After a long absence from streaming services, a cult classic slasher horror movie from 1998 is about to be available to watch on AMC Networks’ Shudder. Shudder launched in 2015 as the home of indie, big-budget, and original horror movies and TV shows. The streaming service now hosts some iconic scare-night movies such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Mother’s Day, Terrifier, and many more. These projects will soon be joined by a 1998 cult classic, Urban Legend, and its 2000 sequel, which became commercial successes despite receiving mostly negative reviews.
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Focusing on a series of murders on a New England university campus, all inspired by stories from folk tales, 1998’s Urban Legend became a critical success after grossing a total of $72.5 million on a budget of $14 million. Despite its negative response, Urban Legends earned a cult following that spurred the development of two sequels, 2000’s Urban Legends: Final Cut and 2005’s Urban Legends: Bloody Mary. On August 1, 2025, Urban Legend and Final Cut will finally be joining Shudder’s immense library, earning its place in horror movie history.
Urban Legend starred Jared Leto – in one of his earliest theatrical roles – as Paul, a journalism student at Pendleton University who starts to investigate urban legends and folklore when a series of murders on campus seem to emulate these tales’ events. Leto is joined by the likes of Alicia Witt, Tara Reid, Rebecca Gayheart, Michael Rosenbaum, and more, while Urban Legend also boasts supporting performances from horror legends, including Robert Englund and Danielle Harris. It’s edgy and complex, so worth a watch, but some still wanted more from Urban Legend.
This was especially true after the release of the sequel, Urban Legends: Final Cut, which centered on a series of folklore-inspired murders at a prestigious film school, Alpine University. Final Cut starred Jennifer Morrison, Matthew Davis, Hart Bochner, and more, focusing on a new slate of characters in a similar situation to the 1998 original. Final Cut performed even worse than Urban Legend, grossing only $38.6 million on the same budget, while the movie was universally panned by critics. Even so, you’ll soon be able to watch Urban Legend and its 2000 sequel back-to-back on Shudder.
A reboot of Urban Legend written and directed by Colin Minihan was announced in 2020, but was cancelled by 2022, perhaps due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In April 2025, however, a new reboot was announced to be in development by Screen Gems (via The Hollywood Reporter), the Sony-owned production company that delivered the likes of Resident Evil, Attack the Block, and Brightburn. The reboot will examine what urban legends look like in a post-digital world, which is an exciting prospect. Urban Legend hitting Shudder on August 1st could reignite interest in this promising franchise.
Are you excited for Urban Legend’s reboot? Let us know in the comments!
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