Chilling horror comic book series Something Is Killing the Children is set for its on-screen debut. Blumhouse, the horror conglomerate behind Black Phone 2 and Five Night’s At Freddy’s 2, has acquired rights to the popular BOOM! Studios comic, announcing a feature film and adult animated series is in the works.
First published by BOOM! Studios in 2019, Something Is Killing the Children sold more than 5 million copies worldwide, making it the most successful original horror comic book since The Walking Dead. Set in a world where children can see monsters and adults cannot, the best-seller has long since piqued the interest of Hollywood. Blumhouse came out on top of a multi-company bidding war, beating out both Lionsgate and Netflix for the rights.
Blumhouse will develop the feature film and animated series simultaneously, with series co-creator James Tynion IV spearheading the latter. CEO and founder Jason Blum will produce the live-action feature for Blumhouse, with Shaun Sutton and Ryan Turek set to executive produce. Stephen Christy and Tynion will produce the film for BOOM! Studios/Penguin Random House.
Tynion joins forces with Christy to executive produce the series. Adam Yoelin, Mette Norkjaer and co-creator Werther Dell’Edera will co-produce.
Something is Killing the Children follows Erica Slaughter, a skilled monster hunter from a mysterious organization. In a town where monsters feast on the likes of young children, Slaughter fights to rid the world of everything that goes bump in the night. Since its debut, the critically-acclaimed series has exploded in popularity and has won multiple Eisner Awards.
Here’s What Blum Has to Say About the Acquisition
“It’s easy to see why audiences and critics alike have praised Something Is Killing the Children,” said Blum. “James and Werther’s comic book series taps into our most primal fears, luring us into a fascinating world and introducing Erica Slaughter, the ass-kicking hero we all wish we had to fight the monsters that lurk in the dark.”
“Something Is Killing the Children is the comic book that changed my life and career forever,” said Tynion. “Finding a partner who understood the potential of Erica Slaughter and world Werther Dell’Edera and I have built was crucial, and we have found that partner in Jason Blum. Nobody understands horror better than Blumhouse, and I can’t wait for the world to see what we all have planned together.”
With both a feature-length film and scripted series to look forward to, Blumhouse is truly feeding our monster-hunting apetites. Devotees of the comics also have a brand new series to look forward to: Fall of the House of Slaughter. Announced at this year’s New York Comic-Con, the spin-off leads to the release of the historic 50th issue in 2026. More updates about the film and TV series as they come.