Survival horror meets Hollywood satire in Fatal Fest by creator and writer Hannah Rose May (The Exorcism at 1600 Penn). From IDW Publishing’s horror imprint, IDW Dark, the book ponders the question of how far a person will go to achieve their dreams of Hollywood success.

Featuring art by Andrea Scalmazzi, “Fatal Fest is a harrowing and twisted exploration of obsession with IP, the thirst for fame and Hollywood’s ruthless commodification of art,” per IDW’s press release.

Six promising new horror filmmakers are invited to compete at a mysterious festival called Fatal Fest. It is run by reclusive horror filmmaker Frank Finch and his production company, Fatal Films. The contestants soon realize that this is not a normal film festival when they learn that Frank’s one rule is that to create real fear, the filmmakers must experience it themselves. If they want to win Fatal Fest they must be willing to kill for it.

“I’ve wanted to tell this story for years. It lives at the intersection of everything I love: horror, Hollywood and our cultural obsession with IP,” May said. “I’ve been dying to explore what happens when obsession collides with violent ambition and with Fatal Fest we get to dial that all the way up to the most terrifying degree. This is my third original series with IDW and I’m so grateful for their continued trust and for letting me run wild with my most twisted story yet.”

“Every now and then, a pitch lands on your desk that reminds you why you love comics in the first place. Fatal Fest was one of those projects for us,” IDW Senior Group Editor Heather Antos said. “It’s bold, bloody, incredibly clever, and completely unapologetic in its vision. From the first page, we knew readers were in for something unforgettable. Hannah and Andrea have created a world that feels equal parts Hollywood Horror satire, psychological thriller, and pure nightmare fuel. This is the kind of series readers discover in issue #1 and never stop talking about.”

“Hannah is a visionary creator and an incredible creative partner, delivering a horror story that feels both terrifyingly modern and razor-sharp in its commentary on fame, entertainment, and the commodification of art,” IDW CEO Davidi Jonas said. “Fatal Fest is bold, cinematic, and deeply unsettling in all the right ways and we couldn’t be more thrilled to continue building the future of IDW Dark alongside a talent like Hannah.”

More details about Fatal Fest will be revealed at a later date, according to IDW.