ArtistDirect News
Indie Horror Film Dont Move Sets Red-Carpet Premieres in Kansas City and Los Angeles, Stars Hallmark Actors Lyndsy Fonseca and Hunter King
When a church retreat turns into a nightmare, the stakes rise beyond the familiar. Don’t Move will hit theaters on September 11, 2026, after two high‑profile red‑carpet premieres in Kansas City and Los Angeles.
Directed by Maclain Nelson—known for the 2022 Hallmark film Hidden Gems and the 2024 romantic comedy The Magic of Lemon Drops—the indie horror feature casts Hallmark regulars Lyndsy Fonseca and Hunter King as a group of retreat attendees who find themselves hunted by a prehistoric arachnid.
Nelson’s partnership with Impractical Jokers star James “Murr” Murray and author Darren Wearmouth brings a unique blend of family‑friendly sensibilities and creature‑feature thrills. The screenplay, adapted from a novel co‑written by Murray and Wearmouth, is produced by Impractical Studios.
The plot follows a church group that leaves its annual retreat in the Ozark wilderness for a weekend of fellowship. Their excursion takes a deadly turn when they stray into a remote section of the forest, where a gigantic, vibration‑sensing spider begins to pick them off one by one. Suspicion falls on Ricky, played by Russell “Russ” Vitale, but the true threat is the ancient predator that stalks the group through a labyrinth of webs. At the center of the action is Megan, portrayed by Fonseca, who must keep the remaining members together and lead them to safety.
The ensemble adds depth to the story. Tom Cavanagh, Joseph Lee Anderson, and Rob Riggle round out the cast, while T‑Pain makes a brief cameo. The mix of Hallmark‑style actors and genre performers, according to the filmmakers, grounds the horror in a familiar setting while delivering fresh tension.
The first premiere will take place on September 8, 2026, at the historic Midland Theatre in Kansas City. Attendees will see a cast Q&A and a red‑carpet photo session featuring Murray, Vitale, Fonseca, and Riggle. The following day, the Los Angeles premiere will be held at the TCL Chinese Theatre, where the full cast—including Murray, Vitale, Fonseca, King, Cavanagh, Anderson, and Matt Biedel—will participate in a Q&A and photo session.
Tickets for both premieres and the nationwide release are available through the film’s official website, DontMoveMovie.com. A trailer is scheduled for a July release, and the film will be shown worldwide on September 11. The production team says the release strategy is designed to build momentum through early buzz at the two high‑profile premieres.
Don’t Move represents a rare crossover between Hallmark‑style storytelling and indie horror. It brings together a director known for romantic comedies and a cast of actors who have built careers on family‑friendly television, creating a contrast that the filmmakers say helps ground the horror in a familiar setting.
The film’s focus on a prehistoric predator and the tension of a wilderness retreat offers a fresh take on creature‑feature conventions. The scheduled premieres aim to generate interest ahead of the September theatrical launch.
With the release, Don’t Move will add a new entry to the growing catalog of horror movies that feature well‑known television actors in lead roles. It will also be the first time that both Fonseca and King have appeared together in a genre film. The premiere events and subsequent theatrical run will provide a platform for the film’s creators to showcase their collaboration and to introduce audiences to a new horror narrative that blends familiar characters with a terrifying, ancient threat.
Directed by Maclain Nelson—known for the 2022 Hallmark film Hidden Gems and the 2024 romantic comedy The Magic of Lemon Drops—the indie horror feature casts Hallmark regulars Lyndsy Fonseca and Hunter King as a group of retreat attendees who find themselves hunted by a prehistoric arachnid.
Nelson’s partnership with Impractical Jokers star James “Murr” Murray and author Darren Wearmouth brings a unique blend of family‑friendly sensibilities and creature‑feature thrills. The screenplay, adapted from a novel co‑written by Murray and Wearmouth, is produced by Impractical Studios.
The plot follows a church group that leaves its annual retreat in the Ozark wilderness for a weekend of fellowship. Their excursion takes a deadly turn when they stray into a remote section of the forest, where a gigantic, vibration‑sensing spider begins to pick them off one by one. Suspicion falls on Ricky, played by Russell “Russ” Vitale, but the true threat is the ancient predator that stalks the group through a labyrinth of webs. At the center of the action is Megan, portrayed by Fonseca, who must keep the remaining members together and lead them to safety.
The ensemble adds depth to the story. Tom Cavanagh, Joseph Lee Anderson, and Rob Riggle round out the cast, while T‑Pain makes a brief cameo. The mix of Hallmark‑style actors and genre performers, according to the filmmakers, grounds the horror in a familiar setting while delivering fresh tension.
The first premiere will take place on September 8, 2026, at the historic Midland Theatre in Kansas City. Attendees will see a cast Q&A and a red‑carpet photo session featuring Murray, Vitale, Fonseca, and Riggle. The following day, the Los Angeles premiere will be held at the TCL Chinese Theatre, where the full cast—including Murray, Vitale, Fonseca, King, Cavanagh, Anderson, and Matt Biedel—will participate in a Q&A and photo session.
Tickets for both premieres and the nationwide release are available through the film’s official website, DontMoveMovie.com. A trailer is scheduled for a July release, and the film will be shown worldwide on September 11. The production team says the release strategy is designed to build momentum through early buzz at the two high‑profile premieres.
Don’t Move represents a rare crossover between Hallmark‑style storytelling and indie horror. It brings together a director known for romantic comedies and a cast of actors who have built careers on family‑friendly television, creating a contrast that the filmmakers say helps ground the horror in a familiar setting.
The film’s focus on a prehistoric predator and the tension of a wilderness retreat offers a fresh take on creature‑feature conventions. The scheduled premieres aim to generate interest ahead of the September theatrical launch.
With the release, Don’t Move will add a new entry to the growing catalog of horror movies that feature well‑known television actors in lead roles. It will also be the first time that both Fonseca and King have appeared together in a genre film. The premiere events and subsequent theatrical run will provide a platform for the film’s creators to showcase their collaboration and to introduce audiences to a new horror narrative that blends familiar characters with a terrifying, ancient threat.