The upcoming horror movie Five Must Die will blend psychological terror, supernatural horror, and dark humor into a nightmare where survival comes at a horrifying price, and Bloody Disgusting is exclusively debuting the official poster and first details this afternoon.
A chilling new chapter in supernatural horror is preparing to consume audiences as director, and co-writer Ryan Kelly unleashes the occult thriller Five Must Die.
Five Must Die is said to be a high-concept supernatural thriller that fuses the tension of Ready or Not and the meta-horror energy of The Cabin in the Woods with the conspiracy edge of Men in Black and the supernatural flair of Ghostbusters.
Co-written by David Landau, the film stars Beth Broderick (“Sabrina the Teenage Witch”) alongside Jared P-Smith (“The Equalizer”) and an ensemble cast.
In Five Must Die, six strangers awaken trapped inside a sprawling mansion. None of them know each other, and none understand why they are there — until an agent from the Federal Bureau of Paranormal Containment informs them that a violent spirit has marked them as its targets.
As paranoia, fear, and supernatural attacks tear the group apart, the mansion becomes a crucible where hidden pasts are revealed, and moral choices turn deadly. The line between possession, free will, and vengeance begins to blur, and only those willing to confront their guilt may have a chance to survive.
“I’ve always loved films that are contained to a single location, and I’m a big fan of ensemble casts,” says Ryan Kelly. “This project brings those elements together and filters them through horror, comedy, and a bit of an Agatha Christie-style mystery. That combination — tight, character-driven, but still fun, unpredictable, and surprising — is exactly the kind of movie I love to watch.”
Kelly continues, “I wanted to create something in the spirit of the films I grew up with — high-concept stories with strong characters, big audience moments, and real emotion beneath the spectacle. That’s the feeling I’m chasing with Five Must Die, and if we can capture even a piece of it, I’ll be thrilled.”
Helping to bring his vision to life is veteran Broadway and film producer Michael Alden (Kissing Jessica Stein, Unzipped, The Zookeeper, Batboy: The Musical, Grey Gardens, The King’s Speech).
“I’ve always been drawn to stories centered around the unknown and the unexplainable,” says Alden. “There’s something deeply compelling about narratives in which unseen forces and unanswered mysteries create real danger — where what we don’t understand has the power to destroy us. I’m especially fascinated by the human element within those stories: who is intelligent enough, quick enough, or patient enough to survive, uncover the truth, and find a way out before it’s too late.”
“I was drawn to the project for several reasons. First and foremost, it’s an exceptionally strong script, and the characters — including my role as Margaret — are very well developed,” says star Beth Broderick, making her horror film debut. “Margaret is a retired FBI special ops agent. She’s tough, experienced, and sincere. I’ve always wanted the opportunity to play that kind of ‘old cop’ role in film and television, so it was a really fun character to tackle.”
“Human nature drives us to explore and explain the unknown,” says co-star and executive producer Jared P-Smith, “but things like possessions, hauntings, ghosts, and aliens still resist clear answers. That mystery is what keeps people captivated. We understand something like gravity, so it no longer amazes us in the same way — but the paranormal remains unexplained, and that makes it endlessly compelling.”
Sarah Baskin (Gossip Girl: Next Gen), Vandit Bhatt (“New Amsterdam,” “Quantico”), Gabrielle DuBrul, Briana Femia, Chris Maher, Carmen Salta, Taylor Selé (“Godfather of Harlem,” “Survival of the Thickest”), and Andrew Ximenes also star.
Alden produces alongside Steve Barton (Terrifier 2, George A. Romero’s Survival of the Dead, E! True Hollywood Story), Kelly Hall, Ryan Kelly, Michael Kuciak (Death Metal, From the Shadows, Killer Party), Christopher Massimine (“The Inventor,” Off Broadway’s “Fiddler on the Roof” in Yiddish), and Ryan Savini. Paul Filanowski, Nancy Nagel Gibbs, Ryan Koppelman, Jared P-Smith, Jane Petrov, Bev Ragovoy, Cheri Reeve, Kat Schon, Penny Stephenson, Barry Wolfe, Laurrelle Wolfe, and Andrew Ximenes executive-produce.
Academy Award Winner Cecelia Hall (The Hunt for Red October, Top Gun) serves as the film’s Creative Consultant.
Check out the official poster below and look for more on Five Must Die soon.
