Few names have left as indelible a mark on the horror film genre as Blumhouse, and Horror’s New Wave: 15 Years of Blumhouse is a wonderful tribute to that legacy. Stuffed with behind-the-scenes stories and images, plus candid insights from the filmmakers who help define a generation of terrifying moments, this book doesn’t just chronicle Blumhouse’s rise, but celebrates the creative spirit that makes them so special. From films like Paranormal Activity to Get Out to M3GAN, it’s a thrilling remainder on how Blumhouse has reaped the genre one horrifying film at a time.
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.
It’s a fun exercise to go back and pick out your favorite horror films from the last 15 years and then dig deeper and find out who was integral in getting these films made and I would assume that a good portion of those films have the name Blumhouse Productions attached to them. From the early days of getting Paranormal Activity distributed to taking on classic franchises like Halloween, Universal Monsters, and more, Blumhouse has had their fingers on the pulse of horror for nearly two decades and the genre is all the better for it.
Horror’s New Wave: 15 Years of Blumhouse, co-written by Blumhouse and Dave Schilling, doesn’t explore each and every film produced by the company over the past 15 years, but highlights a number of best of the bunch. Discussing things such has when the films were made, what they cost to make, how much they made, how many kills it featured, along with interviews with some of the best names in horror to really get to know not only how these films were made, but why they were made.
The interviews on how these amazing films came together from those behind-the-scenes was such a thrill, hearing from names such as Jordan Peele, M. Night Shyamalan, Leigh Whannell, James Wan, Mike Flanagan, and more. Plus the faces you seen on screen like Allison Williams, Ethan Hawke, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Octavia Spencer. Not to mention Blumhouse executives like Jason Blum himself, head of film Couper Samuelson and head of casting Terri Taylor. These interviews gave us a real feeling of being behind the curtain and to see how the sausage was made with insights into the creative process and so much more.
While the discussion with some outstanding filmmakers and actors was a highlight, the layout, featuring film stills, on-set photographs, storyboards, creative briefs, and title treatments, was absolutely fantastic. All packaged into a stunning hardcover book with incredible cover art.
Horror’s New Wave: 15 Years of Blumhouse truly is the definitive Blumhouse book. Diving head first into some of the more iconic horror films from the past two decades like we have never seen before. Reading this book didn’t make me a fan of Blumhouse, that happened years ago, but it furthered my love for the films they make. Horror films made by people who care about the story, the quality, and the genre itself. This book is a great addition to my library and perfect for anyone who loves movies and even more for those who love horror. Horror’s New Wave is a must-read!
Horror’s New Wave: 15 Years of Blumhouse is available at bookstores everywhere from Simon & Schuster. The audiobook, narrated by Daniel Henning, Graham Halstead, Jaime Lincoln Smith, Ramón de Ocampo, Raphael Corkhill, Raquel Beattie, Vikas Adam & Chanté McCormick, is available via Libro.fm! Be sure to check out Dave Schilling on the Capes and Tights podcast this Halloween as part of Horror Week!
