Where 2016 was a great year for unique horror movies like The Witch and Green Room, it looks like 2017 is going to mark the return of many familiar faces — gruesome faces. The famous titles returning to horror movies of 2017 is exciting for fans, because for many, they are the reason they fell in love with the genre. Whether you are into classics from yesteryear like Alien or more modern classics like The Ring, it looks like 2017 is offering a smorgasbord of horror movies featuring all the greats.

Horror Movies 2017: The Return Of The Classics

Halloween

The original 1976 Halloween film by John Carpenter is often regarded as one of the best horror movies ever made. And though many fanatics of the franchise enjoyed the sequels, most agree that none of them lived up to the original. However, this sequel has promise — John Carpenter. Carpenter is reportedly heavily involved with this next installment and plans on making it even scarier than the original. Well, if anyone can achieve that feat, it’s John Carpenter.

It has also been reported that he is going to score the film; this is apropos since he is the one that wrote one of the most iconic themes of horror movies: the original Halloween theme. There is no official release date yet, but most are speculating an October 2017 release (which makes sense considering the holiday season).

Amityville: The Awakening

Though many never bought into these Amityville movies, they are horror classics nonetheless. Set to be released in the summer of 2017, this installment is going to feature a whole new family being terrorized by the demonic house. Fans of this horror franchise will be glad to know that Jodie the Pig (the famous possessed swine with glowing eyes) will be featured in this latest addition.

Friday the 13th

This movie didn’t invent the “slasher” subgenre of horror (Black Christmas did that in 1974) but it certainly brought it to the forefront in the ’80s. Unlike other iconic franchises like Halloween or A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th offered little in storyline substance or suspense and instead went heavy on sex and gore. Because of this, many feel there has never been a solid addition to the series. The release date keeps changing but it is rumored that it will be released on October 13, 2017 (which will make thirteenth installment the first film in the franchise to actually be released on Friday the 13).

Leatherface

Real life necrophiliac and murderer Ed Gein inspired many characters in legendary horror movies: Norman Bates (Psycho), Buffalo Bill (The Silence of the Lambs), and Leatherface (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre). When The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was released in 1974 it garnered an R-rating, but not because of gore, but because of the intensity of the film and the fact that it felt so real. The sequels and reboots never captured the unsettling essence of the original, but perhaps this next addition will. There is no release date yet but it is still scheduled to be released in 2017.

Alien: Covenant

On May 19, terror returns to the other side of the galaxy. Ridley Scott directed the first two additions (often considered the best films) of this franchise as well as Prometheus (a separate film that is part of the Alien universe), and the legendary filmmaker returns for this installment. IMDb provides the synopsis for what could end up being one of the best horror movies of 2017.

“Bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, the crew of the colony ship Covenant discover what they think is an uncharted paradise, but is actually a dark, dangerous world, whose sole inhabitant is the synthetic David, survivor of the doomed Prometheus expedition.”

Hellraiser: Judgment

Another horror film with an ambiguous 2017 release date, this will be the 10th film in the Hellraiser franchise. Director Gary Tunnicliffe has reportedly said that he determines for this to be unlike any other film audiences have seen. With his goal to innovate and not duplicate, this addition may be a refreshing entry to the horror series.

Cult of Chucky

Based on both audiences and critics approval ratings, Child’s Play is one of the most successful horror franchises of all time. And this seventh addition (set to be released this year) takes off where The Curse of Chucky left off. And good news for Chucky fans, this film will co-star Jennifer Tilly.

Horror Movies 2017: The Return Of The Modern-Classics

Rings

Are you ready to feel old? It was 15 years ago that The Ring hit the big screen and audiences became terrified by two simple words, “Seven days.” The original was considered one of the best horror movies of the early 2000s and it received rave reviews, but The Ring 2 didn’t fare so well; maybe this third installment to the trilogy will breathe new life into the story. In Rings there is an intriguing twist to the legendary video tape. Rotten Tomatoes provides the premise for one of the most highly anticipated horror movies of 2017.

“A new chapter in the beloved RING horror franchise. A young woman becomes worried about her boyfriend when he explores a dark subculture surrounding a mysterious videotape said to kill the watcher seven days after he has viewed it. She sacrifices herself to save her boyfriend and in doing so makes a horrifying discovery: there is a “movie within the movie” that no one has ever seen before…”

Fans can watch the horror unfold in the movie (within the movie) on February 3, 2017. But remember, “First you watch it, then you die.”

Jeepers Creepers 3: Cathedral

Though panned by most critics and viewers, Jeepers Creepers certainly has a cult following. This will be the third movie in the trilogy and it is scheduled to be released sometime in 2017. Like the release date, the plot is pretty much unknown, but it’s a safe bet to assume that it involves the bat-like creature returning to eat more victims.

Saw: Legacy

Did you really think Saw 3D: The Final Chapter was actually going to be the final chapter?

Saw became one of the most popular horror movies in the modern era, and it featured a very unique villain: Jigsaw. What makes Jigsaw unique is that he doesn’t directly kill his victims, but instead creates contraptions for them to save or hang themselves (both literally and figuratively speaking). Tobin Bell returns as the infamous Jigsaw and per the franchise’s tradition, the new Saw movie will be released in October of 2017.

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter

What started off as a video game became a Hollywood franchise consisting of six movies. And if the title of this film is accurate, then the sixth installment to this tale of the zombie apocalypse will be the final. But as fans of horror movies have learned through the years, the “final” installment is rarely the final installment (see Saw above). This film will be released on January 27, making it one of the first horror movies of 2017.

Will the new Friday the 13th finally be a solid movie featuring Jason Voorhees? Will the new Ring film be as chilling as the original? Will the new Halloween be as scary (or scarier) than the ’76 classic? Time will answer these questions and more, but at least we know one thing: the horror movies of 2017 are going to feature some legendary names, and that’s probably a good thing.

OTHER HORROR MOVIE ARTICLES FROM THE INQUISITR

Best Horror Movies Of 2016, Plus New Horror Movies 2017

The Six Best Horror Movies Of 2016 That Are Actually Scary

Best Horror Movies 2016: ‘Autopsy Of Jane Doe,’ And More

2016: Year In Review Of the Best Horror Movies

The Best Horror Movies 2016 On Demand

[Featured Image by Lions Gate Films and 20th Century Fox]