Oscar nominee LaKeith Stanfield previewed his next movie, “Molepeople,” during a special appearance at New York Comic-Con on Friday evening.
Stanfield and Emmy winner Ben Mendelsohn star in the horror movie, about a man who descends into the abandoned tunnels beneath New York City, where he discovers a “twisted society lurking beneath the streets.”
The film — directed by Rob Savage from a script by Nathan Elston — will be co-financed and co-produced by Blumhouse Atomic Monster and Paramount Primal, with Paramount handling worldwide distribution. Onstage, Stanfield announced that “Molepeople” has been set for theatrical release on Aug. 27, 2027.
Producers include Blumhouse Atomic Monster chief Jason Blum; Paramount Primal heads J.D. Lifshitz and Raphael Margules; and James Harris. Elston and Savage are executive producers alongside Ryan Turek and Tracy Rosenblum.
The project represents a merging between Paramount Primal — one of the key specialty labels in Skydance’s film division, specializing in “smartly budgeted” projects with a distinct point of view and “pulp sensibility” — and Blumhouse Atomic Monster — which spent two decades innovated that methodology of churning out low-budget horror hits.
Paramount Primal’s upcoming slate includes “Boys for Life,” with Alex Wolff, set for theatrical release on April 9, 2027; “Sweet Spot,” a high-concept thriller spec from writing duo Nic Curcio and Kirby Gladstein; and “The Troop,” based on the acclaimed horror novel by Nick Cutter. The label also recently acquired the U.S. rights to adapt the original screenplay for “A Nightmare on Elm Street” from the Wes Craven estate, and is developing the R-rated fantasy “Tower Defense” from writer Evan Daugherty.
In 2024, Blum’s Blumhouse merged with James Wan’s Atomic Monster; the combined company has grossed more than $10 billion in worldwide box office and has represented approximately half of the horror market over the last decade.
Blumhouse Atomic Monster has produced over 250 movies and television series, including the “Conjuring” universe, the most successful horror franchise in history; additional franchises include “Halloween,” “The Purge,” “The Black Phone,” “Annabelle,” “Paranormal Activity,” “The Exorcist,” “Insidious,” “The Nun,” “M3GAN” and “Five Nights at Freddy’s.” This year, “Obsession” and “Backrooms” became the highest-grossing films ever for Focus Features and A24, respectively, and helped Blumhouse Atomic Monster hit $1 billion in worldwide box office for the second year in a row. The company’s latest film “Other Mommy” is expected to top this week’s box office charts, despite negative reviews.
“Molepeople” marks Stanfield’s third movie with Blumhouse, following a bit part in 2014’s “The Purge: Anarchy” and a key role in Jordan Peele’s Oscar-winning 2017 film “Get Out.”
More to come…
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