Shudder announced today, live from San Diego Comic-Con, its acquisition of The Mortuary Assistant, the feature film adaptation of the best-selling horror video game from creator Brian Clarke. The film is directed by Jeremiah Kipp (Slapface), co-written by Tracee Beebe (Dog Years) and Clarke, and stars Willa Holland (Arrow) and Emmy Award Nominee Paul Sparks (Boardwalk Empire). Shudder will release The Mortuary Assistant in 2026.
In The Mortuary Assistant,
Newly certified mortician Rebecca Owens (Holland), who takes a job at the River Field Mortuary and is tasked with embalming bodies alone on the night shift, but something sinister lurks beneath the surface. She must navigate demonic rituals, unravel the secrets of her enigmatic mentor (Sparks), and confront her own buried traumas to survive the night—and prevent her body from becoming a vessel for possession.
Alongside the acquisition announcement out of San Diego Comic-Con’s “The Bold Voice Of Contemporary Horror” panel, Shudder has revealed a first-look image from the film featuring Willa Holland as Rebecca Owens, the game’s iconic protagonist, and was accompanied by an in-room exclusive clip. The footage offers an unsettling glimpse of Rebecca preparing to embalm a body as the mortuary’s lights begin to flicker—an eerie sequence that highlights key elements from the game, including the gurney, clipboard, and the letting strip.
“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 favorite, and 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.
The Mortuary Assistant is produced by Patrick Ewald’s Epic Pictures via its horror label, Dread, and its video game division, DreadXP, alongside Cole Payne’s Traverse Media. The deal was negotiated by Adam Koehler and Emily Gotto on behalf of Shudder and Patrick Ewald for Epic Pictures on behalf of the filmmakers.
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