Trailer for Slasher ‘River’ Is Finally Here as Release Date is Revealed

Few horror pairings sound as promising on paper as two of the genre’s most beloved final girls sharing the same screen. Jane Levy and Jessica Rothe have both survived their share of on-screen terror, and now they’re facing a new threat together. The first trailer for their slasher ‘River’ has arrived, and it makes the setup look brutally effective.

The film comes from writer-director Joshua Giuliano, who is making his feature debut. It premiered as the opening-night selection of TIFF’s Midnight Madness program on September 10, and the response was strong enough to spark a bidding war. Universal and Blumhouse Atomic Monster ultimately acquired it for more than $10 million.

Now Universal has released the first official trailer, which runs just under 2 minutes, and confirmed that ‘River‘ will open in theaters in January 2027. The date lands on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, giving the year an early dose of horror. The film is rated R for strong bloody violence, some grisly images and language.

First trailer for ‘RIVER’, a new slasher film starring Jessica Rothe & Jane Levy. The film follows 3 estranged siblings who find themselves stranded on a broken-down boat & tormented by a serial killer. In theaters on January 15. https://t.co/zQlUlVsbP3

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) October 12, 2026

The story follows three estranged siblings who reunite in their hometown after their father’s death. They set out to scatter his ashes at his favorite spot on a remote river, but their boat breaks down. Stranded miles from help with no cell service, they realize a faceless killer is stalking them from the woods.

To survive, the siblings must put aside their long-standing grudges and fight together against a ruthless, almost mythic terror. The trailer leans into that isolation, showing characters scrambling across a stranded boat under an open sky. It’s a simple premise that plays to the slasher genre’s strengths.

Levy, known for ‘Evil Dead’ and ‘Don’t Breathe,’ plays Lucy, while Rothe, who starred in ‘Happy Death Day’ and its sequel, plays her older sister, Carla. Max Mattern plays their younger brother, Drew. Dane DiLiegro, who played the Predator in ‘Prey,’ takes on the role of the masked killer.

That mix of genre credentials has drawn plenty of attention. Fans of the scream queen tradition have been eager to see Levy and Rothe share a project. The pairing also gives the story an emotional anchor, since the sibling dynamic is as important as the carnage.

Giuliano has said he wanted to make the kind of slasher film he would want to see. He told Variety that he aimed for something stripped down to its core elements, with slashers at their essence being simple and primal stories about people hunted by a killer. He has also said the film was six years in the making.

The project grew out of his 2018 short film, ‘In Sound, We Live Forever,’ which received a special mention at the 2019 Fantasia International Film Festival. It was first announced as a Shudder Original with Independent Film Company handling its theatrical release. After the TIFF premiere, Universal and Blumhouse Atomic Monster stepped in.

Critics have been enthusiastic. The film holds a 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes from 31 reviews as of early October. One outlet compared its brutality to ‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre,’ and another praised it as a brutal, well-made survival slasher with strong direction and performances.

Some reviewers noted that it doesn’t reinvent the genre but uses its tropes to build tension at a steady clip, anchored by its cast and a distinctive setting. Others have already dubbed it the festival’s breakout horror hit, comparing it to last year’s ‘Obsession.’ The film runs a lean 92 minutes, which fits its efficient approach.

Steven Schneider, Nick Antosca and Alex Hedlund are among the producers, with Jason Blum serving as an executive producer through Blumhouse and Atomic Monster. The film is also being promoted as coming from the producers of ‘Backrooms’ and ‘Obsession,’ two recent horror hits. That pedigree suggests the studio sees strong potential for an early-year release.

With the first trailer out, anticipation is only going to grow. A faceless killer, a broken-down boat and two horror favorites make for an easy sell. For anyone who likes their slashers lean and relentless, January looks promising.

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