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Blumhouse Atomic has signed a first-look deal with James Tynion IV’s Tiny Onion and will develop the comic Exquisite Corpses for film and animation with Tiny Onion and Lyrical Media. Separately, Natalia Dyer is attached to a 1408 sequel, Elijah Wood is set to join, and director Mikael Håfström is returning; production is slated for early 2027, while plot details and the status of John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson remain unsettled.
Blumhouse Atomic has signed a first-look deal with comic creator James Tynion IV and his production company, Tiny Onion, and will develop his horror comic Exquisite Corpses for film and animation alongside Lyrical Media. In a separate project announcement, Natalia Dyer is attached to star in a sequel to 1408, with Elijah Wood set to join and original director Mikael Håfström returning; the sequel is scheduled to start production in early 2027.
The Blumhouse Atomic agreement covers development of Tiny Onion intellectual property across film, television and animation. The companies will also work with Lyrical Media on adaptations of Exquisite Corpses, a serial-killer battle-royale comic created by Tynion and artist Michael Walsh. According to the announcement, the Image Comics series has sold more than one million copies in its first 18 months of publication. The proposed screen versions are in development; no release date, cast or production start was provided.
The deal expands an existing relationship: Blumhouse Atomic had previously announced plans to develop Tynion’s Something Is Killing the Children as both a live-action film and an adult animated series. The source report says the feature is in active development with director Craig Zobel and is expected to enter production next year. Tynion is leading development of the animated project. The new deal does not, on its own, establish that any of the projects have entered production.
For the 1408 sequel, Dyer is attached to star, Wood is reported as set to join, and Håfström will return to direct and co-write with Mark Verheiden. John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson, stars of the 2007 original, are in talks to reprise their roles, not confirmed as cast members. Producers include Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Richard Saperstein, Spyglass Media Group and Frank Mayor. Bluestone Entertainment and FilmNation Entertainment are co-financing, and the report says FilmNation will take the project to buyers at the American Film Market.
Two Routes for Horror Adaptations
The announcements show established horror companies pursuing adaptations at different stages. For Exquisite Corpses, the Tiny Onion deal links a comic property with a production partner that already has a relationship with Tynion and adds Blumhouse Atomic to work with Tiny Onion and Lyrical Media. The comic’s reported sales give the project an existing readership, but they do not confirm that a film or animated series will be made.
The 1408 sequel has a more specific production timetable: filming is slated for the first quarter of 2027. Its return to the original director, alongside new cast attachments, gives the follow-up a defined creative direction, though the original stars’ participation remains under discussion. Neither announcement includes a release date, so audiences do not yet have a confirmed timeline for seeing either property on screen.
Together, the projects matter to horror readers and viewers because they connect comics and an established film title with new screen development. The distinction between development, casting attachments and confirmed production is key: the announcements describe plans, not completed productions or finished films.
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From Comics to Screen Plans
Tynion established Tiny Onion in early 2024 with investment from Lyrical Media. The production house develops new properties and works with publishing partners including Image Comics, Dark Horse Comics and Penguin Random House, according to the source report. Tiny Onion and Lyrical Media had already announced a feature adaptation of Exquisite Corpses, as well as a feature based on Tynion’s short film and one-shot comic Room Service. Blumhouse Atomic’s new involvement adds another partner to the Exquisite Corpses plans and sets out a broader first-look arrangement with Tiny Onion.
The original 1408, released in 2007, adapted Stephen King’s short story about a skeptical writer who enters a room in a New York hotel and faces a supernatural ordeal. The source report says the film earned more than $130 million worldwide. The sequel is based on the same screen franchise, but its story has not been disclosed. The production plan is therefore clearer than the narrative or the extent to which the original cast will return.
“James has been a valued partner on Something Is Killing the Children, which is why we wanted to expand our relationship. He has great storytelling instincts with a passion for the horror genre.”
— Jason Blum, CEO and co-founder of Blumhouse Atomic
Casting and Story Details Pending
The 1408 sequel’s plot is being kept under wraps. The source describes Dyer as attached and Wood as set to join, but says Cusack and Jackson are only in talks; their return is not confirmed. It also does not give a release date or say when casting will be finalized.
For Exquisite Corpses, the report confirms development plans and the partners involved, but does not identify a director, cast, format-specific creative team, production schedule or release window. Development announcements can change, and the available information does not establish whether the film and animation plans will both move into production. The source provides no further status update on the Something Is Killing the Children feature’s stated production timing beyond saying it is expected to enter production next year.
Production Milestones Ahead
The next stated milestone for the 1408 sequel is its planned start of filming in the first quarter of 2027. Before then, buyers are expected to be introduced to the project at the American Film Market, according to the report. Further announcements could clarify the story, confirm whether Cusack and Jackson will return, and set a release schedule; none of those details is available yet.
For Exquisite Corpses, the immediate next step is development with Blumhouse Atomic, Tiny Onion and Lyrical Media. No production date or release plan has been announced. The report also points to the separate Something Is Killing the Children film, which it says is in active development and expected to begin production next year, alongside its adult animated adaptation.
Key Questions
What is Blumhouse Atomic developing with Tiny Onion?
They plan to develop James Tynion IV’s intellectual property across film, television and animation. Blumhouse Atomic will join Tiny Onion and Lyrical Media on Exquisite Corpses for film and animation.
How many copies has Exquisite Corpses sold?
The announcement says the Image Comics series sold more than one million copies in its first 18 months of publication.
Who is attached to the 1408 sequel?
Natalia Dyer is attached to star, Elijah Wood is set to join, and Mikael Håfström is returning to direct and co-write. John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson are in talks to reprise their roles, but their participation has not been confirmed.
When is the 1408 sequel expected to film?
Production is currently slated to begin in the first quarter of 2027. The report gives no release date.
Has Exquisite Corpses entered production?
No production start is reported. The project is in development, and details such as its cast, director and schedule have not been announced.
Source: dailydead.com
