James Wan and New Line turning short film Milk into a feature

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Earlier this year, director Santiago Menghini's short film MILK won "Best Midnight Short" at SXSW. Now that 9 and a half minute short is set to be expanded to feature length thanks to New Line Cinema and producer James Wan.

Menghini will be directing the feature version of his short, working from a screenplay by Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski. That writing duo has experience turning shorts into features; their previous credits include SiREN, a feature that was inspired by the Amateur Night segment of the anthology film V/H/S. They also wrote SUPER DARK TIMES.

The short film told the following story: 

On a late night, a young teen goes into the kitchen for a glass of milk. Upon encountering his sleepless mother, he quickly realizes things are not as they seem.

A Film Inquiry writer who saw the short version of MILK at SXSW said that it was "the most terrifying film" they had seen in a while, as it had "an almost unbearable amount of suspense". That bodes well for sequences within the feature, but the story hold up in a film that's ten times longer? We can only wait and see to find out.

Wan is producing MILK with Michael Clear of his company Atomic Monster, Roy Lee of Vertigo Entertainment, and Good Fear.

The New Line/Wan collaboration LIGHTS OUT was also a feature expansion of a short film.