First Look: Hayden Panettiere Faces Her Fears in Leonardo DiCaprio-Produced Thriller Sleepwalker

Hayden Panettiere unravels between dreams and reality in Brainstorm Media’s upcoming thriller Sleepwalker.

Hayden Panettiere Descends Into Darkness in Brainstorm Media’s New Thriller Sleepwalker

After months of whispers and speculation, Brainstorm Media has released the first official look at Sleepwalker — a haunting new psychological thriller directed by Brandon Auman and produced by Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way alongside Verdi Productions. The film stars Hayden Panettiere (Scream 4, Nashville) in what looks to be her most chilling and transformative performance to date. Sleepwalker will hit select theaters and VOD on January 9, 2026, courtesy of Brainstorm Media.

Panettiere plays Sarah, a young woman haunted by terrifying visions and trapped between waking life and nightmares. What begins as ordinary sleepwalking quickly devolves into a series of disturbing episodes that blur reality, fear, and madness — pushing Sarah to the brink of psychological collapse. Alongside Panettiere, the film features Beverly D’Angelo, Justin Chatwin, Mischa Barton, Lori Tan Chinn, Laird Lacoste, and Corinne Sweeney.

Auman, who wrote and directed the film, crafts Sleepwalker as an eerie descent into the subconscious, where trauma manifests in the night and the line between dreams and delusion fades away. Produced by Chad A. Verdi, Jennifer Davisson, Phillip Watson, Michelle Verdi, Chad Verdi Jr., and Paul Luba, the film bears the unmistakable polish of Appian Way’s genre ventures — combining slick production with unnerving tension and a grounded emotional core.

The first stills released today tease a stark, atmospheric visual style — sterile suburban interiors lit with flickering shadows, a motif that mirrors Sarah’s unraveling state. Fans can expect a trailer and more details as the film approaches its January release, with early reactions calling it “a psychological horror steeped in lucid dread.”

With Sleepwalker, Hayden Panettiere steps into darker territory, joining a growing wave of prestige-driven thrillers that use horror to explore fractured identity and loss of control. Given Brainstorm Media’s recent genre streak and Appian Way’s backing, this could easily be one of 2026’s first big horror breakout hits.

Sleepwalker will be released in select theaters and on demand on January 9, 2026.

Source: Brainstorm Media