Horror Highlights: PINOCCHIO UNSTRUNG, MACABRE SPIRITS, THE END TIMES, FATED: UNAGI TROUBLE

PINOCCHIO UNSTRUNG Trailer: “Viva Pictures has acquired its latest film, the already viral sensation, Pinocchio Unstrung for theatrical release in North America July 24, 2026. This slasher horror film is the latest in the Twisted Child Universe and stars Robert Englund (A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise), Richard Brake (The Strangers trilogy, TV’s “Mayor of Kingstown”), Jessica Balmer (A Royal Christmas Manor) and Cameron Bell (TV’s “The Silo”).

Having had its world premiere at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival, the film is directed and written by Rhys Frake-Waterfield and produced by Scott Chambers as part of their Jagged Edge Productions, the team behind Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey.

A chilling reimagining of the familiar fable, Pinocchio Unstrung unfolds inside an elite London prep school. Influenced by a sinister Cricket (Robert Englund) and created by Geppetto (Richard Brake), Pinocchio launches a violent crusade to carve himself into a real boy like his brother James, one piece at a time.

“It’s a bold take on a familiar property, reimagining Pinocchio through a darker, more visceral lens,” said Victor Elizalde, President Viva Pictures. “The horror audience has proven to be one of the most discerning  and engaged in theatrical, and we’re proud to bring exhibitors a distinctive title that can cut through and drive attendance.”

Pinocchio Unstrung is 88 minutes and is anticipated to be Rated R.

The deal was negotiated by Victor Elizalde for Viva Pictures and Stuart Alson for ITN Distribution, Inc.

ITN Distribution, Inc. Presents A Jagged Edge Production. Richard Brake, Robert Englund, Jessica Balmer, Cameron Bell. Pinocchio Designed by MastersFX. Executive Producer David Coppa. Executive Producers Stuart Alson, Nicole Holland, and David Coppa. Produced by Rhys Frake-Waterfield, Scott Chambers. Written and Directed By Rhys Frake-Waterfield. Home video and streaming rights are being handled by ITN Distribution, Inc.”

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Macabre Spirits Makes Its Maiden Voyage Into Rum with Saltspray: “Macabre Spirits, the horror-centric label from Matthew Lillard’s Find Familiar Spirits, is thrilled to announce the upcoming release of Saltspray, a 90-proof Jamaican Rum accompanied by an original horror story by Bram Stoker-nominated writer Gemma Amor and bespoke cover art by Daniele Serra.

Founded by Matthew Lillard (Scream, Five Nights at Freddy’s) and screenwriter/producer Justin Ware (Bloodsucking Bastards), with Blue Run Spirits co-founder Tim Sparapani advising, Find Familiar Spirits is dedicated to bringing fandoms super-premium spirits paired with original stories and bespoke art by genre icons. Saltspray continues the Macabre Spirits anthology with a brand-new horror story, stunning cover art, and a limited-edition super-premium spirit in a custom display-worthy black glass bottle. The exploration into the red-hot category of artisanal rum goes on sale exclusively at FindFamiliarSpirits.com and at Seelbach’s on June 23rd, 2026.

“We’ve wanted to do a rum for a while,” said co-founder Ware, “but we hadn’t found the right story to inspire us. When Gemma pitched us the idea for Saltspray, we knew it was the perfect time to take the plunge. Inspired by the cliffs of her native England, Gemma has written a tale about hidden secrets that’s creepy and monstrous but also intimate and all too human—just the way we like it.”

Bram Stoker and British Fantasy Award nominee Amor spun the tale that inspired the selection, but her vivid imagery was brought to life on the label and book cover by Italian illustrator Daniele Serra. A three-time British Fantasy Award winner for Best Artist and two-time World Fantasy Award finalist, Serra painted an original artwork that, like the story, merges beauty with terror and fear with fascination.

As for what comes inside the bottle, this delicious 90-proof rum starts out bright with a twinge of island spice followed by notes of honey, demarara, and warm apple on the nose, and ends with tropical fruit and just the right amount of funk. Sourced from Hampden Distillery in Jamaica, it’s a perfect rum for cocktails (visit Find Familiar’s website for recipe inspiration) or for sipping neat as you watch the surf tumble in England, Jamaica, California, or Florida, where Find Familiar Spirits is bottled and packaged.

