The Conjuring Franchise Vet’s New Horror Movie Is “More Ambitious” Than $366M Hit

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After a decade, director Corin Hardy – known for one of the most successful films in The Conjuring Universe – is returning with a new project, and he aims to make it even more ambitious.

Director Corin Hardy, known for his work on the horror films The Hallow and The Nun, is now bringing us Whistle. The movie follows a group of high school students who find an old Aztec whistle believed to summon spirits. When they mistakenly think it can bring back the dead, they accidentally unleash a terrifying premonition – their own future deaths begin to hunt them. Now, they must uncover the whistle’s history and find a way to avoid their grim fate.

For his new show, Whistle, Hardy has gathered a talented cast. Dafne Keen, known for her work in the X-Men films, and Sophie Nélisse, from Yellowjackets, will be the leads. They’ll be joined by Sky Yang (Anniversary), Percy Hynes White (Wednesday), Jhaleil Swaby, Ali Skovbye, Michelle Fairley (who also appears with Hardy in Gangs of London), and the comedic star Nick Frost.

As a horror fan, I was really intrigued by Whistle, the new film from Owen Egerton – he’s a seasoned pro in the genre. It premiered at Fantastic Fest last year and got a pretty good reception, especially for how cleverly it uses that *Final Destinationstyle setup and delivers some genuinely shocking deaths. Since then, it’s been released wider, and honestly, opinions are pretty divided. Right now, it’s sitting at a ‘Fresh’ rating of 62% on Rotten Tomatoes, so it’s definitely a bit of a polarizing film!

To celebrate the release of the film Whistle, Liam Crowley of ScreenRant spoke with director Corin Hardy and Sophie Nélisse. When asked how working on the popular horror film The Nun influenced his approach to this smaller, independent project, Hardy explained that each film allows a director to learn and grow. He noted that Whistle was surprisingly more challenging to make than The Nun because it aimed for a larger scope and involved managing more complex elements.

I envisioned ‘Whistle’ as a smaller, more focused film, but it actually involved a surprisingly large cast, complex storylines, and several intense death scenes. My goal was to make the movie feel bigger and more expansive as it progressed. With ‘The Nun,’ following ‘The Hallow,’ I wanted to continue building and growing the scope of the films.

Hardy & Nélisse Played With Multiple Sub-Genres For Whistle

ScreenRant asked about being the first choice for the role of Ellie, and what that meant to me as an actor.

It’s really nice to be recognized. Corin and I connected right away. We actually talked about me playing Chrys at first, but Dafne wasn’t available then. Once she became available, we discussed which role would be a better fit for me. I was drawn to Ellie because she felt so different from characters I usually play – I often portray people with difficult pasts. Ellie is just so genuine and sincere, and I really enjoyed her journey. I especially liked how she begins with very specific ideas about her future and what she wants to achieve.

Michael Gibson/IFC

It seems like she created so many rules for herself that she lost sight of what truly mattered, leading to a very structured life. Meeting someone like Chrys, who is completely authentic and confident, is a welcome change for her. While others might see Chrys’s flaws, Ellie only sees her beauty, vulnerability, and a desire to nurture her. They balance each other out perfectly – they really needed to find each other to help each other grow.

ScreenRant praised the movie’s kills, noting that each one felt distinct and impactful, not just in how the character died, but in the emotional reaction it evoked from the audience. They asked about the creative process behind designing these varied deaths and why it was important to make each one feel unique.

When I first read the script, I was really drawn to the story’s mythology. It centers around a cursed object – if you hear the whistle, it signals your unavoidable future death will come for you. The fact that it’s your future death, not just any death, was particularly unsettling and gave me a lot of ideas for how each death would play out. As a horror fan and director, I wanted to make sure each death scene was unique, almost like its own mini-horror movie. We explored different subgenres – some leaned into body horror, others felt like possessions, some were monstrous, and others were just plain gory.

I envisioned a key scene as a long, intense chase through a Harvest Festival maze, with a unique concept: a young girl pursued by her older self. I wanted the scene to feel both fast-paced and visually complex, like a meticulously crafted menu with various elements. I also included a car crash as a death sequence, something I hadn’t seen done before. It’s always thrilling to tackle something original, even though it’s challenging. We combined practical effects, puppets, animatronics, actors, and stunt performers to bring it to life, and it was a really enjoyable process.

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2026-02-06 19:42