PAY TO DIE HITS TUBI OCTOBER 7, AND SOMEBODY NEEDS TO CHECK THOSE CROWDFUNDING REWARDS!

Raising money for an independent movie is stressful enough without a killer turning production into a crime scene. Fam, who the hell approved that stretch goal? Pay to Die, the horror-comedy from directors Shawn C. Phillips and Lauren Francesca, takes crowdfunding and DIY filmmaking into slasher territory, with its Tubi debut set for October 7, 2026. Tubi’s official listing confirms the date, so this particular Halloween assignment won’t require you to finance the damn movie before watching it.

Jeff Richards plays a struggling commercial director who launches a Kickstarter-style campaign to get a slasher film made. According to the release, his production attracts fame-hungry actors, obsessive fans, celebrities chasing another moment in the spotlight and opportunists with dangerous intentions. Suddenly, making the horror movie and surviving it become overlapping responsibilities. Anybody who has worked on an independent project knows how quickly enthusiasm can turn into a scheduling nightmare. Adding actual murders feels like a pretty aggressive way to make sure nobody asks for another take.

Richards also co-produced the film and contributed music, working alongside a cast that includes Robert Carradine, Bai Ling, James Duval, Ken Davitian, Angel Salazar, Joe Estevez, Lorelei Linklater and Kato Kaelin. That is a collection of names capable of making you stop scrolling and investigate what everybody got themselves into. Carradine plays the police officer looking into the murders, which means somebody in this production finally gets assigned a job that involves asking sensible questions.

The release describes Pay to Die as one of Carradine’s final screen appearances. The actor, remembered by generations of fans for Revenge of the Nerds and Lizzie McGuire, died in February 2026. His family and former castmates publicly paid tribute to him, remembering his warmth and humor. Getting another opportunity to see him onscreen gives this release a significance beyond its crowdfunding jokes, and that deserves a little respect amid the chaos.

Phillips and Francesca also directed Mistletoe Massacre, while Phillips’ recent work includes the creature feature Desert Fiends. Richards brings his experience from both Saturday Night Live and MADtv, along with The Jeff Richards Show, the deepfake podcast behind that bizarre “Buttered Sausage” episode. If that phrase has been living rent-free in your head, you already know how far he is willing to push an oddball bit. A movie poking at the egos and desperation around independent filmmaking gives him plenty of material to work with.

Distributed by BayView Entertainment, Pay to Die is already available on Amazon and Fandango, according to the announcement, before arriving on Tubi on October 7. You can find the official Tubi listing here and check the film’s Letterboxd page. I’m curious how hard this crew goes at the crowdfunding circus, because supporting independent filmmakers and laughing at the madness surrounding a production can absolutely coexist. Just make sure the person offering to help with your next movie understands that “killer contribution” is a figure of speech.