The Boogeyman: release date, plot, cast, trailer and all we know

The Boogeyman star Sophie Thatcher
Sophie Thatcher plays high schooler Sadie Harper in The Boogeyman. (Image credit: 20th Century Studios)

The Boogeyman has long been a terrifying concept, with children afraid of things that go bump in the night or might be hiding under their bed. 

Stephen King wrote a short story about this mythic creature (we hope it's mythic anyway!) and it's getting a new adaptation with Rob Savage at the helm of the project.

Fans will no doubt recognize Rob from his critically acclaimed Zoom-style horror movie Host in 2020, in the height of lockdown, which terrified audiences as it felt a bit too real. Is anyone else still recovering?

Now he's back to do it all over again and said of his new movie: "The Boogeyman is a classic horror movie in the mold of Poltergeist that has scares and heart in equal measure.

"I vividly remember the terror I felt reading King’s short story as a kid, and it’s this feeling of childhood fear that I wanted to inspire in cinema audiences around the world."

He added: "This film was made in collaboration with an incredibly talented team of creatives, and is anchored by wonderful, soulful performances from our incredible cast - I'm in awe of them, truly. We’re incredibly proud of this movie."

Here's everything you need to know about The Boogeyman

The Boogeyman release date

The movie is released in cinemas globally on Friday, June 2. We don't have word on a potential streaming release yet, but if that changes we will keep you updated.

The Boogeyman plot

Stephen King's story has been adapted for the screen by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods who worked on A Quiet Place and Mark Heyman, known for his work on Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan

According to 20th Century Studios, the plot for The Boogeyman is: "High school student Sadie Harper and her younger sister Sawyer are reeling from the recent death of their mother and aren’t getting much support from their father, Will, a therapist who is dealing with his own pain. 

"When a desperate patient unexpectedly shows up at their home seeking help, he leaves behind a terrifying supernatural entity that preys on families and feeds on the suffering of its victims."

The Boogeyman cast

Vivien Lyra Blair as Sawyer in The Boogeyman

Vivien Lyra Blair as Sawyer in The Boogeyman. (Image credit: 20th Century Studios)

There's a great line-up attached to The Boogeyman with Yellowjackets star Sophie Thatcher leading the cast as Sadie Harper and Obi-Wan Kenobi's Vivien Lyra Blair playing the role of her sister, Sawyer.

Sadie and Sawyer's father, Will, is played by Julie & Julia star Chris Messina and The Practice's LisaGay Hamilton plays the role of Dr. Weller, who works with the family after they start experiencing strange occurrences. 

Meanwhile, Boston Strangler star David Dastmalchian stars as the unexpected arrival Lester.

In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly, David Dastmalchian said: "With Lester comes a story that's not only going to change this family's life but is going to introduce a materialized horror the likes of which the people in this film — and I think audiences — have really never seen before."

Is there a trailer?

Yes and it's as terrifying as you might expect, giving us a glimpse into how a family's life changes rapidly after the titular Boogeyman is released.

The less said the better, see for yourself...

A second trailer has also been shared on social media, with the lead character telling us to "relax". Somehow, we don't think that's going to happen!

Lucy Buglass
Senior Staff Writer

Lucy joined the WhatToWatch.com team in 2021, where she writes series guides for must-watch programmes, reviews and the latest TV news. Originally from Northumberland, she graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a degree in Film Studies and moved to London to begin a career writing about entertainment.

She is a Rotten Tomatoes approved film critic and has a huge passion for cinema. She especially loves horror, thriller and anything crime-related. Her favourite TV programmes include Inside No 9, American Horror Story, Stranger Things and Black Mirror but she is also partial to a quiz show or a bit of Say Yes to the Dress