2021, with Rob Savage set to direct. Savage is best known for directing the 2020 Shudder original film, Host. The screenplay will be written by Mark Heyman (Black Swan), based on the original screenplay written by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. Shawn Levy, the founder of the production company 21 Laps Entertainment, will co-produce alongside Dan Levine and Dan Cohen.Read on to find out everything you need to know about King’s latest film adaptation in the works!Editor's Note: This article was last updated on May 25 to include the latest trailers.Related:10 Most Underrated Stephen King Adaptations

When Does The Boogeyman Come Out?

While the film was expected to debut exclusively on Hulu, we now have information that The Boogeyman will instead be hitting theaters on June 2, 2023, after positive test screenings. This has become increasingly common for films initially meant for streaming releases. Just recently Smile and Evil Dead Rise opted for an exclusive theatrical release over a straight-to-streaming one. Before hitting theaters across North America, the film was screened at CinemaCon 2023, on April 26, 2023, at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. Collider also hosted a free screening of The Boogeyman on May 7 in Los Angeles, with a Q&A session with the director, and you can read more about that here.

Tickets for The Boogeyman are now on sale, and the film's writers, Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, expressed their excitement over the film's theatrical release in an interview with Collider's own Steve Weintraub saying the following:

"It’s a movie we're really proud of. It's our favorite Stephen King piece of writing, which is absurd because he's done so much miraculous writing, but we just always loved this short story, The Boogeyman, it always creeped us out. It's so simple and clean and terrifying, and to be able to play in that sandbox was quite the dream. (Director) Rob Savage did a great job and I think it's gonna be fun for audiences to see. I hope it's another reason for people to come out to the theaters, and we were really, really moved by 20th’s decision to take it, as it was ostensibly going to be a Hulu release, and they kind of are reinvesting in the ecosystem of theaters which is so important to us."

Watch All the Trailers for The Boogeyman

The teaser trailer for The Boogeyman was released by 20th Century Studios on January 29, 2023, during the NFC Championship Game. The trailer begins with a father tucking his daughter into bed, questioning why she uses so many lights, before leaving the room. The little girl is soon haunted by an invisible force lurking in her room and rolls her light-up ball underneath her bed, only to find the Boogeyman lurking on the other side. The trailer then cuts to a montage of the ensemble being haunted by the demonic force.

The full trailer for The Boogeyman premiered on 20th Century Studios' YouTube channel on April 17, 2023. The trailer opens with the same little girl from the first trailer in a therapy session along with her sister. The therapist places a red glowing cube in the middle of the room and tells her that it'll keep flashing until going completely black in order to help her not be afraid of the dark. Unfortunately, what the therapist doesn't notice is the demonic monster is crawling on the ceiling. The trailer then reveals that her older sister is also being haunted by the Boogeyman and despite pleading with their father, he seems caught up in his own world.

A new teaser trailer for The Boogeyman was released on Twitter on May 4, 2023, as well, and you can check it out in the player below:

This was followed by another teaser on May 15 that suggests that the Boogeyman might actually be an ancient creature that has haunted humanity through countless generations. See it below:

The latest teaser for The Boogeyman came out on May 24. The video showcases more of the scares to come and continues the idea that the Boogeyman is an ancient entity known to many cultures. Here's the video, and stay tuned for more.

Related:The Door to Terror Creeps Open in 'The Boogeyman' Poster

What’s The Boogeyman About?

The official synopsis for The Boogeyman via 20th Century Studios reads:

"High school student Sadie Harper and her little sister Sawyer are still reeling from the recent death of their mother. Devastated by his own pain, their father Will, a therapist by profession, gives them neither the support nor the affection that they try to claim from him. When a desperate patient shows up unexpectedly at their house asking for help, they bring in a terrifying entity that preys on the families and feeds on their greatest suffering."

The short story follows a man named Lester Billings who is currently seeing a psychiatrist due to his belief that “The Boogeyman” is terrorizing him by killing all three of his children. Each of their deaths was surrounded by similarly mysterious factors. The man tells his psychiatrist, Dr. Harper, that each of his children had all cried out “Boogeyman” as they were being put to bed on the different nights of their deaths. He swears that the closet doors in their rooms were closed, but upon discovering their bodies, the closet doors were always open. Even though their official causes of death were considered “crib death,” and “convulsion,” he believes that The Boogeyman was the real cause.

After the deaths of his first two children, Lester and his wife move to another town far away. His wife quickly becomes pregnant, and the two take extra precautions to protect their new child, Andy. However, she is called away to help an ill family member, leaving the man alone with their young child. In her absence, he feels The Boogeyman’s presence growing bolder and more aggressive, and fears for his life. He places Andy in a separate bedroom for the first time since his birth, knowing that the creature will go after him. When he hears a commotion and goes to investigate, he finds the Boogeyman attacking his son and flees. The police determine that Andy attempted to climb out of his crib and broke his neck, but Lester knows better. As he leaves, Dr. Harper suggests that he schedule a future appointment. Lester returns to the doctor’s office shortly after to find The Boogeyman there, removing his “Dr. Harper” disguise.

That is the gist of the original Stephen King short story, but the plot for the film adaptation seems to have some major differences. The perspective in the adaptation seems to be from the viewpoint of the children. After the sudden and tragic death of their mother, a teenage girl and her younger sister struggle to convince their grieving father to take action as they believe their house has become infested by a malevolent entity. The Boogeyman is tormenting this struggling family, feeding off of their pain and fear, and quite possibly could have caused the death of the mother.

Who’s In the Cast of The Boogeyman?

Chris Messina will be playing the role of Will, the grieving father of Sadie and Sawyer. Messina is best known for his role in the M. Night Shyamalan produced film Devil, as a detective who struggles with the loss of his wife and son. He has also starred in films and shows such as the DC Comics film Birds of Prey, as well as Sharp Objects, I Care A Lot, The Mindy Project, Argo, and Live By Night. Sadie and Sawyer will be played by Sophie Thatcher (Yellowjackets) and Vivien Lyra Blair (Bird Box) respectively. Both actresses have had roles in Disney’s Star Wars Universe, with Thatcher playing the role of Drash in The Book of Boba Fett, and Blair playing young Princess Leia in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series.

David Dastmalchian will play the role of Lester, a patient of Will's who was previously haunted by the Boogeyman. He’s best known for playing slightly creepy supporting roles such as in the Ant-Man movies, James Gunn's The Suicide Squad, Dune, and The Dark Knight. In addition, Marin Ireland (The Umbrella Academy) will play Rita, and Madison Hu (Voyagers) will star in an undisclosed role. Lastly, LisaGay Hamilton (The Sum of All Fears) will be playing the role of Dr. Weller. It’s unclear whether she will be playing a medical doctor or if she might be comparable to Dr. Harper from the original short story.