Back in November of 2001 it was announced that Rob Savage, director of the hit Shudder horror Host, would be directing a feature-film adaptation of the fan-favourite Stephen King short The Boogeyman for the streaming service Hulu.
Well, as reported by Deadline, Disney has now had a change of heart and has instead set a June 2nd 2023 theatrical release for the 20th Century Studios production, which has Chris Messina (Birds of Prey), Sophie Thatcher (Yellowjackets), Marin Ireland (The Umbrella Academy) and David Dastmalchian (The Suicide Squad) starring.
Similar to Paramount’s Smile, which was originally produced for the Paramount+ streaming service, studio executives were impressed by the audience response to a recent test screening and are hoping that the $10 million-budgeted The Boogeyman can enjoy similar levels of success to last year’s Barbarian, which grossed over $45 million theatrically for 20th Century off a $4 million budget.
Published in King’s 1978 short story collection Night Shift, The Boogeyman tells the story of Lester Billings, a man who recounts to his psychiatrist the murders of his children – allegedly at the hands of a sinister Boogeyman who lives in the closet.
However, the feature “centers around a teenager, her younger sister who are mourning their mom’s death. A boogeyman from the beyond enters their lives after their psychologist dad has an encounter with a patient in their home.”
The Boogeyman is directed by Rob Savage from a script by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (A Quiet Place), while Shawn Levy’s 21 Laps produces.
