Epic Pictures and Dread have announced release plans for GATOR FACE, a new creature feature from writer-director Padraig Reynolds (Rites of Spring, Open 24 Hours, Dark Light) that opens in select theaters on September 11, 2026, followed by a digital release on September 15.
Shot on location in the Florida swamps with live alligators and a commitment to practical effects over CGI, GATOR FACE follows a group of friends whose sun-soaked Florida vacation takes a severe turn when they become prey to a sinister cult that sacrifices its victims to an alligator god. Drawn deeper into an isolated world defined by ritual and violence, the friends find themselves fighting for survival against both the cult and the formidable creature at the center of its beliefs.
Reynolds directs from his own screenplay with a clear love of classic creature features and drive-in horror. The film stars Tabitha Brownstone (CSI, Domino) as Claire, Amariah Dionne (Dead Souls) as Jess, and Scot Scurlock (Homestead, Death Ranch) as Father Eli, the menacing cult leader. Ella Mosca appears as Samara, and Nikolas Kolasinski (Lake Fear 2) takes on the role of Gator Face itself. The film was produced by Jason Scott Goldberg (Glorious, Stay Out of the Attic) and Wes Thomas, with Patrick Ewald as executive producer.
For the live-alligator sequences, the production partnered with Bellowing Acres, a North Florida alligator sanctuary that provides permanent homes for rescued nuisance alligators that would otherwise face euthanasia. No alligators were harmed in the making of the film.
“I grew up loving creature features where what you were seeing on screen felt real,” said Reynolds. “Shooting in the Florida swamps, using practical effects and working with real alligators gave us an atmosphere and unpredictability we never could have manufactured.”
Dread — the label that brought audiences the original Terrifier — continues its commitment to distinctive independent horror with GATOR FACE. The film runs 80 minutes.
GATOR FACE opens in select theaters on September 11, 2026, and arrives on digital platforms September 15.
