The movie Longlegs is expected to be the “scariest horror movie of 2024.” Before it opens, here is all we know about it, including the cast, release date, trailers, and other details.
If you’re a fan of horror films, 2024 seems to be the year for you. Not to mention the horror-comedy Lisa Frankenstein, the upcoming Blumhouse blockbuster Imaginary in March, Sydney Sweeney’s Immaculate, and—most thrilling of all—Art the Clown’s much-awaited comeback in Terrifier 3.
Perhaps none, though, has generated as much curiosity as Longlegs. Neon, under the direction of Oz Perkins, is handling distribution, and their marketing strategy, which echoes the eerie elusiveness of Skinamarink and Hereditary, has been nothing short of brilliant.
Here’s all you need to know about Longlegs, including those eerie trailers, before the movie opens this year.
Longlegs release date: When’s it out?
Halloween’s coming early this year, as Longlegs drops in cinemas on July 12, 2024.
In November 2022, Deadline reported that Perkins would be directing the movie from a script he wrote, saying at the time it would “be in the vein of classic Hollywood psychological thrillers.”
Filming took place between January and February 2023 after the cast was built, the same time Neon picked up the distribution rights.
Longlegs cast: Who’s in it?
Nicolas Cage was announced early on as both Longlegs producer and cast member, playing an elusive serial killer. He’s joined by:
- Maika Monroe as FBI agent Lee Harker
- Blair Underwood
- Alicia Witt
- Lisa Chandler
- Erin Boyes
- Rryla McIntosh
- Dakota Daulby
- Charles Jarman
- Michelle Cyr
Most of the roles are undisclosed at the time of writing, although we do know that Monroe – who has proven her skills in the horror genre with her leading turn in It Follows – will be hot on the tail of Cage’s killer… or will it be vice-versa?
Speaking about Longlegs back in November 2022, Cage told Document: “He’s [Perkins] pretty strong in the horror genre at the moment. But he’s actually Anthony [Perkins’s] son. He’s done some really good movies. Gretel and Hansel was terrific.
“It’s about a character who’s hearing voices. It’s kind of like a possessed Geppetto, who’s making these dolls… So, I’m gonna be doing that with Oz, who’s also an actor, and I’m excited about that.”
We’ll be sure to add the full character details here as and when they arrive.
Is there a Longlegs trailer?
Yes, a trailer for Longlegs dropped on February 2 and it’s about as unsettling as it gets – check it out below:
The studio wrote, “You’ve got the teeth of the hydra upon you,” next to the trailer. July 12th. The first scene opens with evocative music and depicts Harker looking at a wall map with several occult symbols on it.
A girl sees a stranger’s automobile parked outside her house, Harker opens a book called “Nine Circles of Hell,” and a man who appears to be Cage’s killer is seen holding a doll in a series of ominous pictures.
Neon’s Longlegs marketing, which debuted on January 5 with a mysterious teaser that revealed nothing about the film—not even the title—was commended before this. Look at this:
The video, titled “Every year there is another,” opens with an old family portrait and eerie music. An audio sample from a 911 call then plays. “That’s not my daughter,” a terrified father gasps to the operator when he gets on the line. I must keep silent. The final image appears to be a snapshot taken at the site of a crime, showing the lengthy legs of a female.
A fresh teaser, “Remember to say your prayers,” then appeared on January 12; you can view it below.
A man with a torchlight moves hay to show a crucifix on the floor while ominous music plays in the video. The floorboards beneath it are raised by him with a crowbar, revealing a wooden box with a message on top.
While all of this is going on, the sound of a phone call with a woman on the other end says, “Are you still saying your prayers? We are shielded from the devil by our prayers. Crime scene pictures are flashing on the screen in the interim.
The creepy campaign has generated plenty of hype, with the full trailer earning a whopping four million views on YouTube alone.
Longlegs plot: What’s it about?
The synopsis for Longlegs reads: “FBI Agent Lee Harker is a gifted new recruit assigned to the unsolved case of an elusive serial killer. As the case takes complex turns, unearthing evidence of the occult, Harker discovers a personal connection to the merciless killer and must race against time to stop him before he claims the lives of another innocent family.”
We learned more about the plot in the posters, which suggest the film will be set in the ‘70s – although this is yet to be confirmed. One of the central crimes appears to be the murder of a family, whose bodies are seen propped up against each other in one of the stills.
