‘River’ gets a premiere date: Jane Levy and Jessica Rothe slasher hits cinemas on January 15, 2027

The slasher River, the hit of the Midnight Madness section at last month’s Toronto Festival (TIFF), now has an official theatrical date. TheWrap reports that Universal Pictures and Blumhouse/Atomic Monster will bring the film to cinemas on Friday, January 15, 2027, taking advantage of the long MLK Day weekend — a date Universal had reserved precisely for a Blumhouse title.

The film’s purchase at TIFF was one of the festival’s most talked-about stories: Universal and Blumhouse/Atomic Monster paid $10 million for River (produced by IFC and Shudder), after Sony had also entered the race, according to Deadline.

The film is written and directed by Joshua Giuliano, in his feature directing debut, and its cast includes Jane Levy (Evil Dead), Jessica Rothe (Happy Death Day), Max Mattern and Dane DiLiegro (Prey). The plot follows three estranged siblings who reunite after their father’s death to scatter his ashes in his favorite river. When the boat’s engine breaks down and the phone signal is lost, the trip turns into a nightmare — they realize a faceless killer is stalking them and, to survive the night, they must set aside old grudges.

River arrives in cinemas with a strong critical baggage: 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. But January 15, 2027 will not be without competition: Paramount’s Children of Blood and Bone (directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood), Amazon MGM/Miramax’s The Beekeeper 2 and Angel Studios’ Fing! open on the same day.

The choice of January is no accident: Blumhouse has an established tradition with early-year horror, from the 2023 hit M3GAN to 2025’s Wolf Man, which earned only $34 million worldwide. The TIFF success also opened the door to Giuliano’s next project: Occupant, with Blumhouse Atomic Monster, Divide/Conquer and Spooky Pictures — while Sam Zimmerman, the Blumhouse/Atomic Monster executive for indie films, had previously worked with the director at Shudder.