Movies
‘Mimics’ Teaser – Kristoffer Polaha’s Horror Rom Com Turns the Spotlight on Pesky Puppet Fergus
From the mind of Kristoffer Polaha comes his directorial debut, Mimics, a genre-bending blend of horror, fun, and romance that hits theaters February 6, 2026 via Panormaic Pictures. Variety dropped the first trailer and poster today, which you can now view below.
Here’s the logline: “Down-on-his-luck impressionist Sam Reinhold makes a pact with Fergus—a wicked, strings-attached puppet—that holds the promise to propel Sam to stardom, unleashing a nightmare that threatens the safety of those he holds dear.”
Filmed in Reno, Nevada, Mimics stars Nashville-based Latina Country singer Mōriah, Saturday Night Live icon Chris Parnell, the great Stephen Tobolowsky, and Polaha himself in the featured role.
“I was drawn to this unique story that explores fame and the supernatural, while managing to be at turns funny, romantic, and spooky,” says Polaha. “The movie is a romp. Working on both sides of the camera to tell this story was an extremely gratifying experience.”
Rounding out the cast is Jesse Hutch (Homestead), Jason Marsden (Hocus Pocus) and Austin Basis (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel). The film was produced by Ken Carpenter (The Shift, Flint) under his Nook Lane Entertainment banner, along with Polaha, Adam Karm, and Ben Wagner, with Podunk Productions and AKA Productions.
“I’ve collaborated with Kris several times, where he’s always delivered so well as an actor,” Carpenter adds. “I had every confidence that as a director, he’d find the spine of this special story. He had a firm grasp on the directing wheel at every turn (while also acting and producing), and managed to blend elements of comedy, romance, and a thriller into a fun, scary, and cohesive story. That’s no small task. I’m eager for audiences to step into the world he created for Mimics.”
A handful already have as Polaha’s genre mashup recently premiered to acclaim at the Cordillera International Film Festival. Panoramic Pictures’ CEO Michael Scott says, “Kristoffer and Ken and the team they put together have told a very engaging story that’s entertaining and timely. We’re very much looking forward to taking the film out in theaters in February.”
Hollywood is serious about landing the next Backrooms. Hot on the heels of a Siren Head feature announcement, Deadline reports that a new movie based on viral YouTube series The Mandela Catalogue is in development.
It also has some Hollywood heavy hitters behind it.
Amblin Entertainment’s Steven Spielberg, United Artists’ Scott Stuber (Frankenstein), and Amazon MGM Studios are set to produce, emerging victorious after a highly competitive 11-studio bidding war.
Launched in 2021, the YouTube series is set in the fictional Mandela County, Wisconsin which is “invaded by shape-shifting, nearly immortal creatures called Alternates. The Alternates are led by a false depiction of the Archangel Gabriel and their aim is to wipe out the human race by psychologically torturing them to the point of suicide. The Alternates are known for manipulating AV media, TVs, computers and GPS systems.”
The movie will be directed by the series’ creator, Alex Kister, based on a screenplay he adapted with Tyler Clifton.
The Mandela Catalogue has racked up an impressive 100 million views across its official episodes alone, solidifying it as one of the largest original analog horror franchises on YouTube.
Spielberg and Holly Bario are producing for Amblin Entertainment alongside Aaron B. Koontz for Paper Street Pictures and Stuber and Nick Nesbitt for United Artists. Kister and Clifton are also producing. Annie McCreery will oversee the project for United Artists. Maria Fortese will oversee for Amblin.
Get acquainted with The Mangela Catalogue below while we wait to learn more.
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