Disney’s 20th Century Studios has decided that it wants to stay in the horror business, particularly with Rob Savage behind the camera. As reported by Deadline, the studio has locked down the movie rights to Night the Ghoul, the comic by writer Scott Snyder and Francesco Francavilla. The book was published earlier this year as a Comixology original through Amazon, and is making its way to print this week. Just as those books are about to hit shelves, the movie rights have been locked up nice and tight.
The report notes a competitive bidding situation between multiple studios and streaming services, but 20th Century Studios won the day. The project will see Savage, who directed 2020’s Host, getting back in the saddle with the studio after helming the upcoming adaptation of Stephen King’s The Boogeyman, which is expected to arrive on Hulu in 2023. Apparently, that went well. 21 Laps is co-producing the project, with Shawn Levy, Dan Levine, and Dan Cohen on board as producers. Snyder and Francavilla are serving as executive producers.
There is no word yet on who will pen the adaptation, but a lot of talent is attached to this thing already. Savage has made quite the name for himself in a hurry after his found-footage horror flick Host made a big splash in 2020. Meanwhile, Snyder is one of the most respected writers working in comics today, while Francavilla is similarly respected as an artist. Not to mention that 20th Century Studios has been doing great work as of late in the genre department with movies like Prey and Barbarian.
As for Night of the Ghoul? The story centers on T.F. Merrit, a filmmaker who has spent decades confined in a retirement facility, which he claims is run by The Order of the Fly. The catch? This is a cult organization from his very own movie. But when Forest Inman and his son Orson go looking for answers about this long-lost horror movie, they fall into a cinematic nightmare.
The big question here is whether or not this will be developed for Hulu or as a theatrical release. Thanks to the Disney/Fox merger in 2019, 20th Century Studios has largely been used as a funnel to bring movies to Hulu, though some do end up going to theaters. This initial report does not mention the intended destination, so the brass could decide that later.
While we wait for the movie, the Night of the Ghoul comic is available on Amazon’s Comixology, with the physical comic hitting stores on October 5 from Dark Horse.
