Fantastic Fest Panel Debates Horror Future After 2026 Hits — SkimNews
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- 2026 horror slate was described as visionary at the box office, with "Obsession" and "Backrooms" singled out as standout hits fueling the genre's momentum.
- Fantastic Fest in Austin hosted a panel on fear, fandom, and the horror genre's future, moderated by the article's author.
- A horror insider at the panel argued that "you can take big swings and you're mitigating your risk," framing the post-2026 landscape as artistically and commercially promising.
- The horror genre's future emerged as the central question among panelists following a year of strong theatrical performance.
- Fantastic Fest served as the industry gathering point where the debate over horror's next chapter played out in front of genre filmmakers and fans.
Why it matters: With "Obsession" and "Backrooms" proving horror can deliver at the box office in 2026, the Fantastic Fest panel signals that studios and filmmakers may now have cover to greenlight riskier genre projects, reshaping the pipeline of theatrical horror.
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