Hollywood Chases 40 Million-Subscriber Creators for New Films as 11 Studios Battle Over Viral Horror
Updated
Updated · The Atlantic · Aug 13
Hollywood Chases 40 Million-Subscriber Creators for New Films as 11 Studios Battle Over Viral Horror
1 articles · Updated · The Atlantic · Aug 13
Summary
Several internet-born projects have moved into film development, including Siren Head, Cartoon Cat, Seasons and The Mandela Catalogue, with the last triggering an 11-studio bidding war and landing Steven Spielberg as producer.
This rush follows spring box-office wins from online-native filmmakers: A24's Backrooms became the studio's top-grossing film, Obsession turned into a word-of-mouth hit, and Markiplier's Iron Lung made at least 10 times its budget.
Producers say studios are now aggressively scouting YouTube, Reddit and viral art, but warn that subscriber counts alone are not enough and that adaptations can fail if they strip away the creator's original voice.
Hollywood's earlier internet adaptations often fizzled, and filmmakers such as Shawn Levy and Jane Schoenbrun caution that the current frenzy may be a narrow horror-driven gold rush rather than a lasting industry shift.
As Hollywood scrambles for viral horror, will studio interference destroy the very online magic that made these internet creators famous?
With online creators self-financing massive box-office hits, is the traditional Hollywood studio system becoming obsolete for digital-native filmmakers?