If you like your slasher movies drenched in ’80s nostalgia, dark comedy, and uncompromising Australian carnage, Shudder has a major treat lined up for your late-summer watchlist.
The horror streaming giant has officially acquired the rights to Penny Lane Is Dead. It’s the feature directorial debut from Australian writer-director Mia-Kate Russell. Following its world premiere at the Adelaide Film Festival, the blood-soaked film will celebrate its North American Premiere today (July 20, 2026) at Fantasia. Then it will hit Shudder on August 28.
Spiked Cupcakes and Unhinged Revenge
Set on a sweltering summer night in 1986 Australia, the story centers on 17-year-old Penny Lane. She is out celebrating her college acceptance with her best friends. However, things take a sharp, sinister turn when Penny’s jealous and deeply troubled cousin decides to pull a cruel prank involving spiked cupcakes. What starts as a thoughtless prank quickly devolves into a nightmare of bloodshed, betrayal, and relentless rage.
Aussie Royalty Behind (and In Front of) the Camera
The film features a stacked cast of Australian talent, led by Sophia Wright-Mendelsohn (Wizards!), Tahlee Fereday (Erotic Stories), and Alexandra Jensen (Talk to Me), alongside Bailey Spalding, Steve Le Marquand, Fletcher Humphrys (Wolf Creek), and Ben O’Toole (Hacksaw Ridge).
Behind the scenes, Penny Lane Is Dead boasts top-tier horror pedigree. It marks the debut feature from Sanctuary Pictures (the production arm of Umbrella Entertainment), produced alongside Buffalo Media and Cyan Films. The producer roster includes Julie Ryan (Late Night with the Devil) and Ari Harrison (Talk to Me).
“Mia-Kate Russell’s debut feature is a fierce slasher immersed in the nostalgia of ’80s horror and laced with dark comedy and rage,” said Emily Gotto, SVP of Shudder Acquisitions and Production.
Get ready, Penny Lane Is Dead hits Shudder on August 28, 2026. The trailer should arrive soon.
