Horror Highlights: THE INSTITUTE, BRUTE 1976, THE FIRST TIME I NEVER MET YOU, FRAILTY, THE WITCHER, ABRAHAM’S BOYS: A DRACULA STORY

MGM+ UNVEILS THE INSTITUTE OFFICIAL TRAILER: “From executive producers Stephen King and Jack Bender (FROM), “The Institute” follows the story of teen genius Luke Ellis (Freeman), who is kidnapped and awakens at The Institute, a facility full of children who all got there the same way he did and who are all possessed of unusual abilities. In a nearby town, haunted former police officer Tim Jamieson (Barnes) has come looking to start a new life, but the peace and quiet won’t last, as his story and Luke’s are destined to collide.”

• Starring: Mary-Louise Parker (Ms. Sigsby), Ben Barnes (Tim Jamieson), Joe Freeman (Luke Ellis), Simone Miller (Kalisha), Fionn Laird (Nick), Hannah Galway (Wendy), Julian Richings (Stackhouse), Robert Joy (Dr. Hendricks), Martin Roach (Chief Ashworth)
• Executive Produced by: Stephen King, Jack Bender, Benjamin Cavell, Gary Barber, Sam Sheridan, Ed Redlich
• Directed by: Jack Bender
• Teleplay by: Benjamin Cavell

THE INSTITUTE Premieres July 13, 2025 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on MGM+

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CINEPHOBIA RELEASING SET TO RELEASE THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE & THE HILLS HAVE EYES HOMAGE BRUTE 1976 THIS SUMMER: “Cinephobia Releasing is proud to announce the Summer release of director Marcel Walz’s (That’s A Wrap, Pretty Boy) and writer Joe Knetter’s (George A. Romero’s Twilight of the Dead) latest feature Brute 1976. The film is set to release in select theaters this August, followed closely by a digital, VOD release on August 26.

”Brute 1976 is bloody and sexy, with a deranged family so demented they make John Waters’s Pink Flamingos look like a paradigm of family values,” said Cinephobia President Raymond Murray. “Brute 1976 restored my faith in horror that shocks.”

An homage to ‘70s horror cult classics The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Hills Have Eyes. Brute 1976 takes place in 1976, when Raquel and her girlfriend have car trouble and break down on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. At the same time, a group of people are in the desert for a photoshoot. Soon, they stumble upon an abandoned town where a family of masked psychopaths reside.

“I’ve always been a huge fan of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Hills Have Eyes, both the originals and remakes” said Walz. “Brute 1976 was an amazing experience to shoot: It was hot, it was dirty and it was bloody. I’m sure the audience will feel that on screen.”

“We are so excited to have Brute 1976, our modern take on the 70s horror films we love so much, in the hands of Cinephobia for it’s North American release”, said Knetter. “We look forward to everyone experiencing the Birdy family in all their gory glory.”

Brute 1976 stars Adriane McLean (Miracles of Christmas), Sarah French (Blind), Gigi Gustin (The Retaliators), Dazelle Yvette (Garden of Eden) and Adam Bucci (NCIS Los Angeles). From production company Neon Noir, Marcel Walz, Joe Knetter, and Sarah French produced, with Dirk Schürmann and Tobias Schürman serving as Executive Producers. Robert Kern III (Prey, Creepypasta) provided makeup effects, and Marcus Friedlander (The Getback) served as Director of Photography.”

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Watch the Short Film THE FIRST TIME I NEVER MET YOU: “A grieving scientist finds himself at his first date with his late wife. But to her, he’s a stranger who knows too much.”

Starring Eric Kole (Django – TV Series, World on Fire), Renee Bailey (Call the Midwife, Mood), Osy Ikhile (All American, Citadel)
& Kamaiyah Oppong. With the voices of Christina Tam (BBC’s The Reckoning), Victoria Shepherd (Netflix’s Flashback) and Neferah-Jo Onilude.

• Written/Directed by Eric Kole
• Produced by Reine Issa
• Cinematography: Michael Filocamo
• Production Design: Collette Creary-Myers
• Editor: Ellie Johnson
• Original Music: Joseph Alexander
• VFX Supervisors: Ludo Fealy, Paul Branch
• VFX Producer: Chee Yen Wang (for nineteentwenty)

“A cautionary tale that explores loss, grief and the love that connects the two. The First Time I Never Met You is a unique blend of breathtaking visual effects, romance and heartbreak.”

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FRAILTY Arrives On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray™ + Digital Copy SteelBook® on July 15, 2025: “FRAILTY, Bill Paxton’s striking directorial debut — now in chilling 4K for the first time — centers on the God’s Hand Killer, who terrorized a small Texas community with his axe-wielding butchery. Years after the murders, Fenton Meiks (Matthew McConaughey) walks into an FBI office with a shocking revelation: he not only knows who the killer is, but where the bodies are buried. Fenton recounts how his father (Paxton) received an angelic vision commanding the destruction of demons in human form, and enlisted Fenton and his brother, Adam, to aid in the divine purge. What the boys witnessed tested the limits of their minds and souls, fusing family, retribution, and redemption in horrifying, unsettling ways.”

