The Argentine spin-off rights to “Jimmy and Stiggs” – the neon-drenched, practical-effects-laden alien horror film written, directed by and starring Joe Begos and released by Eli Roth‘s The Horror Section, have been optioned by Sebastián De Caro, who will direct the project.
Rather than a straight remake, the film will follow new characters facing the same extraterrestrial threat in Argentina, expanding the universe Begos created into new territory.
“Jimmy and Stiggs” was featured at the MorbidoGate IP Showcase, one of the signature industry initiatives at the Cannes Marché du Film’s Fantastic Pavilion, and the spin-off deal was closed days later at the market.
Roth and Begos will serve as executive producers on the project.
“Jimmy and Stiggs” premiered at the Beyond Fest in Los Angeles in 2024 and received a nationwide U.S. theatrical release in August 2025 through The Horror Section, Roth’s recently launched genre studio.
Shot on 16mm over the course of nearly four years, primarily in Begos’ own Los Angeles apartment, the film follows two estranged friends — Jimmy, an out-of-work filmmaker convinced he was abducted by aliens, and Stiggs, the sober former partner he reunites with to face the impending extraterrestrial threat.
Described as a “contained, visceral, ferociously funny sci-fi horror built on practical effects and raw energy,” the film was hailed by critics as a cult classic in the making. The Los Angeles Times called it “pure exhilaration,” while Bloody Disgusting described it as “playful, gonzo, small-scale-yet-apocalyptic.”
The film went on to demonstrate its international appeal at Spain’s Sitges Film Festival.
Argentina is the first territory to expand on the film’s premise, which could be considered a high-concept, universally translatable IP that travels across languages, cultures and markets: two men, one apartment, an alien siege.
“Jimmy and Stiggs” was the first acquisition for The Horror Section, launched by Roth last year as a company focused on the ownership and control of a premium intellectual property library of genre films, television series and games.
The Horror Section’s upcoming slate includes Roth’s “Ice Cream Man,” set for theatrical release on Aug. 7, and “Don’t Go in That House, Bitch!” with Snoop Dogg on board as writer, producer and soundtrack performer.
MorbidoGate, the strategic alliance between Globalgate Entertainment – the local-language film and TV production consortium formed by Lionsgate and 14 leading international entertainment companies – and Mexico City-based Grupo Mórbido, Latin America’s leading fantastic cinema platform, operates its annual IP Showcase as part of the Fantastic Pavilion.
The initiative connects genre IP holders with producers across key international markets. The showcase’s previous edition produced “Cam Sehpa” (“The Turkish Coffee Table”), the Turkish spin-off of the acclaimed Spanish horror film “The Coffee Table” and the first project to emerge from MorbidoGate. The film is currently enjoying a prolific international festival run after opening theatrically in Turkey in February.
The Argentine “Jimmy and Stiggs” film is the second project to close from the showcase.
As a director, screenwriter, actor, novelist and cultural essayist, De Caro is one of Argentina’s most multifaceted artists and among the country’s most recognized public personalities, boasting a career that moves between cinema, television, streaming, radio and literature. De Caro’s credits as a filmmaker include “Rockabilly,” “Vacaciones en la Tierra,” “Recortadas,” “20.000 Besos,” “Claudia” — which opened the 2019 Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema — and most recently “Matrimillas.”
He has also published multiple novels with Penguin Random House’s Reservoir Books imprint, including “Las nuevas aventuras de un biólogo recién recibido,” “La flor más falsa del mundo” and the Charles Manson essay “Cielo Drive,” alongside comic books and pop cultural essays that have established him as one of Argentina’s sharpest chroniclers of contemporary culture.
De Caro will also co-write the screenplay alongside Matías Orta with the aim of bringing a distinctly Argentine voice to the project’s expansion of the “Jimmy and Stiggs” universe.
“Working with Eli Roth and Joe Begos is an incredibly exciting adventure,” De Caro said. “‘Jimmy and Stiggs’ struck me as a brilliant kind of madness — it blew my mind with its energy and humor — and the chance to expand that universe in my own country is the biggest creative challenge I’ve ever taken on. Alongside Eli Roth, Joe Begos and MorbidoGate, this is a dream come true.”
Roth likewise expressed his admiration for the Argentine multi-hyphenate: “I’m a huge fan of Seba de Caro and the team at MorbidoGate, and ‘Jimmy and Stiggs’ is the perfect template for how we see films from The Horror Section.
“Horror is truly global, and any story can be applied to local culture. I cannot wait to see how this film honors and expands the universe of a wildly original film by the one and only Joe Begos.”
For Pablo Guisa Koestinger, executive director of the Fantastic Pavilion and CEO of Morbido Group, the deal has further cemented the role of the genre hub at the Cannes market.
“The goal of the IP Showcase at Cannes is to strengthen the fantastic film industry by connecting IP that can travel — and genre doesn’t need a visa,” he said.
“First we took a Spanish film to Turkey, now we’re taking an American film to Argentina. Horror is universal, and the place to make those connections is the Fantastic Pavilion.”
Meg Thomson, executive vice president of global content at Globalgate Entertainment, added: “We’re thrilled to collaborate with The Horror Section and Morbido on finding great IP with the power to travel. Begos’ ‘Jimmy and Stiggs’ is a wild ride, and it’s fantastic to imagine those aliens invading other countries. We’re confident that Sebastián will bring a bold approach to this distinctive IP.”
Thomson and Guisa negotiated the deal with Jon Schnaars of The Horror Section.
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