EXCLUSIVE: New Line has set Bishal Dutta to direct an untitled original horror feature based on a spec by Joshua Rollins. James Wan’s Atomic Monster will produce with Wan and Michael Clear as Producers and Judson Scott as Executive Producer.
Plot details are being tightly held, but the project is an original horror film set in post-apocalyptic Los Angeles.
New Line and Atomic Monsters have a pretty good track record of teaming on hit horror films that include Lights Out, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, Annabelle Comes Home and The Curse of La Llorona. On top of producing hit horror films, this partnership has also led to finding rising stars in the directing world. Such discoveries include Michael Chaves, who would direct not only The Curse of La Llorona but The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, as well as David Sandberg, who went on to direct Shazam! for New Line after directing Lights Out. Dutta’s latest short Inferno was discovered by New Line and Atomic Monster who together have a proven track record of discovering and fostering emerging filmmakers.
Besides developing these original features, the partnership between New Line and Atomic Monster has also produced s the highest grossing horror franchise of all time, The Conjuring Universe, whose six films have made over $1.8 billion worldwide.
The film marks Dutta’s directing debut at a major studio. He is a recent graduate of UC Berkeley and was still a student when his first short Life In Color premiered at the Cannes Film Festival Emerging Filmmaker Showcase in 2018. Rollins is an established playwright and his Hit List script Worldbreaker, which has been optioned by Amasia Entertainment and Dark Castle.
Dutta is repped by WME, Rain Management Group and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher. Rollins is repped by Dave Ryan at Felker Toczek Suddleson Abramson, Sandra Lucchesi at Gersh and Nicholas Bogner at Affirmative Entertainment. Wan is represented by CAA, Stacey Testro International and Myman Greenspan Fox Rosenberg Mobasser Younger & Light LLP.