Live from San Diego Comic-Con, Shudder has unearthed a sinister new addition to its lineup, the highly anticipated feature adaptation of the terrifying video game THE MORTUARY ASSISTANT. A descent into dread crafted by creator Brian Clarke, the film is directed by Jeremiah Kipp (Slapface) and features a screenplay by Clarke and Tracee Beebe (Dog Years). Willa Holland (Arrow) stars as the haunted Rebecca Owens, alongside Emmy nominee Paul Sparks (Boardwalk Empire). Shudder will unleash the film upon audiences in 2026.
THE MORTUARY ASSISTANT tells the chilling tale of Rebecca Owens, a newly certified mortician who begins her first night shift at the foreboding River Field Mortuary. What should have been a routine night of embalming the dead quickly unravels into a nightmare. Shadows stretch too long, whispers echo in empty rooms, and something ancient and malevolent festers just beneath the skin of the embalmed. As Rebecca is drawn deeper into demonic rituals and the disturbing past of her cryptic mentor, she must face the horrors of the mortuary and the ones buried deep within herself, before she becomes just another vessel for the damned.
To accompany the announcement, Shudder revealed a first-look image of Willa Holland as Rebecca Owens, the beloved (and tormented) protagonist of the game. Attendees at the “Bold Voice of Contemporary Horror” panel were treated to an exclusive in-room clip: a nerve-rattling sequence in which Rebecca prepares to embalm a corpse while the lights begin to flicker—each blink ushering in a greater sense of dread. Fans will recognize iconic elements from the game, including the gurney, clipboard, and the ominous letting strip, all steeped in the film’s unsettling atmosphere.
“When Shudder indicated the clip from our film they wanted to share at Comic-Con, I was absolutely thrilled. The sequence captured everything I loved about Brian Clarke’s game: the middle of the night strangeness, its elegant minimalism, the ratcheting sense of anticipatory violence, the terror lurking around the corners – and most of all the resourcefulness and vulnerability of Rebecca Owens, played so thoughtfully by Willa Holland,” said director Jeremiah Kipp. “When Dread approached me with this project, it resonated with me on a deep personal level – the way horror invites all your darkest demons to come out and play. Shudder and Dread handled my previous film SLAPFACE with such generosity and care, it’s a profound joy to continue the relationship with THE MORTUARY ASSISTANT.”
“It’s been a long and unbelievable road with THE MORTUARY ASSISTANT. I never dreamed something I poured two years of my life into alone in a tiny home office could ever grow into an experience like this. I’m so grateful to Epic Pictures, DreadXP, and Shudder for giving a solo developer a chance at something so many devs dream of. Sharing your labor of love is a scary feeling but Jeremiah’s skill and dedication to the source material permeated every day of filming and THE MORTUARY ASSISTANT quickly evolved into our labor of love. The amazing cast, and crew have created something beautiful and I couldn’t be more excited to have that same feeling of sharing THE MORTUARY ASSISTANT with horror fans all over again,” said the game’s creator Brian Clarke.
“We’ve been admirers of THE MORTUARY ASSISTANT since its original release, captivated by its atmosphere and psychological intensity,” said Director of Acquisitions and Productions Adam Koehler. “Under the direction of a filmmaker with a remarkable command of tone and suspense, the film expands on the game’s terrifying world in a way that feels both faithful and deeply cinematic. We’re beyond excited to bring this chilling experience to Shudder.
Originally released in 2022 on PC, the game quickly became a viral sensation and cult favourite, and was made available on additional gaming platforms including Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch. The film will expand on the game’s world and mythology and delve deeper into the lore of the demonic entities plaguing River Fields.
