Dafne Keen And Corin Hardy’s Whistle Drops Chilling Teaser Poster, Sets Theatrical Release Date
Corin Hardy and Dafne Keen tune up fresh nightmares as Whistle unveils a chilling teaser poster and sets its sights on a 2026 theatrical release.
Horror fans, here we go: Corin Hardy is back with a teen-slasher-meets-ancient-curse thing called 'Whistle,' and it sounds like Final Destination if someone swapped a log truck for an Aztec artifact.
The setup
It has been almost two years since Dafne Keen (Logan, His Dark Materials) and Sophie Nelisse (Yellowjackets, The Book Thief) signed on. The movie shot in Ontario, Canada at the end of 2023, and now it is finally stepping out in front of an audience.
The hook (and yeah, it is weird in a good way)
Based on Owen Egerton's own short story, 'Whistle' follows a misfit pack of high schoolers who stumble across an ancient Aztec Death Whistle. Blow it, and the sound summons your future death to come after you. As bodies start dropping, the group digs into where this cursed thing came from and tries to shut down the nightmare they just triggered.
- World premiere: Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas on September 25
- Theatrical release: February 6, 2026
- Distribution: Shudder and Independent Film Company (the deal was secured on behalf of the filmmakers by Adam Koehler; he references IFC in his statement)
- Cast: Dafne Keen, Sophie Nelisse, Sky Yang (Rebel Moon), Percy Hynes White (Wednesday), Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead)
- Director: Corin Hardy (The Hallow, The Nun)
- Writer: Owen Egerton, adapting his own short story
- Producers: David Gross and Jesse Shapira for No Trace Camping; Macdara Kelleher for Wild Atlantic Pictures
- Rating: R for strong violent content, gore, drug content, and some language
- Marketing: Teaser poster dropped alongside the Fantastic Fest premiere and release date news
Inside baseball
Shudder being part of a film that is explicitly getting a theatrical rollout is a fun wrinkle. Hardy also makes it clear he is aiming for big-screen mayhem and, by the sound of it, some creative exits tied to that whistle.
'Whistle is made with the same heart-on-sleeve, disenfranchised-teen-spirit found in my favorite genre movies that I grew up watching. I was drawn to the mysterious mythology surrounding the Death Whistle and how it presented me with the opportunity to create a variety of cinematic, imaginative and terrifying deaths. This film is built for the big screen experience, so I can’t wait for audiences to blow the Whistle with Independent Film Company and Shudder in cinemas!'
'Corin Hardy is a master of his craft and we’re overjoyed to be bringing this horrifying vision to audiences across the country. With Whistle, he’s created a vicious and bloody treat that will stand tall among the best and scariest horror films in recent box office history.'
Bottom line
Ancient curse, doomed teens, and a director openly promising gnarly, imaginative kills. The teaser poster is out, the movie bows at Fantastic Fest, and you will be able to catch it in theaters on February 6, 2026. Yes, an Aztec Death Whistle. Of course they blow it.