Sony Developing Christmas Horror Movie From ‘A Quiet Place’ Producers
After the massive success ofA Quiet Placeearlier this year, Sony is likely in a festive mood. The sleeper hit went on to top $300 million at the worldwide box office and now ranks sixth on the all-time list of best-performing horror films. So it’s unsurprising that Sony is turning toA Quiet PlaceproducersPlatinum Dunesfor yet another horror project. But this time they’re turning that festive mood into literal holiday festivities.
Deadlinereports that Sony has picked up a Christmas horror pitch fromPatrick MeltonandMarcus Dunstanfor Platinum Dunes. The storyline is being kept under wraps, but the untitled holiday movie will reportedly be in the vein ofI Know What You Did Last SummerandScream.From that description, we can assume it will be a tongue-in-cheek teen slasher set during the holidays — which is an approach befitting the holiday horror genre.
TheChristmas horror genreis a bit of an odd duck, ranging from low-budget horror flicks, to creature features, to comedy crossovers. But there has to be a degree of self-deprecation that horror filmmakers take to Christmas, a traditionally family-friendly and heartwarming holiday. Which is why a tongue-in-cheek teen slasher seems ripe for the holiday treatment.
Melton and Dunstan, who pitched the project, are no strangers to the horror genre. They wrote three of theSawmovies and recently finished up onRate Your Stayat Lionsgate andThe Reckoningat Paramount. They also wrote the ABC pilotMonstropolisa few years ago.
A Quiet Placeexecutive producerAaron Janusis the one who brought the untitled Christmas horror project to Sony from Platinum Dunes. Formed by Michael Bay, Brad Fuller, and Andrew Form in 2001, Platinum Dunes is a production company that has been behind a slew of horror flicks includingThe Texas Chainsaw Massacre,The Purge,Friday the 13th,A Nightmare on Elm Street, andOuija.It has had hits withThe PurgeandA Quiet Place, the latter of which could help launch the company into household name status.
