Interactive Horror Film 'Slay Day' Set for Release on Over 1,000 North American Screens in February 2027

'Slay Day' is an interactive horror film set for a wide theatrical release on approximately 1,000 interactive screens throughout North America on February 12, 2027. The release date aligns with the Super Bowl, Valentine's Day, and Presidents' Day weekend. The distribution plan was announced at CinemaCon during a presentation to motion picture theatre owners and operators.

The film centers on a challenge where audiences decide character fates during a high school dance that turns deadly. It is set on Friday the 13th, 1987, in the town of Belle Falls. The story follows six teens preparing for the Sadie Hawkins dance, but the exhumation of the original Sadie Hawkins' body unleashes a malevolent force.

CtrlMovie technology enables real-time audience voting via smartphones to steer the narrative across more than 50 decision points. These choices affect the outcomes for six central characters and seven additional ones, resulting in over 8,000 possible narrative paths. As a result, each screening produces a unique experience.

Technology and Viewing Experience The interactive format aims to encourage repeat viewings as audiences explore different paths and endings.

The film was shot in Salt Lake City and Ogden, Utah. It marks the directorial debut of John David Buxton. ' Producers include Mark Dragin, known for 'Law & Order'; Michael Kagan, known for 'Night Patrol'; and Scott C.

' Executive producers are Eric Schneider, Angela Kay, and Chaz Barsamian. >"What excited me about ‘Slay Day’ from the very beginning was the chance to pull audiences directly into the story.

Cast and Production Details The cast features Jayden Bartels from 'Goosebumps,' Shelby Simmons from 'Bunk’d,' Emma McNulty from 'FBI: Most Wanted,' Caleb Brown from 'Mother’s Day,' Luke Mullen from 'V/H/S/99,' Corrado Martini from 'Circles,' and Lyndon Smith from 'National Treasure: Edge of History.

' Casting was handled by Danielle Aufiero and Amber Horn of Aufiero/Horn. BasePoint Capital provided financing for the film, as the first project under its partnership with Kino Industries’ CtrlMovie. This partnership focuses on bringing audience-controlled cinema to global theaters.

The film will open domestically first, followed by international rollout plans.

Related Projects The company has additional interactive CtrlMovie projects in development.

These include 'Girl Crazy,' described as a psychological thriller, and 'Alice Is Missing,' a whodunit based on a role-playing board game. Another upcoming interactive feature, 'Nightmare Manor,' is scheduled to shoot this summer and involves two sisters fighting for survival around a cursed manor.

The interactive elements transform the theatrical experience into a shared event, where audiences debate and react in real time.

This setup is intended to make theaters more engaging. The film's release represents one of the first large-scale rollouts of an interactive film in theaters.