Dead of Night (2026) is an independent horror-thriller: a mutilated body in Elmwood Heights, a sheriff hunting a killer, and his daughter digging deeper.
First, the name check, because this title has history: this Dead of Night is a new independent film directed by Derek Sulek, planned for U.S. and Canadian theatres on 13 November 2026 through Level 33 Entertainment, with an on-demand release planned for 12 January 2027. It is not the 1945 Ealing anthology, not the 1977 television movie, and not the 1974 film also known by this title — no source connects it to any of them, and it is not a remake of any of them. It is unreleased: completed, teased in October 2026, and waiting on its November date, so there is no reception to report yet. Outlets variously label it a horror-thriller, a mystery horror thriller, a dark atmospheric murder mystery, and a slasher.
Quick Specs
Director: Derek Sulek
Written by: Derek Sulek and Eric Durham (also credited as Erick Durham)
Producers: Oren Kamara, Derek Sulek and Dan Sheldon; co-producer Jijo Reed
Executive producers: Chris Jericho, Scott Grimes, Ann Koch, Doug Johnson and Matthew Ballard
Starring: Dermot Mulroney as Sheriff Weaver; Kirrilee Berger as Kelly; Scott Grimes; Jake Busey; Alex Camacho as the newly elected mayor
Production: Fade to Black Films, in association with ZMA Films; distributed by Level 33 Entertainment (U.S. and Canada)
Release: 13 November 2026 (theatrical, planned); 12 January 2027 (on demand, planned)
The Announced Story
As announced: in the quiet town of Elmwood Heights, the savagely mutilated body of a teenage girl is discovered. The newly elected mayor scrambles to create a neighborhood watch, desperate to calm a frightened community. As more gruesome murders follow, Sheriff Weaver struggles to catch the killer while the town spirals into panic and paranoia. His daughter Kelly begins digging into the murders herself, grows obsessed with uncovering the killer’s twisted motives, and becomes convinced there is something far more sinister behind the killings. A longer variant of the synopsis carried in some listings adds that her obsession escalates “before the killer zeros in on her and her family”. That is the whole of the announced story: no ending, no killer identity, no survivor list and no death count has been revealed, and Kelly’s “something more sinister” is her suspicion in the synopsis, not a confirmed supernatural element. One listing describes a masked killer; that descriptor is that listing’s wording, not the announcement’s, and it is recorded here only as such. The wider ensemble, named in the distributor’s billing without roles, runs: Miles Anderson, Julianne Arrieta, Zach Justice, Raymond Cham Jr., Aaron “El Jefe” Abeyta, Sierra Nowak, Ana Nicolle Chavez, Alyssa Elle Steinacker, Amy Sturdivant and Sean Whalen.
Production
The film was shot in Los Angeles with a local cast and crew, a choice the filmmakers tie directly to the story’s roots. In their joint statement, the creative team said the film “was inspired in part by the fear that gripped Los Angeles during the Night Stalker era, so making the film here gave it an authenticity we couldn’t manufacture somewhere else.” Inspiration is the operative word: this is a fictional murder mystery set in the fictional Elmwood Heights, not a retelling of real murders, and nothing in the record makes its killer a historical person. Sulek directed from the screenplay he co-wrote with Durham; the film’s official site spells the name “Eric Durham,” the distributor’s credit block “Erick Durham.” Chris Jericho’s involvement is behind the camera: he is an executive producer, and no on-screen role for him has been confirmed — his acting work in the Terrifier films is context, not a credit on this film. Mulroney arrives with recent horror form of his own, including Scream VI. Biographical detail beyond the announcement is thin: Sulek is reportedly a Los Angeles filmmaker and co-owner of Fade to Black Films with earlier features including Trapped in the Cabin. The teaser arrived in October 2026 — the video above, which some outlets label a teaser and others a trailer; it is one video, not two — and Think Horror’s own coverage of it is separate from this record: ‘Dead of Night’ Teaser Drops Its Fangs — Nowhere Is Safe on November 13. The release scope is unclear: one outlet describes a limited U.S. theatrical run, while the key art promises the film “exclusively in theatres” on 13 November; no screen count, budget, runtime or rating has been reported. There are no reviews, scores or box office to report; there will be time enough for all three after 13 November.