It’s the big story in the world of horror: after two runaway box office hits, the “Scream” franchise is on the skids after firing next-gen scream queen Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega leaving the series. It’s too bad, as “Scream VII” was lining up to a high point for Spyglass‘ slasher, with Christopher Landon helming the sequel. But after the studio bounced Barrera and Ortega left, Landon exited the picture too, calling the whole situation “a dream job turned nightmare.” For slasher fans, truer words have never been spoken.
But THR reports that Landon has landed on his feet and already has a new project possibly lined up after the “Scream VII” debacle. The “Freaky” and “Happy Death Day” director is in talks to direct “Big Bad,” with Lionsgate finalizing terms for the movie. The project adapts Chandler Baker‘s story of the same name, about a family that must survive a night in an isolated farmhouse as werewolves prowl outside. Baker’s story is part of Amazon‘s “Creature Feature” horror collection, which includes tales by genre author Joe Hill (Stephen King‘s son and writer of “The Black Phone“).
Todd Lieberman and Hidden Pictures will produce the film with Carly Kleinbart. Scott O’Brien will oversee the project through Lionsgate, with Alex Young as executive producer. Lionsgate’s Robert Melnik will finalize the deal for the studio.
With the “Scream VII” saga in the rearview mirror, “Big Bad” will be Landon’s first directing gig since he made “We Have A Ghost” for Netflix. Landon’s career has close ties with Blumhouse, with the writer-director co-penning all of the “Paranormal Activity” sequels and directing 2014’s “Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones.” And the aforementioned “Happy Death Day” movies and “Freaky” helped cement Landon as a genre auteur. “Scream VII” would have been a coup for him, but a creature feature at least lets Landon chart new territory on his horror resume.
As Landon remains in demand, it’s unclear where the “Scream” franchise goes from here. But expect Lionsgate to have “Big Bad” in production soon, with a Halloween 2024 release not out of the question.