Epic Pictures and its genre-specialist label Dread have confirmed nationwide theatrical release plans for The Mortuary Assistant, a feature adaptation of Brian Clarke’s best-selling horror video game.
Directed by Slapface filmmaker Jeremiah Kipp, the film stars Willa Holland (“Arrow”) and Paul Sparks (“Boardwalk Empire”) and is is set to open in U.S. theaters on February 13, 2026, before streaming exclusively on Shudder from March 27.
Originally released on PC in 2022, Clarke’s game quickly became a cult favourite, later expanding to Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch. The film adaptation returns to the world of River Fields, expanding on the game’s established mythology while remaining rooted in its original setting.
Producer and Epic Pictures CEO Patrick Ewald framed the project as a direct translation of the game’s identity into cinematic form. “With The Mortuary Assistant, we’re thrilled to translate one of gaming’s most unnerving experiences into a relentlessly immersive feature film,” he said. “This is an authentic adaptation grounded in the same dread, the same characters, and the same world that made the game so unforgettable.”
Ewald also stressed the importance of physical space in shaping the film’s atmosphere, saying, “We’re bringing River Fields Mortuary to life in full detail, building it from the ground up as a practical set to preserve its claustrophobic atmosphere and sinister realism.”
Clarke, who co-wrote the screenplay with Tracee Beebe, described the film as a long-imagined crossover between mediums. “Seeing The Mortuary Assistant make the leap from game to film is incredibly rewarding,” he said. “Fans of the game will finally witness the world they’ve explored come alive, while genre film audiences will discover a story filled with tension, dark secrets, and unforgettable scares.”
Produced by Ewald through Epic Pictures’ Dread banner alongside Cole Payne’s Traverse Media and Jacob P. Heineke, the film also includes Clarke, Katie Page, Yulissa Morales, Randy Sinquefield, Patrick Fischer, and Oliver Garboe among its executive producers.
