Gary Dauberman signs first-look feature deal with Sony’s Screen Gems

Gary Dauberman had a good thing going at Warner Bros. for several years. He worked on the screenplays for the company’s two-part adaptation of Stephen King’s novel It, scripted the Conjuring Universe films Annabelle, Annabelle: Creation, and The Nun, co-created the 2019 Swamp Thing TV show, and wrote and directed Annabelle Comes Home. But then he wrote and directed an adaptation of Stephen King’s novel Salem’s Lot for the company… and two years after principal photography wrapped, they still haven’t figured out what they want to do with his Salem’s Lot. So it’s no surprise that Dauberman is now set up at a different company. The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Dauberman has signed a first-look deal with Sony’s Screen Gems for feature films. He is expected to “create projects for himself while curating a slate featuring established and up-and-coming filmmakers.”

Ashley Brucks took over as president of Screen Gems in September, and this deal with Dauberman is part of Brucks’ plan to “rebuild Screen Gems, Sony’s division focused on lower-budgeted fare, into a more productive label, with horror being a top focus.” As head of Screen Gems, Brucks reports to motion picture group president Josh Greenstein and Sanford Panitch. The Hollywood Reporter notes, “Brucks has plenty of genre experience. The 15-year Paramount vet is credited for bringing in the original Paranormal Activity, the found footage horror movie that begat a nearly billion dollar franchise. She also oversaw A Quiet Place and its sequel, A Quiet Place Part II, with spinoff A Quiet Place: Day One slated to arrive in theaters on March 8. And she was Paramount’s lead on the recent revival of the Scream horror franchise, 2022’s Scream and 2023’s Scream VI, with the two bringing in more than $306 million worldwide and was made with Spyglass Entertainment.”

Brucks provided the following statement: “Involved in some of the biggest horror franchises in the last 10 years, Gary has an extraordinary ability to create and build out terrifying worlds and create a visceral experience through thoughtfully crafted story and characters. He’s a force in the horror genre space, and we are thrilled to be partnering with him at Screen Gems as he continues to come up with new and creative ways of entertaining and scaring audiences.“

Dauberman added: “I am thrilled to be part of the exciting new chapter of horror at Sony Pictures and Screen Gems. I’m truly inspired by Ashley’s energy, instincts, and vision for the genre space, and I thank Josh and Sanford for their trust and support, and their commitment to horror fans.“

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