The Boogeyman (film) (2025)

The Boogeyman is an American supernatural horror film directed by Rob Savage. It was based on the 1973 novel The Boogeyman by Stephen King. It was rated PG-13 for terror, violent content, teen drug use and some strong language.

Plot[]

The Harper family, sisters Sadie and Sawyer and their therapist father Will, are struggling to overcome the death of their mother and wife, who died suddenly in a car crash.

One day, a disturbed man called Lester Billings visits Will's office. Lester explains that his three children have died, all killed by an evil entity that latched onto his family. A disbelieving Will goes to call the police. Lester slips away and Sadie finds his body hanging in her mother's art closet.

Soon after, Sadie notices a strange mold beginning to form around the house while Sawyer glimpses a sinister creature under her bed. This creature continues to terrorize Sawyer while Sadie suspects the phenomenon is related to Lester's suicide. She visits the Billings' rundown house. Inside, she discovers Rita, the now-unhinged wife of Lester. Rita identifies the creature as "The Boogeyman", the culprit behind her children's deaths. The creature feeds off fear and can mimic voices. The only way to ward it off is by light. Feeling unsafe around Rita, Sadie flees.

During a girl's night gone wrong with a group of girls from her school, Sadie encounters the Boogeyman and Sawyer is attacked right after, ending up hospitalized. Sadie is contacted by Rita, who needs her help to kill the Boogeyman. When Sadie arrives, Rita attacks her, planning to use her as bait for her trap. The Boogeyman survives the trap and kills Rita. Sadie escapes and realizes her family has returned home. At home, she finds Sawyer hiding. The creature has taken Will into the basement.

In the basement, the sisters find the creature feeding off Will. They rescue their father and a chase ensues through the basement. With the help of her mother's spirit, Sadie sets the creature on fire, and the family escapes the burning house.

Some time later, the family have a group session with their therapist Dr. Weller. As they leave, Sadie is called back by Dr. Weller, only to discover she isn't there and the closet door is open, suggesting the creature has returned. Dr. Weller appears and asks why Sadie is there. Suspicious, Sadie shuts the closet door.

Cast[]

• Sophie Thatcher as Sadie Harper
• Chris Messina as Will Harper
• Vivien Lyra Blair as Sawyer Harper
• Marin Ireland as Rita Billings
• Madison Hu as Bethany
• LisaGay Hamilton as Dr. Weller
• David Dastmalchian as Lester Billings

Production[]

The Boogeyman is a film adaptation of Stephen King's 1973 short story "The Boogeyman". On June 26, 2018, it was announced filmmaking partners Scott Beck and Bryan Woods would write the screenplay with Shawn Levy, Dan Levine, and Dan Cohen attached to produce for 21 Laps Entertainment, with 20th Century Fox set to distribute. However, in 2019, after Disney's acquisition of Fox, the film was canceled, along with other films in development. In November 2021, the film was revived, and it was reported that Rob Savage would direct from a screenplay by Mark Heyman, based on original drafts by Beck, Woods, and Akela Cooper, with streaming service Hulu set to distribute. In early 2022, Sophie Thatcher, Chris Messina, David Dastmalchian, Marin Ireland, Vivien Lyra Blair, and Madison Hu were added to the cast. Principal photography began in February 2022 in New Orleans. Patrick Jonsson composed the film's score.

Release[]

Theatrical[]

The Boogeyman was released in the United States on June 2, 2023, by 20th Century Studios. It was originally planned to be released on Hulu in 2023, but following a positive test screening in December 2022, it was announced that it would instead be released theatrically. According to Savage, "When the movie tested so well, we decided it was time to get Stephen King's input, so we rented out his favorite cinema in Maine." He also stated, "He knows what he doesn't like and if we'd have fucked up his story, he'd have told us. But he sent a lovely almost-essay about how much he enjoyed the movie. And then the next day I wake up and there's an email in my inbox from Stephen King and he said he's still thinking about the movie. He said a few more nice things and the nicest thing that he said was, 'They'd be fucking stupid to release this on streaming and not in cinemas.'" An advanced screening of the film took place at CinemaCon on April 26, 2023, as part of the Walt Disney Studios' presentation of their 2023 release schedule.

Home media[]

The Boogeyman is scheduled to be released on digital formats on August 29, 2023, followed by the release of the DVD and Blu-ray on October 10, 2023.