The ballots are being tallied, the hair has been styled, the corsages are on the wrists, and the trailer for Fear Street: Prom Queen is finally here.
The ballots are being tallied, the hair has been styled, the corsages are on the wrists, and the trailer for Fear Street: Prom Queen is finally here. But, we’re missing something. Oh, that’s right, it’s the copious amounts of blood that will make the halls of Shadyside High run red when a maniacal killer takes out their wrath upon the unsuspecting prom queen hopefuls. Featuring a leading call sheet that includes India Fowler (The Agency), Suzanna Son (The Idol), Fina Strazza (Paper Girls), Ella Rubin (Until Dawn), and Ariana Greenblatt (In the Heights), surviving high school has never been as literal as it is in the latest adaptation to come from R.L. Stine’s hit YA book series.
School’s not quite out for summer in the first official trailer for Fear Street: Prom Queen, but the countdown for the biggest night for the 1988 class of Shadyside High is on, with the senior prom just two nights away. The colors are fluorescent, and the hair is high for just about everyone except for Megan Rogers (Son), who wouldn’t be caught dead in anything but black. The competition for prom queen has never been as intense as it will be this year, with multiple girls vying for the title. But, in the darkness, a killer clad all in red latex is ready to surprise the unsuspecting prom court with the keen edge of an axe, eliminating anyone who dares stand in their way of chopping to the top.
The trailer also gave us a good look at Lili Taylor’s return to the genre after appearances in favorites like The Haunting and The Conjuring. In the teaser, she can be seen instilling some words of wisdom onto Fowler’s Lori Granger, encouraging her to run for the coveted position. Joining Taylor in the supporting cast are David Iacono (The Summer I Turned Pretty), Chris Klein (Sweet Magnolias), Brennan Clost (Tiny Pretty Things), Katherine Waterston (Alien: Covenant), Dakota Taylor (Sullivan’s Crossing), Darrin Baker (Painkiller), Rebecca Ablack (Ginny & Georgia), and more.
‘Fear Street: Prom Queen’s Throwback Vibes
Unlike the trilogy of films to come before it, Fear Street: Prom Queen doesn’t require its viewers to have seen the previous installments to jump into the story. In fact, from what we saw in the trailer, the movie looks like it will be a winner for anyone who loves a good horror-comedy à la Jennifer’s Body or Ready or Not. Throwing in some solid ‘80s slasher references for good measure, the Matt Palmer-helmed and co-penned (alongside Donald McLeary) feature promises to be a winner for horror fans not already in touch with Stine’s YA book series.
During a chat with Collider as part of our Exclusive Preview of this summer’s slate, Palmer teased some of those inspirations, telling us,
“Visually, we actually took a lot of inspiration from movies like River’s Edge and Blue Velvet, in terms of nailing down an authentic ’80s look and a wrong side of the tracks feeling for Shadyside. As the movie progresses, and we move into prom itself, the visual look becomes more heightened, falling more in line with the slasher classics of the ’80s, as well as the Italian giallos of the same period. Some of my favourite directors — John Carpenter, Dario Argento and David Lynch — also feel like influences on the visual look and movie as a whole.”
Check out the trailer for Fear Street: Prom Queen above and stream it on Netflix on May 23.
Fear Street: Prom Queen
Release Date
May 22, 2025
Director
Matt Palmer
Writers
Matt Palmer, Donald McLeary
Producers
Jenno Topping, Peter Chernin, Kori Adelson
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Fina Strazza
Tiffany Falconer
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Ella Rubin
Melissa McKendrick
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