EXCLUSIVE: The next big YouTube-born horror IP for the big screen we told you about, the Mandela Catalogue from the Scott Stuber-led United Artists, Amazon MGM Studios and Steven Spielberg‘s Amblin, is getting a summer release date of June 9, 2028. As Deadline reported, Mandela Catalogue creator Alex Kister is directing the feature off a screenplay he adapted with Tyler Clifton.
The trio of studios beat 11 other bids for films rights to the popular YouTube horror series, which has closed over 100 million views across its official episodes alone, making it one of the largest original analog horror franchises on the streaming portal. The property is regarded as one of the defining titles in the analog horror genre, alongside Local 58 and The Backrooms.
Launched in 2021, Mandela Catalogue is set in the fictional Mandela County, WI, which is invaded by shape-shifting, nearly immortal creatures called Alternates.
Spielberg and Holly Bario are producing for Amblin Entertainment alongside Aaron B. Koontz for Paper Street Pictures and Stuber and Nick Nesbitt for United Artists. Kister and Clifton are also producing. Annie McCreery will oversee the project for United Artists. Maria Fortese will oversee for Amblin.
The only other title on June 9, 2028 so far is an untitled Universal event movie.
Following the success of this past summer’s genre titles from YouTube creators — Curry Barker’s Obsession ($512 million global box office) and Kane Parson’s Backrooms ($394.1M global), particularly among the Gen-Z crowd — Hollywood has been on a crusade to keep such fare humming.