The monster in the shadows has returned. Eleven years after the original Babadook terrified audiences with its psychological horror and haunting 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren’s book, the first teaser trailer for The Babadook: Shadow Within has officially been released — and this time, the fear goes deeper than ever.

Set for release in October 2026, the film marks the return of the eerie Babadook figure, now tormenting a new victim played by Karen Gillan (Doctor Who, Guardians of the Galaxy). Directed by Australian filmmaker Jennifer Kent, who helmed the original 2014 cult classic, the sequel promises to blend slow-burning terror with a deeper exploration of trauma and memory.

In the teaser, Gillan portrays Mara Whitfield, a grief-stricken therapist who inherits a strange, isolated home on the outskirts of Melbourne. As she uncovers a locked box buried under the floorboards, a familiar pop-up book resurfaces — and with it, something ancient, hungry, and watching.

“We all thought the Babadook was just a story,” Gillan whispers in the trailer, her voice trembling. “But stories don’t knock three times.”

The teaser offers flashes of unnerving imagery: moving shadows with no source, flickering lights, whispers in empty hallways, and that unmistakable knock–knock–knock. With Karen Gillan’s emotionally raw performance and Kent’s signature atmospheric tension, Shadow Within looks poised to elevate the myth of the Babadook into terrifying new territory.

The film is produced by Causeway Films and distributed internationally by A24, further cementing its arthouse horror pedigree.

The Babadook: Shadow Within premieres October 3, 2026, just in time to haunt your Halloween season.