About Macabre Spirits

Macabre Spirits is Find Familiar’s second brand following the smash success of Quest’s End Whiskey, a fantasy-inspired line that sold out multiple releases and won silver at the World Spirits Competition. The first Macabre release, Rare, Fine & Limited, was a sotol accompanied by a novella by modern master Mike Flanagan, and the second, Hell Is Not Mocked, a Texas whiskey with a story by best-selling author Christopher Buehlman. Macabre is also behind the immensely popular Ghost Face Vodka, which will be available nationwide this fall.”

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Joe Bob Briggs To Write Introduction for the Omnibus Edition of Ben Percy’s The End Times: “Legendary actor, author, and drive-in movie critic Joe Bob Briggs is set to write the introduction for the omnibus edition of Ben Percy and Stephen King’s post-apocalyptic newspaper The End Times, published by Bad Hand Books.

Joe Bob Briggs is best known for his roles as horror host and critic. He hosted horror classic TV shows Joe Bob’s Drive-In Theater on The Movie Channel for eleven years, MonsterVision on TNT for five years, and The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs on Shudder for eight years. Over the course of his career, Briggs has executive-produced more than 20,000 hours of television and established himself as one of the leading authorities on exploitation and genre films.

Briggs has also appeared in several horror films, often playing himself, a host-type figure, or memorable genre cameos. His credits include deleted scenes in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, as well as roles in Ghosts of Goldfield, The Sleeper, Scare Package, Hogzilla, and Cryptids. He has also become a familiar presence in horror documentaries such as In Search of Darkness, American Scary, Horror Business, and Herschell Gordon Lewis: The Godfather of Gore. 

“For decades, Joe Bob Briggs has demonstrated the power of community-building through the shared experience of art. We need this message more than ever now, and it happens to be one of the core themes Benjamin Percy and Stephen King explore in The End Times. That’s why I can’t think of a better person to provide the introduction to the collected edition,” said Doug Murano, founder and CEO of Bad Hand Books.

The End Times: Volume One takes readers on an unsettling journey through a reimagined Midwest as it rebuilds from a deadly pandemic. Author Ben Percy is a Minnesota native, and $1 from each book sold directly from the publisher will go to benefit mutual aid efforts in Minneapolis as the community recovers from the impacts of recent ICE activity in the region.

The End Times: Volume One will be released in early 2027 and is now available for pre-order from the publisher. “

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Monster Forge Launches “Fated: Unagi Trouble” by Jason T. Kruse on GlobalComix: “Debut Issue Introduces a Thrilling New Fantasy World Where Magic Replaces Technology and Legendary Monsters Roam the Earth

Monster Forge is proud to announce the release of Fated: Unagi Trouble, the debut issue of the new fantasy adventure series Fated: Surviving Magic, created by acclaimed writer and creator Jason T. Kruse. The issue is now available worldwide on GlobalComix.

Kruse, best known as the creator of the animated fantasy-comedy series The World of Quest for Kids’ WB, brings readers an ambitious new universe where myth and reality collide in spectacular fashion.

In Fated: Surviving Magic, an apocalyptic event merges Earth with the Fae Realms, forever changing the world. Magic suddenly becomes a fact of life, modern technology ceases to function, and humanity discovers that the monsters of legend are not only real—they are everywhere.

The debut issue, Fated: Surviving Magic — Unagi Trouble, throws readers directly into this transformed world. While undertaking a salvage mission for the enigmatic Queen Mab, a group of survivors encounters a legendary monster that turns a routine operation into a desperate fight for survival. Packed with action, mystery, humor, and supernatural danger, the story serves as an exciting introduction to a world where every journey beyond the safety of civilization could be your last.

“With Fated, I wanted to explore what happens when the impossible suddenly becomes normal,” said Jason T. Kruse. “Magic changes everything. Society, survival, and even humanity’s understanding of the world are turned upside down. Unagi Trouble is the perfect entry point into that adventure.”

“Jason has always had a talent for creating unforgettable worlds and creatures,” said Shannon Eric Denton, founder of Monster Forge and a producer and writer on The World of Quest. “Fated: Surviving Magic is packed with legendary monsters, danger, and adventure, and Unagi Trouble is the perfect first glimpse into this exciting new universe.”

Combining elements of epic fantasy, monster mythology, and post-apocalyptic storytelling, Fated: Surviving Magic offers readers a fresh take on a world rebuilding itself after an unimaginable transformation.

Fans of fantasy adventures, supernatural worlds, and character-driven storytelling will find plenty to love in this exciting debut from Monster Forge.”