In a major expansion of its operations, British Horror Studio has announced the launch of a dedicated theatrical distribution wing, BHS Picture House, created to bring independently produced British horror films directly to cinema audiences across the UK.
The new division has launched alongside a dedicated website, BHSPictureHouse.com, which will provide screening information, ticket links and details of forthcoming theatrical releases.
BHS Picture House has initially announced four films for theatrical distribution during autumn and winter 2026: Amicus Productions’ In the Grip of Terror, Hex Studios’ Black Chariot and Spoiling You, and B-Team production Mr Whispers.
The initiative represents a significant investment by British Horror Studio in theatrical exhibition, with the studio reporting that all four features are cleared for UK cinema release and an expanding network of independent venues being established across the country.
BHS Picture House: the first UK cinema dates
The first confirmed programme includes screenings and theatrical runs in Romford, London, Kirkcaldy, Southport and Sale, Greater Manchester, with further venues expected to be announced.
Lumière Cinema, Romford
In the Grip of Terror: 9–15 October 2026; Spoiling You: 16–22 October; Mr Whispers: 23–29 October; Black Chariot: 30 October–5 November.
Choose a day and screening time through Lumière Cinema’s booking programme.
Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy
In the Grip of Terror: 31 October 2026 at 2pm. Book the Adam Smith Theatre screening.
Peckhamplex, London
In the Grip of Terror: 2 November 2026; Spoiling You: 10 November; Black Chariot: 16 November; Mr Whispers: 24 November. All four screenings are listed for 8:30pm.
Find the individual Peckhamplex ticket links on BHS Picture House.
Southport Bijou Cinema
In the Grip of Terror: 19 November 2026 at 7:30pm; Spoiling You: 23 November; Black Chariot: 24 November at 5pm; Mr Whispers: 9 December.
Times and individual booking links for Spoiling You and Mr Whispers remain to be confirmed. Consult Southport Bijou Cinema’s programme for the latest availability.
The Northern Light Cinema, Sale
The studio programme lists screening weeks beginning 13 October 2026 for In the Grip of Terror and 30 October for Spoiling You. Exact days and times remain to be announced. Check The Northern Light Cinema’s listings before planning a visit.
Dates and availability may change. BHS Picture House’s screening guide will carry further announcements and booking links.
A permanent route from production to the cinema
British Horror Studio founder Lawrie Brewster said the creation of BHS Picture House was intended to address what he sees as one of the most significant structural obstacles facing independently produced British films.
“Independent filmmakers have become remarkably good at finding ways to develop, finance and produce ambitious films, but the missing part of that equation is very often exhibition. We want to help rebuild that connection between independent filmmaking and the cinema screen.”
Brewster said BHS Picture House would seek to establish long-term relationships with independent cinemas rather than treating theatrical screenings solely as occasional premieres or festival events.
“For us, theatrical exhibition shouldn’t be a ceremonial screening at the end of production. Cinema is part of what these films are being made for. We want audiences around the country to have the opportunity to encounter distinctive independent films properly, together, in the dark and on a big screen.”
The studio describes its model as vertically integrated, developing, financing, producing and now theatrically distributing its own films. The launch of BHS Picture House consequently gives the organisation greater control over the path between development and exhibition.
Brewster believes that infrastructure could also help strengthen the cultural position of independently produced horror.
“Horror has an extraordinary audience and a remarkable filmmaking tradition in Britain, but independent genre films can too easily become confined to specialist festivals, one-off events or digital platforms. We want BHS Picture House to be a strong advocate for the idea that these films deserve theatrical space and cultural visibility.”
A pipeline of new theatrical titles
The commitment is intended to extend beyond the four films forming the inaugural season. British Horror Studio says it currently has approximately nine films in post-production, with a further six productions planned over the coming 12 months, creating what the company believes will become a regular pipeline of new theatrical titles.
“This isn’t a distribution label created for four films and then put back in a drawer. The purpose is to build permanent infrastructure. Every venue relationship we establish makes the next release stronger and gives us the foundations for a genuine independent theatrical network.”
Brewster has also left open the possibility that BHS Picture House could eventually represent independently produced horror films made outside the British Horror Studio group.
For now, however, the emphasis remains on establishing the network itself.
“Before we start making grand promises about representing everybody else, we need to prove the model, build trusted relationships with exhibitors and reach a level of national coverage that makes the proposition meaningful. That is the immediate objective.”
North American theatrical ambitions
Once that UK network reaches what the company considers satisfactory national coverage, Brewster says the next phase could involve extending BHS Picture House into North American theatrical distribution, initially through partnerships with independent and specialist cinemas.
“The long-term ambition is certainly international. Britain is where we establish the model, learn from it and build the network properly. Once that foundation is strong enough, North America is the natural next step.”
Four films, four distinct approaches
The four-film programme also demonstrates the range of productions emerging under the British Horror Studio umbrella.
In the Grip of Terror marks the revival of Amicus Productions with a new portmanteau horror feature directed by Brewster. Spoiling You, directed by Megan Tremethick, is a psychological horror centred around an ASMR creator and an obsessive admirer. Black Chariot, also directed by Brewster, is a black-and-white supernatural noir set in 1950s Britain, while Mr Whispers, directed by Dorian Todd, Oliver Revie and Seumas MacNeil, uses the found-footage format to explore a legend surrounding a derelict cinema.
For Brewster, the diversity of those films is central to what BHS Picture House is intended to represent.
“We are not trying to create a conveyor belt in which every film looks or feels the same. Quite the opposite. The whole point of independent cinema is that filmmakers should be allowed to possess a voice. What we want to build is the machinery that allows those voices to reach an audience.”
Further cinema announcements and booking information will be published through BHSPictureHouse.com as the theatrical programme expands.
Read more about the B-Team and its first features in our earlier reporting.
Robert Guthrie is British Horror Studio’s Arts Correspondent. His reporting for Amicus Horror includes Lumière Cinema’s campaign to remain open.
Our sister publication, the British Horror Chronicle, reports on BHS Picture House’s first cinema programme.
