The pandemic goes slasher in first trailer for 'Scream' writer's Blumhouse horror flick 'SICK' on Peacock

Back in the late '90s, screenwriter Kevin Williamson reinvigorated the dying slasher genre with the meta smash hit we know as Scream. Now, several decades later, the horror proficient scribe once again shows he's got one finger on our cultural pulse with SICK, whose title — as you'll see — has several different meanings in this particular context.

Debuting on Peacock next week, the Blumhouse and Miramax-produced film takes place in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, circa April 2020. As the worsening health crisis continues to bring an unprepared world to its knees, two best friends — Parker (Blockers' Gideon Adlon) and Miri (Piss Party's Bethlehem Million) — decide to quarantine at a remote lake house. The only problem? Someone else has decided to come crash and do a little stabbing while they're at it. 

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"What really matters is that we’re here to protect one another," Williamson explained during an interview with Dread Central. "We’re here on this planet to help each other and protect each other. And that’s what these two characters do, they protect each other. This friendship comes together and they fight for each other and they save each other. And it’s ultimately a story of courage."

Break out the trusty N95s and check out the official trailer below:

Marc Menchaca (The Outsider) and Jane Adams (Poltergeist) round out the limited cast.

Williamson co-wrote the screenplay with Katelyn Crabb, who served as his assistant on the most recent Scream project. In addition to penning the script, Williamson also produced the film alongside Bill Block (Halloween Kills) and Ben Fast (Five Points).

Directed by John Hyams (Alone), SICK arrives on Peacock next Friday — Jan. 13. The movie, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival this past fall, currently holds a near-perfect score of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes.

"To me, the themes of this film explore not just COVID in terms of the disease, or a sickness. It’s about how we reacted to it," Hyams said. "And it was really about the kind of hysteria that followed all of that. Because in a sense it’s a cautionary tale. It’s how we behave."

"I’ve been asked both questions: is it too soon, or, is it dated?" Williamson added. "For me, SICK was always designed to be a period piece. It was always designed to take place during the first month of the pandemic."

Looking for more horror to make your spine tingle and blood curdle? You can currently catch Jordan Peele's NOPE on Peacock. Plus, don't miss SYFY's hit horror series Chucky, which just wrapped its second season.