Underground horror director Jeremiah Kipp has passed away, according to his partner Lindsay Katt. Confirmed through The Long Island International Film Expo, Kipp released his largest movie just earlier in the year, an adaptation of the hit indie horror game The Mortuary Assistant.
“Jeremiah was a gentle soul who was always generous with advice and sharing his knowledge of cinema,” writes the Film Expo, “he leaves behind many friends and an important legacy.”
Based on the 2022 video game, The Mortuary Assistant follows Rebecca (Kingdom Heart’s Willa Holland), a down on her luck woman hoping her new job will pave the road to recovery. Working grim but seemingly benign shifts at the morgue, she suddenly finds herself subject to strange visions. That’s when her employer, Raymond (Boardwalk Empire’s Paul Sparks), delivers the bad news. It seems a demonic spirit hitched a ride on one of the cadavers, and Rebecca will need to follow specific rituals to rid herself of the entity.
15 years ago Jeremiah Kipp made my dreams come true. I had a very dark and personal story about Suicide and he believed it needed to to be told. I got to write and produce "Crestfallen" as a film along side him. He became a mentor and a friend. Now he is gone and I am crushed. pic.twitter.com/bfc7ZBGQEo
— (NSC) The Beer Fridge (@PenningWyse) October 16, 2026
“Jeremiah brought his singular voice and passion to Dread through SLAPFACE and THE MORTUARY ASSISTANT,” posted the studio. “Our love and condolences are with Jeremiah’s family, friends, and collaborators.”
Shocked by his sudden passing, the New York horror movie community is mourning a man they describe as fostering with his time, passion and know-how. Before Assistant, Kipp filmed an array of indie nightmares, from shorts to Shudder’s Slapface in 2021. According to Deadline, the director had just wrapped production on Faceless, an upcoming horror feature based on Cambodian folklore.
The Mortuary Assistant was a crossover hit for publisher DreadXP, who had charmed indie scare fans with their Dread X collections but broke containment on the horror simulator hybrid. While it hasn’t made as many waves as other recent adaptations like Iron Lung, it seems it performed well enough to assure the publisher. Elsewhere, DreadXP are expanding their cross-media operations, signing a deal with Blumhouse and YouTuber Matpat to adapt Amanda the Adventurer.