Dakota Fanning's horror film Vicious will debut via streaming later this year after being previously removed from Paramount Pictures' theatrical release schedule.
Writer-director Bryan Bertino's film will premiere at the Fantastic Film Festival in Austin next month before its release on Paramount+ and digital formats on October 10. Kathryn Hunter, Mary McCormack, Rachel Blanchard, Devyn Nekoda, Klea Scott, and Emily Mitchell round out the cast.
Vicious centers on Polly (Fanning), who receives a gift from a nocturnal visitor and becomes trapped in a world where reality is not what it seems.
The film had initially been slated to hit theaters in August of this year, before its theatrical release was moved up to February 28, 2025. Late last year, the studio pulled the project from its schedule amid a search for a better date for the film.
Other features announced Thursday as premiering at Fantastic Fest include Paramount’s Primate Sony’s SISU: Road to Vengeance , Universal’s Black Telephone 2 , and Lionsgate’s The Strangers – Chapter 2 .
A film switching from a theatrical release to a purely streaming release has become less trendy in Hollywood lately, as studios have benefited from the attention a project can receive upon reaching theaters. For example, Universal's video game adaptation Five Nights at Freddy's was released day-and-date on Peacock and in theaters in 2023, while the upcoming sequel will debut exclusively in theaters later this year.
Cindy Holland, the new head of Paramount+ amid the recent Paramount-Skydance merger, confirmed at a media event Wednesday that streaming movies are “not a priority” for the company moving forward.
Fanning's recent credits include features such as The Watchers and The Equalizer 3 along with the series Riverside and The Perfect Couple .
Bertino is known for writing and directing the 2008 horror film The Strangers starring Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman.