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Frailty in 4K, featuring Dolby Vision®
• Art by Justin Erickson (Phantom City Creative)

Lionsgate Limited Extras:

• Father Figure
• Establishing Shot with David Blocker
• More Stories from the Frailty Set
• Teaser Trailer
• Theatrical Trailer

Legacy Special Features:

• Audio Commentaries with Director Bill Paxton and Writer Brent Hanley
• Production Audio Commentary with Editor Arnold Glassman, Producer David Kirschner, and Composer Brian Tyler
• “Anatomy of a Scene” Featurette Courtesy of Sundance Channel
• “The Making of Frailty” Featurette
• Deleted Scenes with Optional Director Commentary
• Storyboards
• Photo Gallery
• TV Spots

PROGRAM INFORMATION

• Street Date: 7/15/25
• Year of Production: 2001
• Title Copyright: Frailty © 2001 Cinedelta Internationale Filmproduktionsgesellschaft mbH & Co. 1. Beteiligungs-KG. All Rights Reserved
• Type: Catalog Re-Release
• Rating: R
• Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
• Closed-Captioned: N/A
• Subtitles: English and Spanish Subtitles, English SDH
• Run Time: 100 minutes
• 4K Audio: English Dolby Atmos
• Screen Format: Widescreen (1.85:1) in Dolby Vision®

SRP: $44.99

CAST

• Bill Paxton (“Big Love”, Frailty, Twister)
• Matthew McConaughey (The Wolf of Wall Street, Interstellar, Dallas Buyers Club)
• Powers Boothe (The Avengers, Sin City, “Deadwood”)
• Luke Askew (Frailty, Easy Rider, Cool Hand Luke)
• Jeremy Sumpter (Into the Storm, Frailty, Peter Pan)
• Matt O’Leary (Time Lapse, Live Free or Die Hard, Frailty)

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WEBTOON & Dark Horse to Bring “The Witcher,” “The Legend of Korra” and Other Popular Franchises to the Digital Comics Platform: “WEBTOON Entertainment Inc., a leading global entertainment company and home to some of the world’s largest storytelling platforms, is expanding its collaboration with Dark Horse Comics, bringing five major franchises to WEBTOON’s English-language platform. WEBTOON will become the digital home of Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins, The Witcher, Cyberpunk 2077, Plants vs. Zombies™, and new tales of Nickelodeon’s The Legend of Korra. Newly reformatted for WEBTOON’s vertical-scroll format, the new slate of titles will roll out on the platform throughout the second half of 2025.

The new slate joins WEBTOON and Dark Horse’s existing partnership to bring Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender comics to the platform, where these have accumulated over 13 million views.

“WEBTOON has made it easy for a new generation of fans to fall in love with comics,” said Yongsoo Kim, CSO and Head of Global WEBTOON at WEBTOON Entertainment. “We’re thrilled to work with Dark Horse to bring this new slate of world-class titles to WEBTOON. Whether we’re helping new creators build their fandoms or working with marquee publishers like Dark Horse to bring beloved franchises to fans around the world, we’re committed to delivering the highest quality storytelling to our passionate community of readers.”

“I couldn’t be more excited about partnering with WEBTOON on this slate of new titles. They’ve done such an incredible job shepherding our Avatar: The Last Airbender comics to their audience that I know all of these new stories are in good hands,” said Tim Wiesch, Vice President of Business Development at Dark Horse.

The full slate of WEBTOON’s reformatted Dark Horse titles includes:

• The Witcher – A dark fantasy epic featuring the witcher Geralt of Rivia, a mercenary monster slayer. Embark on the Path and explore the world of the best-selling video game franchise.
• The Legend of Korra (Vertical Scrolling Format Exclusive to WEBTOON) – A continuation of the Nickelodeon animated television series, Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra series follows Avatar Korra and her friends in their continuing adventures.
• Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins (Vertical Scrolling Format Exclusive to WEBTOON) – Based on the hit tabletop RPG series, Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins follows a band of unlikely heroes as they embark on high-stakes adventures, blending immersive storytelling with the creativity of roleplaying.
• Cyberpunk 2077 – A collection of action-packed stories set in the same world as the best-selling video game, featuring a new cast of characters in the neon-lit streets of Night City.
• Plants vs. Zombies™ (Vertical Scrolling Format Exclusive to WEBTOON) – The hilarious, action-packed battle between brain-hungry zombies and their unlikely plant defenders continues in this fan-favorite comic series based on the worldwide gaming phenomenon.

Launch dates for each series will be announced at a later date.”

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ABRAHAM’S BOYS: A DRACULA STORY: “ABRAHAM’S BOYS follows Max and Rudy Van Helsing, who have spent their lives under the strict and overprotective rule of their father, Abraham. Unaware of his dark past, they struggle to understand his paranoia and increasingly erratic behavior. But when they begin to uncover the violent truths behind their father’s history with Dracula, their world unravels, forcing them to confront the terrifying legacy they were never meant to inherit.”

Directed by: Natasha Kermani

Starring: Titus Welliver, Jocelin Donahue, Aurora Perrineau, Judah Mackey, and Brady Hepner