River had its world premiere at TIFF's Midnight Madness on September 10. Written and directed by Joshua Giuliano in his feature debut, the slasher follows three estranged siblings who reunite to scatter their late father's ashes on a remote river. Their boat gets stranded. Two masked killers close in from both sides.
Universal and Blumhouse Atomic Monster acquired the film from IFC and Shudder for over $10 million following a competitive auction. Sony was the last studio standing, reaching $8 million before withdrawing. The deal is the first significant market transaction out of TIFF 2026.
Jane Levy and Jessica Rothe lead the cast alongside Max Mattern and Dane DiLiegro. Filming took place on an actual river and a constructed pond, with production complicated by extreme weather and full nights on the water. "This shoot was not easy," Levy told The Wrap.
River currently holds an 83% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from twelve critics. The acquisition mirrors Blumhouse's 2025 TIFF Midnight Madness play: their pickup Obsession went on to gross over $513 million worldwide.
Before River's festival run closed, Giuliano had already set his next film. According to Deadline, he is set to write and direct Occupant for Blumhouse Atomic Monster and Focus Features, with Jason Blum, Greg Gilreath and Adam Hendricks, and Steven Schneider producing. Focus Features holds worldwide distribution. The director connected with Blumhouse through Sam Zimmerman, who oversees the Atomic Monster slate and had followed Giuliano's short film work from Fantasia, Fantastic Fest, and FrightFest.
