Bill Hader Advances Horror Debut They Know to Sound Mixing

Bill Hader is preparing his first feature film as a director for potential distribution after completing production on They Know, a psychological horror movie starring Hader and Linda Cardellini. As reported by ComicBook.com on October 20, 2026, the project has reached the sound-mixing stage, with screenings for prospective distributors expected soon.

The film follows a divorced father, played by Hader, who suspects his former wife is secretly dating a mysterious man whose presence is having an unusual effect on their children. The story draws on conversations between Hader and longtime collaborator Duffy Boudreau about divorce, co-parenting, and the possibility of troubling developments in otherwise amicable family relationships.

Hader told IndieWire that a scene originally planned to use four or five shots changed during rehearsals after Cardellini introduced an unexpected performance choice. Cinematographer Carl Herse recognized the opportunity to capture the sequence in a single continuous take.

Hader described the decision during his discussion with IndieWire.

"On the movie, there's a whole scene in the movie that was supposed to be four or five shots," Hader said. "And as we were rehearsing it, Linda Cardellini started doing something, and then Carl (Herse, DP), (who) knows me, he was like, 'This is going to be a oner.' And I was like, 'It's going to be a oner.'"

The director and Boudreau developed several script drafts before settling on the film's direction. Hader had previously set the project aside after a producer characterized the concept as too harsh and cynical, but he later returned to it after watching Ari Aster's Eddington and Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Cloud.

Hader has also screened an early cut for friends and family, including filmmaker Zach Cregger. He received encouragement from Alfonso Cuarón and spoke with Steven Spielberg before production began, according to ComicBook.com.

Hader's move into feature filmmaking follows his work on HBO's Barry, in which he starred as a hitman who discovers an interest in acting. The series established his reputation for combining dark comedy with psychological tension, experience that now informs his first feature-length horror project.

His interest in filmmaking also dates to childhood. In an October 18, 2026, report, Far Out Magazine revisited Hader's account of watching Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver at a sleepover when he was in fifth grade, an experience he said profoundly influenced his understanding of cinema.

Hader reflected on the film's impact and Robert De Niro's performance.

"I first saw this when I was in fifth grade at a sleepover, and it completely changed my life. For me it's the best directed and acted film of all time. If you want to learn how to act on film, all you have to do is watch Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver."

The experience helped shape Hader's admiration for Scorsese's direction and his interest in the relationship between performance and camera movement. His transition from comedy performer to filmmaker also places him among entertainers pursuing horror projects, following Jordan Peele, Zach Cregger, and Curry Barker.

According to ComicBook.com, They Know remains in post-production, with sound mixing underway and distribution discussions potentially approaching as prospective buyers prepare to view the film.