KJ Apa and Nadia Parkes to Lead Horror Film Obey for Screen Gems

KJ Apa and Nadia Parkes will lead Obey, a new horror film from Waypoint Entertainment and Spooky Pictures. Sony's Screen Gems will distribute the picture, Deadline reported on 15 September 2026 Deadline. The announcement locks in the two central roles.

Sophie Kargman will direct from a script by Ryan Farhoudi. The director runs the set, working with actors and crew to shape each scene. The writer supplies the story blueprint. Here those duties are divided, with Kargman behind the camera and Farhoudi behind the pages.

Ken Kao, Josh Rosenbaum and Emily Cheung will produce for Waypoint Entertainment's Cweature Features. Steven Schneider, Roy Lee and Simmy Wolf will produce for Spooky Pictures. A producer assembles the pieces, from money and hiring to day-to-day decisions. A banner such as Cweature Features is simply a label a company uses to organise related films.

Distribution sits at the end of that chain. Screen Gems, part of Sony, will handle getting Obey to cinemas. That job includes booking theatres, arranging marketing and delivering the finished film to screens. The leads are set. Cameras come next.

Obey is the next team-up for Waypoint and Spooky Pictures after Hokum Deadline. That film was directed by Damian McCarthy. It was released by Neon earlier in 2026.

Horror remains a steady cinema draw because modest budgets can reach wide audiences. That model relies on a clear hook, a tight shoot and a distributor that knows the audience. Casting the leads lets this production finalise schedules and build the shoot around its actors.

What makes this stand out is the reunion behind the camera. For viewers, the core team is now in place but little else is public yet. No plot details or release date were included in the announcement, and those specifics tend to follow once filming dates and theatre plans are fixed.