Horror Highlights: EXQUISITE CORPSES, 1408, ONE NIGHT IN PURGATORY
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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 alongside Lyrical Media. Separately, Natalia Dyer and Elijah Wood are attached to a sequel to 1408, with original director Mikael Håfström returning; production is slated for early 2027. The source also lists One Night in Purgatory in its headline, but provides no details about that title.

Blumhouse Atomic has entered a first-look deal with comic-book writer James Tynion IV’s production company, Tiny Onion, and will develop his properties across film, television and animation. The deal includes Exquisite Corpses, which Blumhouse will develop in film and animation with Tiny Onion and Lyrical Media; the same Daily Dead report says Natalia Dyer and Elijah Wood are attached to a sequel to 1408, scheduled to start production in early 2027.

The arrangement gives Blumhouse Atomic a first look at Tiny Onion’s intellectual property, according to the report. Alongside the broader deal, Blumhouse will join Tiny Onion and Lyrical Media in developing Exquisite Corpses, a comic series co-created by Tynion and artist Michael Walsh. The source describes the property as a serial-killer battle-royale universe and says the Image Comics series sold more than one million copies in its first 18 months of publication.

The 1408 sequel is set to bring back director Mikael Håfström, who co-wrote the new film with Mark Verheiden. Dyer and Wood are attached to star, while John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson, stars of the original, are in talks to reprise their roles. The source says Bluestone Entertainment and FilmNation Entertainment are co-financing the film, with several producers attached. Plot details have not been disclosed.

The roundup’s headline also names One Night in Purgatory, but the supplied report text contains no information about a project by that title. It does not describe its format, creators, cast, production status or connection to the other items, so no further claim about it can be established from the material provided.

At a glance
reportWhen: Reported in a Daily Dead roundup; the 1…
The developmentA horror-industry roundup reports a Blumhouse Atomic deal involving James Tynion IV and Exquisite Corpses, alongside casting and production plans for a 1408 sequel.

Two Projects Move Toward Adaptation

The developments show two distinct routes by which horror properties are being prepared for screen audiences: a multi-format partnership around a current comic series and a sequel to an established film. For Exquisite Corpses, the deal brings Blumhouse into an adaptation effort already involving Tiny Onion and Lyrical Media. The reported sales figure signals a substantial comics readership, but it does not guarantee that a film or animated project will be made.

The 1408 sequel adds recognizable performers and the original director, while its planned 2027 production start gives the project a more specific schedule than the Exquisite Corpses adaptations. For readers, the key distinction is between attachment and confirmed production: Dyer and Wood are reported as attached, Cusack and Jackson are still in talks, and the source does not say that filming has begun.

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The Existing Horror Adaptation Slate

Blumhouse had previously announced development of Tynion’s comic Something Is Killing the Children as a live-action film and an adult animated series. The report says that film is in active development with director Craig Zobel and is expected to enter production the following year; Tynion is also leading work on the animated series. Those projects provide the stated basis for the expanded relationship between Blumhouse and Tiny Onion.

Tynion established Tiny Onion in early 2024 with investment from Lyrical Media. The company develops original properties and works with publishing partners including Image Comics, Dark Horse Comics and Penguin Random House, while overseeing adaptations. Tiny Onion and Lyrical Media had also announced a feature adaptation of Exquisite Corpses and development of a feature based on Tynion’s short film and one-shot comic Room Service in January, according to the report.

The original 1408, based on Stephen King’s short story, follows a skeptical writer who investigates a supposedly haunted hotel room. The source reports that the 2007 film grossed more than $130 million worldwide. The sequel’s plot is being kept under wraps, and the report does not describe how it will connect to the original story.

“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

Casting and Story Details Pending

The report does not provide a plot, release date or confirmed production start for the 1408 sequel beyond a schedule currently slated for the first quarter of 2027. Cusack and Jackson are described as being in talks, not confirmed cast members. The wording that Dyer and Wood are attached does not establish whether their contracts are finalized.

For Exquisite Corpses, the source confirms development plans but does not identify a screenwriter, director, production timetable or release target. Development does not mean a project has entered production. The source material also gives no details for One Night in Purgatory, leaving its inclusion in the headline unexplained.

Watch for Production Updates

The next reported milestone for the 1408 sequel is its planned production start in early 2027; further announcements would be needed to confirm the final cast, plot and schedule. FilmNation is described as presenting the project to buyers at the American Film Market the following week, according to the source.

For Exquisite Corpses, the next meaningful updates would be announcements about scripts, creative leads, format and a production timetable. The supplied report does not give dates for those steps. No next step can be stated for One Night in Purgatory without additional source material.

Key Questions

What did Blumhouse Atomic announce?

It entered a first-look deal with James Tynion IV’s Tiny Onion and will develop Tynion’s properties across film, television and animation. It will also work with Tiny Onion and Lyrical Media on Exquisite Corpses for film and animation.

Who is attached to the 1408 sequel?

Natalia Dyer and Elijah Wood are reported as attached to star, and original director Mikael Håfström is returning. John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson are in talks to reprise their roles, so their participation is not confirmed in the source.

When is the 1408 sequel expected to film?

Production is currently slated to begin in the first quarter of 2027, according to the report. The source does not provide a release date.

What is known about One Night in Purgatory?

The supplied report names One Night in Purgatory in its headline but gives no details about the title. Its connection to the other announcements and its development status are not established by the source material.

Source: dailydead.com

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