The Woman In The Yard Looks To Resurrect That Vintage Blumhouse Horror Vibe

As far as modern horror goes, there are few (if any) names that rival Blumhouse. As the studio behind Jordan Peele's modern masterpiece "Get Out," "The Purge" franchise, one of M. Night Shyamalan's biggest movies ever in "Split," successful franchise revivals such as the "Halloween" trilogy, and monster adaptations like "Five Nights at Freddy's," the house that Jason Blum built has become a go-to name for horror fans. Now the studio is seeking to deliver another original hit in the form of "The Woman in the Yard."

As Blumhouse grew in recent years, they hit a bit of a cold streak, with recent films such as "The Exorcist: Believer," "Imaginary," "Afraid," and others failing to deliver critically and commercially. The studio's latest effort, which hails from director Jaume Collet-Serra ("Black Adam," "Orphan"), aims to change that narrative by bringing back that old-school Blumhouse vibe. I was fortunate enough to visit the set of the film last year in May, which took place just outside of the small college town of Athens, Georgia, located a little over an hour away from Atlanta, which has become a major Hollywood production hub.

We arrived at the set at the then-newly-opened Athena Studios on the very last day of filming, with "Woman in the Yard" serving as the first major film to hold its production at the facility. Though the filmmakers were hesitant to tell us much of anything by way of specifics, what I witness was what appears to be a carefully crafted, smaller-scale, lean, mean, creepy flick that feels like a classic entry from the studio's early days, harkening back to the likes of "Insidious" or "Oculus," before Blumhouse became the monster that it is now.

The film centers on Ramona (Danielle Deadwyler), a woman crippled by grief after she survives a car accident that took the life of her husband (Russell Hornsby). Seriously injured, Ramona is left alone to take care of their 14-year-old son (Peyton Jackson) and six-year-old-daughter (Estella Kahiha) in a rural farmhouse. One day, out of nowhere, a woman dressed head to toe in black appears in their yard. The woman (Okwui Okpokwasili) creeps nearer to the house and it quickly becomes clear she is no ordinary woman and that her intentions are not good. Horror ensues.

That's the synopsis Universal Pictures released to the public, but at the time of the set visit, they were hesitant to tell us many details. "I don't want to tell you all that," Deadwyler, who also worked with Collet-Serra on Netflix's thriller "Carry-On," said in response to what seemed like a pretty basic question about her character during an interview. Deadwyler, and everyone else we spoke to that day, were extremely hesitant to give too much away about the film. "Oh, it's so cool. It's cool. I can't tell you anything," Okpokwasili said when asked a similar question.

Still, Okpokwasili was rather excited to portray the titular "Woman" in the film. "What I can tell you about the Woman is that she's a bit of a mystery," Okopkwasili said. The character, as seen in the trailer, is decked out in all black, which was a challenge in the sweltering Georgia heat. Okopkwasili didn't seem to mind. "I like it, I like to sweat," she said. "I was really happy. Everybody was concerned, but clearly the Woman is operating on another plane."

During our set visit, the team treated us to a very early look at some footage of the Woman who was, in fact, in the yard. It was effectively creepy, and though it lacked a lot of context, was effective. Legendary producer Stephanie Allain ("Hustle & Flow," "Dear White People") personally ushered us around the set. They were filming a big crash scene that day, with walls of green all around.

We were also shown around an attic set that was built on the stage, mirroring that of the one belonging to the house on a plantation where they actually shot much of the film. The attic was filled with junk and cobwebs, constructed with painstaking detail. Up close, it was just as impressive as it was creepy.

The production also recreated several other parts of the home on the soundstages, including bathroom where "a lot of weird s*** happens." Again, what exactly that weird s*** was remained elusive, but several times, the idea of portals was mentioned by Allain and the actors. Allain showed us a gun safe that is of importance that was referred to as "a portal." Similarly, Okopkwasili told us when discussing the woman's costume, "I can feel it in the dress that I'm in, in that whole black thing, that's a whole architecture right there that feels like a portal or a slit in time."

In several ways, this feels like old-school Blumhouse: It's a small cast. It's a director with a track record in the genre, having helmed the likes of "Orphan" and "House of Wax" as well as blockbusters like "Jungle Cruise." It's an eerie, inviting premise with some weird, mysterious elements. As usual, the business model involves keeping the budget low and not being afraid to take a swing.

This was Russell Hornsby's first Blumhouse production, and the actor said he was "happy to be here," while also speaking rather highly of the process, noting that they were given time to rehearse and even improvise, despite the budget and time constraints. "Blumhouse has created a niche that says, 'This is what we want to do, we want to do it to the best that we can. We want to focus on the quality of this genre of picture, and make sure that these pictures sing,'" Hornsby said.

Allain, for her part, hasn't done a lot of horror, but Jason Blum was able to sell her on "Woman in the Yard" because it wasn't going to be all about senseless violence. "Dramas have become increasingly harder to sell. Studios aren't really making them," Allain explained. "The streamers aren't even making them anymore." Allain, who has also produced the Oscars and the L.A. Film Festival, explained that shifting to the genre space makes sense in the current climate:

"Every time I have to make a shift for whatever to keep growing, I grow with it. I'm excited because it's going to be my way. It's not going to be violent in that way. You know what I mean? It's going to be smarter. It's going to be elevated because that's my brand."

The film is described as being contained, and unfolding largely over the course of 24 hours. Unfortunately, we weren't able to speak with Collet-Serra, who was busy wrapping up the last day of filming. But everyone kept saying he was in his element, having spent the last several years working on massive blockbusters. Here, he was against the clock working with far fewer resources. That's the Blumhouse way of old. Make 'em cheap, get creative, see if it hits.

"Oftentimes, that's how you get the casual viewer as well, when it's well made," Hornsby reasoned. "People go, 'That's not even my type of fare, but the acting was great, the scares were great. Even the kids were fantastic.' That's what you want." It's not just "cheap thrills and bulls***," as he put it.

Dating back to the smash hit "Paranormal Activity," Blumhouse was built on big swings that have a chance to connect with audiences. As the business changed in the aftermath of the pandemic, coupled with the success of franchise films like "Halloween," the studio changed, too. Budgets increased and fewer originals were being made. Yet, horror is one of the few genres that can birth an original hit these days, and "The Woman in the Yard" feels like the kind of movie that Blumhouse was designed to make.

Without a lot of specifics, I was forced to read vibes — and the vibes I got were stellar. The cast all seemed ecstatic to be there, even after working until 3 a.m. the night before. Allain seemed very enthusiastic. By all accounts, Collet-Serra was thriving by being back in the horror waters. The sets looked fantastic. The tiny bit of footage we saw was incredibly effective. All the right pieces are on the board, so this could be a return to form for Blumhouse. Fingers crossed.

"The Woman in the Yard" hits theaters on March 28, 2025.