About the Book
Celebrate legendary horror studio Blumhouse's legacy with this lavishly illustrated visual compendium that takes you behind the scenes of the films that have reshaped the horror genre, from The Exorcist to the Paranormal Activity and Halloween franchises.With Blumhouse celebrating its 15th anniversary throughout 2025, Horror's New Wave captures the company's journey to become a powerhouse in the horror and thriller film genres--taking you through the process of conception to premiere for films like Five Nights at Freddy's, Sinister, Split, Get Out, M3GAN, now-classic franchises like The Purge, and so much more. This definitive "Blumhouse book" delves into the behind-the-scenes processes that shaped Blumhouse's iconic films and is perfect for cinephiles, pop culture enthusiasts, and lovers of horror. Featuring an introduction from CEO and founder Jason Blum, it also includes interviews with key filmmakers and writers like M. Night Shyamalan, Leigh Whannell, James Wan, and Mike Flanagan; actors, such as Allison Williams, Ethan Hawke, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Octavia Spencer; and Blumhouse executives like head of film Couper Samuelson and head of casting Terri Taylor. These interviews explore how each project came together, offering stories and insights into the creative process, such as directing, musical score, makeup, acting, cinematography, and more. You will get a birds-eye view at the triumphs and challenges of some of the most beloved and iconic horror films of all time. This book also includes film stills, on-set photographs, storyboards, creative briefs, and title treatments--giving you a true backstage pass to the making of your favorite films.
About the Author :
Blumhouse is the driving force in horror, producing over 200 movies and television series with theatrical grosses of almost $6 billion in the global box office. Blumhouse is home to the highest number of ongoing franchises of any studio, including Halloween, The Purge, The Black Phone, Paranormal Activity, The Exorcist, Insidious, M3GAN, and Five Nights at Freddy's, along with iconic films from cinematic visionaries including Jordan Peele's Get Out, Damien Chazelle's Whiplash, and Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman. In January 2024, Blumhouse merged with James Wan's Atomic Monster which has produced its own successful film franchises including The Conjuring, Aquaman, Annabelle, The Nun, and Saw. Blumhouse is the driving force in horror, producing over 200 movies and television series with theatrical grosses of almost $6 billion in the global box office. Blumhouse is home to the highest number of ongoing franchises of any studio, including Halloween, The Purge, The Black Phone, Paranormal Activity, The Exorcist, Insidious, M3GAN, and Five Nights at Freddy's, along with iconic films from cinematic visionaries including Damien Chazelle's Whiplash and Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman. In January 2024, Blumhouse merged with James Wan's Atomic Monster which has produced its own successful film franchises including The Conjuring, Aquaman, Annabelle, The Nun, and Saw. Ramón de Ocampo, an Earphones Award-winning narrator, was a cowinner in 2018 of the Audie Award for Best Multi-Voiced Performance. A graduate of the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama, he has been seen on television, film, and stages all over the world, including recurring roles on such television shows as The West Wing, 12 Monkeys, Sons of Anarchy, and Medium. He is the winner of a prestigious Obie Award for his stage work.
Daniel Henning is a director, producer, actor, and writer. His work has been seen on HBO, CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, MTV, Comedy Central, and on stages throughout Southern California. He won a 2017 Telly Award for "Best Writer" for the film version of his play The Tragedy of JFK (as Told by Wm. Shakespeare). As director and writer, his TV and film work includes MTV's Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory and the film Critic's Choice. He won the NAACP Theatre Award for "Best Director of a Musical" for The Wild Party. He is the Founding Artistic Director of Hollywood's The Blank Theatre, winning over 200 awards for his productions, including "Best Production," from LA Drama Critic Circle, LA Weekly, Ovations, NAACP, etc. Henning has been inspirational to thousands of young artists through his creation of The Blank's Young Playwrights Festival (the only professional nationwide competition for playwrights aged nine to nineteen). He directed the first play by 2016 Tony Award Winner for "Best Play" Stephen Karam when Stephen was seventeen and a winner in The Blank's Young Playwrights Festival. Henning has also been an acting teacher and coach and is known for his ability to spot young talent. He has given opportunities to many young actors who later went on to success in Hollywood including Tessa Thompson, Noah Wyle, Alison Brie, Molly Shannon, Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer, and Sarah Michelle Gellar. He coached Sarah Michelle Gellar on her auditions for the landmark TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and they shared a close personal friendship, even traveling to Australia together with family for New Year's Eve 2000, where the paparazzi photographed Henning and Gellar dancing. For several months, Henning was rumored to be dating Gellar in the Australian fan magazines (including Big Hit Magazine), which, of course, was inaccurate as Henning was traveling with his husband, Rick Baumgartner. He is a graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, Circle in the Square Theatre School, and American Conservatory Theatre. His work for LGBTQ Equality includes creating the fiftieth Anniversary Celebration of the Black Cat Protests (the first major LGBTQ Demonstration in the US) and directing and hosting the 2017 LA City Council LGBTQ Pride Ceremony. He was recently honored by the CA State Legislature for his work in LGBTQ Equality and nurturing the future of the Arts. He has also narrated dozens of audiobooks, both nonfiction and fiction. Jaime Lincoln Smith is an audiobook narrator who has won AudioFile Earphones Awards as well as the prestigious Audie Award in 2022. An actor based in New York City, he has been featured on Broadway and Off-Broadway as well as on network television and in films. A first-generation Jamaican American, raised in Bloomfield, Connecticut, he is an actor, writer, producer, and educator.
Jaime Lincoln Smith is an audiobook narrator who has won AudioFile Earphones Awards as well as the prestigious Audie Award in 2022. An actor based in New York City, he has been featured on Broadway and Off-Broadway as well as on network television and in films. A first-generation Jamaican American, raised in Bloomfield, Connecticut, he is an actor, writer, producer, and educator.
Graham Halstead, an Earphones Award and Audie Award-winning narrator, is a professionally trained actor and voice artist. As an actor, he has worked internationally in Edinburgh and London, as well as at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. His youthful, easy-flowing voice can be heard on television and radio voicing spots for Airborne and Allegra.
Raphael Corkhill grew up in central London and attended the renowned Eton College before moving to the United States to attend Princeton University, after which he completed his MFA acting degree at the University of Southern California. Raphael's recent credits include the Los Angeles Theatre Center's production of Short Eyes, A Happy End at the Museum of Tolerance, and Luke Eberl's latest film, The Movie. Raphael's voice-over work includes the Weinstein Company's upcoming feature Lawless and the award-winning short film Wrecks and Violins.
Raquel Beattie has narrated over fifty books from her home studio. She speaks conversational Spanish and is comfortable with beginning French. She can do a range of voices and select accents, including American Southern and Mexican. She loves spending time with her husband and three kids, getting outside in nature, hanging with friends, dark humor, and eating good food. "I'm not a foodie per se, but I really appreciate simple and tasty meals," she says, as she goes to Whataburger for the hundredth time. Vikas Adam is a classically trained actor with numerous credits in stage, film, commercials, and television, in addition to his hundreds of recorded audiobooks. In 2025 he was named a Golden Voice, AudioFile magazine's lifetime achievement honor for audiobook narrators. His narrations have garnered numerous other awards and nominations, including more than twenty-five AudioFile Earphones Awards, various Best of the Year lists, and the prestigious Audie Award. He was an inaugural inductee into the Audible Narrator Hall of Fame.
Chanté McCormick is a Los Angeles-based actress and narrator who has a bachelor's degree in speech from Northwestern University's famed theater department. She is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA and the Actors Equity Association.
