The Heretiks to World Premiere at Fantastic Fest 2026
- Horror Movies Uncut
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‘The Heretiks’ Set for World Premiere at Fantastic Fest 2026
Gregg Bishop is returning to feature horror with The Heretiks, a supernatural Halloween-set film that will make its world premiere as part of the 2026 Fantastic Fest lineup in Austin, Texas.
Bishop, whose directing credits include Dance of the Dead, SiREN and a segment of the V/H/S anthology franchise, directs from a screenplay by Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski. The writing duo previously collaborated on The Night House and the 2022 reimagining of Hellraiser, with additional credits including Super Dark Times, Stephanie and SiREN.
Set on Halloween night, The Heretiks follows Ada, a rebellious young woman who finds herself trying to protect her younger sister, Mabel, after a coven targets the girl as part of a ritual connected to an ancient evil. The film combines supernatural horror with a home-invasion framework as Ada is forced into an alliance with Cai, a witch who has turned against her own coven.
Josie Wert stars as Ada, with Ava Mae Seidensticker as Mabel and Kimberly Epstein as Cai. The principal cast also includes Tess Williams as Neve, Luke Speakman as Wesley and Spencer Brabham as Ryan.
Bishop describes the project as drawing from several corners of genre filmmaking while keeping its characters at the center of the story.
“I’ve always loved genre movies that grab you by the throat, take you on a ride, and still have something human beating underneath all the blood and madness,” Bishop said.
The filmmaker also characterizes The Heretiks as a combination of supernatural home invasion, witch horror and a full-fledged Halloween movie. Piotrowski, meanwhile, has compared the film’s approach to Stranger Things with a considerably higher body count, while cast member Kimberly Epstein described it as a female-centered take on The Goonies crossed with a darker version of Hocus Pocus.
The project brings Bishop back together with collaborators from earlier stages of his career. Dance of the Dead, his 2008 horror-comedy, premiered at SXSW before being selected by Sam Raimi for distribution through Lionsgate and Ghost House Pictures. Bishop subsequently worked within the V/H/S franchise and directed SiREN, the feature adaptation connected to David Bruckner’s “Amateur Night” segment from the original anthology.
Behind the camera, The Heretiks also assembles producers with established connections throughout independent genre filmmaking. Brad Miska, co-founder of Bloody Disgusting and creator of the V/H/S franchise, produces alongside Chris White, who executive produced the upcoming A24 adaptation of Kane Parsons’ Backrooms. Ehud Bleiberg and Ariel Bleiberg are also credited as producers.
The film arrives at Fantastic Fest as part of a lineup that will introduce a number of new horror and genre projects to audiences. The Heretiks will also participate in the festival’s press program, with select cast and filmmakers expected to be available during the event and a Press & Industry screening scheduled for the morning following its world premiere. Exact screening and press-room times have yet to be announced.
Fantastic Fest 2026 runs September 17-24 at Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar in Austin. The Heretiks currently has its world premiere scheduled as part of the festival lineup.
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