Star Wars alum Daisy Ridley is trading in the Force for brute Force! The actress trades her lightsaber for a bone-crunching axe to take on the undead in her next film, We Bury the Dead.
Vertical has released the first thrilling, fear-inducing teaser trailer for director Zak Hilditch’s upcoming film. And it is already generating significant buzz. The recently released teaser trailer promises a pulse-pounding, intense ride filled with action and horror. While simultaneously delving deep into profound themes of grief, loss, and the devastating consequences of the apocalypse.
Ridley stars as Ava Newman. She is a desperate woman whose life is shattered after a catastrophic military experiment goes horribly awry, ravaging the landscape with the undead. Ava’s sole focus is to locate her missing husband amidst the chaos, clinging to the hope of finding him alive.
To aid her search, Ava joins a “body retrieval unit” team. However, her mission takes a terrifying and chilling turn when the very corpses she is handling begin showing signs of life.
We Bury the Dead is the latest film from writer-director Zak Hilditch, who has a strong reputation for crafting bleak yet critically acclaimed scarefests. His previous works include the highly praised Stephen King adaptation 1922 and the apocalyptic thriller These Final Hours. Hilditch not only directs but also wrote the screenplay.
Ridley is joined by fellow cast members Brenton Thwaites (Titans), Mark Coles Smith (Beast of War), and Matt Whelan (“Narcos”).
We Bury the Dead debuted to rave reviews at the 2025 South by Southwest Film & TV Festival (SXSW) in March. Critics have embraced the movie, giving it a strong 89% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This critical backing suggests the film is a definite must-watch as it shuffles toward its theatrical release.
U.S. audiences can circle Friday, January 2, 2026, in their calendars, as that’s when We Bury the Dead will officially rise on the big screen, from Vertical Entertainment.
