Blumhouse Productions and John Ridley are teaming up for a paranormal film inspired by an article that was published in the digital magazine Truly*Adventurous. Written by Saleah Blancaflor, that article was titled Project Poltergeist, which sounds like a fine title for a movie, but apparently Blumhouse and Ridley disagree. The film is currently being referred to as their "Untitled Paranormal Project".
Blancaflor's article dug into
the unexplained events that terrified a young boy in New Jersey during the 1960s, the first alleged haunting in a public housing project.
Ridley had this to say about the project:
This is an incredible true-life narrative of a young man dealing with horrors – both paranormal and racially systemic – in a community that is scarred by hate, yet ultimately brought together by hope. I really appreciate Blumhouse's commitment to telling stories that seek to entertain audiences even as it challenges them."
Blumhouse founder Jason Blum added:
The best scary movies are always based on a real event, and we were very compelled by the material this story is based on. I also know that John Ridley is as good as you get as a dramatic storyteller, so we're confident that infusing this story with John's brand of drama is a great bet."
Blum is producing Ridley's film, while Matthew Pearl and Greg Nichols of Truly*Adventurous serve as executive producers.
Ridley's previous directorial efforts include the thriller COLD AROUND THE HEART, the Jimi Hendrix biopic JIMI: ALL IS BY MY SIDE, and the upcoming time travel film NEEDLE IN A TIMESTACK. He has also written Oliver Stone's U TURN (which was based on his own novel), the George Lucas production RED TAILS, and Steve McQueen's Best Picture winner 12 YEARS A SLAVE, for which he won the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar.
As far as I can tell, this is going to be Ridley's first horror project, so it will be interesting to see how it turns out.
