Ryan Turek

Ryan Turek (born October 1, 1976, in Wallingford, Connecticut) is an American film producer, filmmaker, actor, and genre journalist whose career has helped shape modern mainstream horror. Also known to fans as Ryan Rotten, he first built his reputation by championing horror culture and spotlighting emerging voices within the community.

Turek co-founded the influential horror outlet Dread Central, where his work as a writer and editor connected audiences to new films, festivals, and filmmakers. That background in criticism and fandom later translated into producing and executive roles, bridging the gap between devoted genre followers and wide theatrical audiences.

He went on to become an executive at Blumhouse Productions, contributing to a run of high-profile hits including Happy Death Day, Halloween (2018), Freaky, The Black Phone, M3GAN, Insidious: The Red Door, The Exorcist: Believer, and Five Nights at Freddy’s. Across these projects, Turek is known for backing bold concepts and filmmaker-driven scares.

On screen, he has appeared in genre features and documentaries, with credits ranging from Dylan Dog: Dead of Night to horror retrospectives like His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th and The 50 Best Horror Movies You’ve Never Seen, underscoring his enduring presence in horror’s creative and fan worlds.