By Ryan O’Rourke | Collider.com | February 12, 2025
At long last, The Parenting is finally about to haunt streaming. The star-studded new horror comedy from director Craig Johnson and writer Kent Sublette has been sitting on the back burner at New Line for years since it was initially filmed in 2022. Starting on Thursday, March 13, however, it will have a home as a Max Original. Along with the release date came a new poster that highlights the stellar cast and the hauntings they’re about to witness as they come together for a weekend getaway.
The Parenting stars Twisters‘s Nik Dodani and 13 Reasons Why‘s Brandon Flynn as young couple Rohan and Josh who are busy planning the perfect getaway for what could otherwise be a pure nightmare—introducing their parents. Immediately, things go south as their respective mothers and fathers clash over their vastly different approaches to life. Flaring tempers are put aside, however, when the families begin to realize that the rental they’re staying in is haunted by a 400-year-old poltergeist. Once one of their parents becomes possessed, the couple is given the unenviable task of bringing everyone together to finally lay the malevolent entity to rest once and for all.
Joining Dodani and Flynn is an eye-watering ensemble headlined by Succession star Brian Cox. The Emmy winner is set to play Frank alongside Edie Falco‘s Sharon, the two of whom are more staunch, traditional parents in contrast to the much more laidback Liddy and Chuck, played by Lisa Kudrow and Dean Norris, the latter of whom is quite familiar with Ghosts. Also hanging around is Vivian Bang as Rohan and Josh’s meddlesome best friend Sara who can’t help but come to the rescue once things get paranormal. Finally, Emmy nominee Parker Posey rounds out the bunch as Brenda, the eccentric local who owns their rental and may have kept a few secrets from everyone given the sudden haunting.
With The Parenting, Johnson finally makes his return to feature filmmaking for the first time since 2018, when he helmed Netflix’s Alex Strangelove. In the time since, he’s stuck to the small screen, helming episodes of Minx, Special, and Gossip Girl. It’s fair to say his latest took a little longer than expected given it was first announced to be in development in 2021 and finished shooting in 2022. The film will now have an immediate competitor for customers’ eyes when it releases, as Max also recently announced the streaming date for A24’s acclaimed Hugh Grant horror flick Heretic on March 7.
The Parenting will finally haunt Max the week after on March 13. In the meantime, check out the new poster in the above.