Shortly after the success of “Backrooms,” Hollywood found the next Gen Z phenomenon to bring to the screen. Warner Bros. has won a bidding war for the rights to “Siren Head.” No, the name doesn’t lie. Created by artist Trevor Henderson, this internet-spreading urban legend follows a mysterious predator with two sirens on its head and an elongated body.
Now, this is the basis for Brian Duffield’s film, which Duffield will co-write and direct with Zach Creger. Duffield’s credits include the sci-fi horror film “No One Will Save You” and the best-selling, upcoming survival thriller “Whalefall,” about a scuba diver trapped in the belly of a whale. The film will be released in the fall. Starring Josh Brolin and Austin Abrams.
Cregger is one of the hottest creators in Hollywood right now, writing and directing last summer’s blockbuster hit Weapons, which went on to win an Oscar for Amy Madigan. He also wrote and directed the well-received horror film Barbarians. Cregger’s next project is the Resident Evil reboot starring Abrams, which hits theaters in September.
The move comes as Hollywood looks for intellectual property to attract a growing number of young audiences to theaters. Backrooms, a YouTube sensation, was directed by 20-year-old director Kane Parsons and became a hit movie for A24. Then there’s “Obsession,” another recent horror hit created by 26-year-old Callie Barker, who also started her career on YouTube. Gen Z has become Hollywood’s most consistent audience, visiting movie theaters more frequently than Millennials and far outstrips Gen X and Baby Boomers in attendance, according to a recent study.
“Siren Head” is produced by Cregger, Duffield, Roy Lee, Andrew Childs and Scott Glasgold. Henderson will serve as the film’s executive producer.
The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Warner Bros. had acquired the rights to “Siren Head.”
