The blood-soaked halls of Shadyside High are open once more, and prom season is about to be cut short — literally. Netflix has unveiled the official trailer for Fear Street: Prom Queen, the newest chapter in the horror franchise that first took viewers on a terrifying time-hopping trilogy back in 2021. Set in 1988, this latest instalment returns with a vintage touch, vicious high school politics, and a killer with a prom court vendetta.
Directed and co-written by Matt Palmer (his second feature following 2018 thriller Calibre), the film takes inspiration from R.L. Stine’s 1992 novel The Prom Queen, marking the first time a Fear Street film has directly adapted a single book from the legendary YA horror series. And yes — judging by the trailer — it’s got the slashing, synths, and shoulder pads to prove it.
The story follows Lori Granger (India Fowler), an outsider unexpectedly thrust into the cutthroat world of Shadyside’s prom queen race. As rival candidates start mysteriously disappearing, the high schoolers realise something sinister is circling prom night — and this year, it’s not just about the crown.
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“We’re back in Shadyside and the year is 1988,” director and co-writer Matt Palmer told Netflix site Tudum. “With Senior Prom just two days away the race for prom queen is already heating up, but when somebody starts slaughtering the prom queen candidates, all hell is set to break loose. Think classic 80s slasher and all the fun that entails, but with compelling characters, needle drops, dancing and a whole lot more!”
The cast features a mix of familiar and rising stars, including Suzanna Son, Fina Strazza, David Iacono, Ella Rubin, Ariana Greenblatt, Chris Klein, Lili Taylor, and Katherine Waterston. Netflix has also confirmed that Prom Queen digs deeper into the social fabric of Shadyside — with Palmer noting its emotional themes about growing up and confronting generational trauma still ring true today.
Fear Street: Prom Queen hits Netflix on May 23.
