Abigail: release date, reviews, trailer, cast and everything we know about the horror movie

Alisha Weir in Abigail
Alisha Weir in Abigail (Image credit: Bernard Walsh/Universal Pictures)

The directing duo known as Radio Silence has dominated the horror genre over the last few years, and they keep things rolling with the 2024 new movie Abigail.

After breaking out with the fan-favorite Ready or Not, Radio Silence helped revitalize the Scream franchise with its two most recent entries, Scream (2022) and Scream VI. Abigail reunites them with one of their Scream stars while also featuring some other big names in the cast. They're also dipping their toes into the vampire realm of the horror genre movie. 

Here is everything that we know right now about Abigail.

Abigail release date

Abigail premieres on April 19 exclusively in movie theaters in the US, UK and other locations worldwide.

Abigail reviews

As of April 18, Abigail is "Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes, with Salon.com's Kelly McClure saying that the movie has "humor, action and lots and LOTS of blood," adding that it stands out in the sea of vampire movies.

Abigail cast

Angus Cloud, Kathryn Newton, Alisha Weir, Kevin Durand, Dan Stevens, Melissa Barrera and William Catlett in Abigail

Angus Cloud, Kathryn Newton, Alisha Weir, Kevin Durand, Dan Stevens, Melissa Barrera and William Catlett in Abigail (Image credit: Bernard Walsh/Universal Pictures)

Melissa Barrera is reteaming with her Scream directors for Abigail, as she is set to play one of the kidnappers who find themselves unwittingly trapped in a house with a monster. In addition to Scream, Barrera also starred in the movie adaptation of the Lin Manuel Miranda musical, In the Heights.

Joining Barrera as the kidnappers in the movie are Dan Stevens (Welcome to Chippendales, Legion), Kathryn Newton (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Lisa Frankenstien), William Catlett (A Thousand and One, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey), Kevin Durand (Locke & Key, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes) and Angus Cloud (Euphoria).

The movie also features Alisha Weir, who previously starred as Matilda in Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical. She'll be playing a very different kind of little girl in this movie.

Giancarlo Esposito (Better Call Saul, The Mandalorian) also makes an appearance in the movie.

Abigail plot

Here is the official synopsis for Abigail, which was written by Stephen Shields and Guy Bissick.

"Children can be such monsters. After a group of would-be criminals kidnap the 12-year-old ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure, all they have to do to collect a $50 million ransom is watch the girl overnight. In an isolated mansion, the captors start to dwindle, one by one, and they discover, to their mounting horror, that they're locked inside with no normal little girl."

Abigail trailer

The Abigail trailer previews what looks to be the trademark blend of creepy and fun that Radio Silence has had in their recent string of horror movies. Watch below: 

And here's another trailer for the movie, released just ahead of the movie's premiere date on April 19:

You can also check out this feature where star Melissa Barrera breaks down her character:

Radio Silence movies

Radio Silence, which is the creative name for Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, has really broken out in the last few years, but here is a look at their full list of feature directing credits: 

  • V/H/S (2012)
  • Devil's Due (2014)
  • Southbound (2015)
  • Ready or Not (2019)
  • Scream (2022)
  • Scream VI (2023)

Abigail poster

(Image credit: Universal Pictures)
Michael Balderston

Michael Balderston is a DC-based entertainment and assistant managing editor for What to Watch, who has previously written about the TV and movies with TV Technology, Awards Circuit and regional publications. Spending most of his time watching new movies at the theater or classics on TCM, some of Michael's favorite movies include Casablanca, Moulin Rouge!, Silence of the Lambs, Children of Men, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Star Wars. On the TV side he enjoys Only Murders in the Building, Yellowstone, The Boys, Game of Thrones and is always up for a Seinfeld rerun. Follow on Letterboxd.