Cartoon Cat: The Internet Horror Sensation Is Being Adapted Into a Movie
Like Siren Head, the creepy cat was also created by Trevor Henderson
The next horror sensation from the internet is being made into a movie: "Cartoon Cat"! Sony's TriStar Pictures has now secured the rights to the material, as reported by Deadline. Despite its harmless-sounding name, the cartoon cat is a force to be reckoned with. It is an ancient being with evil intentions – and it invades our reality in an unusual way. The creature uses old cartoons to spread fear and terror in our world.
Roy Lee, Steven Schneider, Scott Glassgold, J. Todd Harris, Thomas Pettinelli, and Marc Marcum are producing the film. The cast for "Cartoon Cat" has not yet been finalized. A director has not yet been chosen either, though TriStar is reportedly already working hard to find the right filmmaker.
Cartoon Cat is particularly notorious
The creator of "Cartoon Cat" is Canadian artist Trevor Henderson. He scored a hit online with this eerie character, which first appeared in the online world in 2018. Over time, the horror cat won over users' hearts through fan art and videos, gaining more and more fans. "Cartoon Cat" is considered the most notorious and malevolent character Henderson has created – but it's not the only one making waves. Especially since Henderson's creations are currently all the rage in Hollywood. Just recently, Warner Bros. secured the rights to Henderson's "Siren Head." The strange horror creature, which also became an internet sensation, is now set to be adapted for the big screen.
Alongside Cartoon Cat, Siren Head is also causing a stir
Siren Head is a giant, emaciated, skeleton-like creature that, true to its name, has two sirens for a head. As with "Cartoon Cat," it all began in 2018 with a post on Instagram and spread like wildfire across the internet. Over time, the mysterious creature grew increasingly popular – and became the protagonist of numerous indie video games and fan films. Behind the now-planned feature film adaptation are two in-demand filmmakers: Zach Cregger and Brian Duffield. Cregger caused a sensation as the writer and director of the acclaimed horror hit "Weapons" – especially since the film earned star Amy Madigan the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress this year. He's also currently making waves with his "Resident Evil" reboot. Duffield has previously made a name for himself as the writer and director of the alien invasion thriller "No One Will Save You." His next film, "Whalefall," is already generating a lot of buzz: In this survival thriller, a diver fights for his life after being swallowed by a massive whale.
For "Siren Head," they are co-writing the screenplay. Duffield is also set to direct. Cregger, meanwhile, is on board as a producer alongside Roy Lee and Scott Glassgold – as previously mentioned, the latter two are also involved as producers on the planned film adaptation of "Cartoon Cat."
The Backrooms adaptation paved the way
The fact that projects like "Cartoon Cat" and "Siren Head" are currently so popular in Hollywood is due in no small part to "Backrooms." In that case, director Kane Parsons adapted his own YouTube web series for the big screen – and scored a sensational success. The big-screen adaptation, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve, tells the story of a failed architect who discovers a series of mysterious, seemingly endless rooms in his furniture store – and that's where the horror begins. The eerie film clearly struck a chord with audiences.
The film had a relatively modest production budget of $10 million – and has already grossed $363 million at the global box office. "Backrooms" currently ranks ninth on the year-to-date list of the world's highest-grossing films. In addition, the film adaptation has set several records. For one, it is the most successful film from the studio A24. For another, 21-year-old Parsons is the youngest director whose film landed at number 1 on the box office charts upon its release. But "Backrooms" isn't just a commercial success. The reviews are also very positive, with critics highlighting the atmosphere, the sound, and the visual style, among other things. It will be interesting to see whether the film adaptations of "Cartoon Cat" and "Siren Head" will be received just as well.
