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Blumhouse Atomic has signed a first-look deal with James Tynion IV’s Tiny Onion and will develop the comic series Exquisite Corpses with Tiny Onion and Lyrical Media for film and animation. Separately, Natalia Dyer and Elijah Wood are attached to a sequel to 1408, with original director Mikael Håfström returning; John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson are in talks to reprise their roles.
Blumhouse Atomic has signed a first-look deal with James Tynion IV’s production company Tiny Onion and will develop the comic-book universe Exquisite Corpses with Tiny Onion and Lyrical Media for film and animation, according to Daily Dead. In a separate development, Natalia Dyer and Elijah Wood are attached to a sequel to the 2007 horror film 1408, with original director Mikael Håfström set to return.
The Blumhouse agreement covers development of Tynion’s intellectual property across film, television and animation. The companies also plan to develop Exquisite Corpses, a serial-killer battle-royale comic universe co-created by Tynion and artist Michael Walsh, as a film and an animated project. The series has sold more than one million copies in its first 18 months of publication by Image Comics, the report said.
Blumhouse has already announced plans to adapt Tynion’s Something Is Killing the Children as a live-action film and an adult animated series. The film is in active development with director Craig Zobel and is expected to enter production next year, according to the source material. Tynion is set to spearhead the animated series. The new first-look agreement broadens the companies’ work together, but it does not mean every project covered by the deal has been greenlit for production.
For 1408, Dyer and Wood are attached to star, and Håfström is returning to direct and co-write the sequel with Mark Verheiden. John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson are in talks to reprise their roles, rather than confirmed members of the sequel’s cast. The report says production is currently slated to start in the first quarter of 2027. Producers include Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Richard Saperstein, Spyglass Media Group and Frank Mayor. The sequel’s plot has not been disclosed.
Two Paths for Horror Adaptations
The announcements show established horror and comic-book properties moving into further adaptation development. For Exquisite Corpses, Blumhouse’s participation adds a production partner to an adaptation already being developed by Tiny Onion and Lyrical Media. The comic’s reported sales provide a measure of its existing readership, though they do not confirm that a film or animated project will reach production.
The 1408 sequel pairs new cast additions with the return of the original director. If the project proceeds as planned, it could bring a story first adapted from Stephen King’s short fiction back to the screen nearly two decades after the original film. For readers, the key distinction is that the sequel has creative attachments and a proposed production window, while plot details and the status of two returning leads remain unresolved.
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From Comics to Screen
Tiny Onion was launched by Tynion in early 2024 with investment from Lyrical Media. The company develops original intellectual property and publishes comics and graphic novels through partners including Image Comics, Dark Horse Comics and Penguin Random House, while overseeing multimedia adaptations. Tiny Onion and Lyrical Media had previously announced a feature adaptation of Exquisite Corpses, along with a feature based on Tynion’s short film and one-shot comic Room Service. The new announcement brings Blumhouse Atomic into the development of Exquisite Corpses across film and animation.
The original 1408, directed by Håfström and based on King’s short story, follows a skeptical author who checks into a room at New York’s Dolphin Hotel and faces a supernatural ordeal. Daily Dead reports the film earned more than $130 million worldwide. That box-office figure relates to the original film; no budget, financing total or commercial target for the sequel was provided.
“James has been a valued partner on Something Is Killing The Children, which is why we wanted to expand our relationship.”
— Jason Blum, Blumhouse Atomic CEO and co-founder
Projects Still in Development
Several details remain unsettled. No plot information has been released for the 1408 sequel, and Cusack and Jackson are only reported to be in talks. The source gives a planned production start, not a confirmed filming schedule, release date or final cast list.
The Exquisite Corpses announcement concerns development; it does not specify a release date, director, screenwriter, animation format or production start. The terms and duration of the first-look deal were also not disclosed. The report does not establish that every property Tiny Onion develops under the agreement will be made by Blumhouse.
Production Plans and Buyer Outreach
The 1408 sequel is slated to begin production in the first quarter of 2027, according to the report. FilmNation Entertainment is representing international distribution rights and co-representing domestic rights with WME Independent; the project is set to be introduced to buyers at the American Film Market. Casting decisions, including whether Cusack and Jackson will return, remain to be confirmed.
For Exquisite Corpses, the next public milestones would be project-specific details such as creative attachments, a production timetable or a release plan. None was announced in the source report. The companies have confirmed development involvement, but further information will be needed to determine how the comic’s film and animation adaptations take shape.
Key Questions
What is Blumhouse Atomic developing with Tiny Onion?
Blumhouse Atomic has entered a first-look deal with James Tynion IV’s Tiny Onion to develop his intellectual property across film, television and animation. The companies will also develop Exquisite Corpses with Lyrical Media for film and animation.
Who is attached to the 1408 sequel?
Natalia Dyer and Elijah Wood are attached to star, and Mikael Håfström is set to return as director and co-writer. John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson are reported to be in talks, not confirmed as returning cast members.
When is the 1408 sequel expected to film?
Production is currently slated to begin in the first quarter of 2027. The report does not give a release date or a confirmed filming schedule.
Has the sequel’s story been revealed?
No. The report says plot details are being kept under wraps.
Is Exquisite Corpses already in production?
The source describes the film and animation adaptations as being in development. It does not report a production start date, release date or completed creative team.
Source: dailydead.com
