The Mandela Catalogue: After Disclosure Day, Steven Spielberg turns to YouTube horror
However, he will not be directing the film himself
"The Mandela Catalogue" is set to be the next YouTube horror hit to take the big screen by storm after making waves online. None other than Steven Spielberg has secured the rights to the material – together with Scott Stuber of United Artists and Amazon MGM Studios. According to Deadline, there was reportedly a fiercely contested 11-studio bidding war beforehand.
The project is based on the YouTube series "The Mandela Catalogue," which premiered in June 2021 and is set in the fictional Mandela County, Wisconsin. The town is haunted by the Alternates, shape-shifting creatures that assume the identities of their victims. The series is considered a prime example of "analog horror," a subgenre characterized, among other things, by an aesthetic reminiscent of analog footage from the late 20th century.
The creator of The Mandela Catalogue will direct the film
Steven Spielberg, who recently told a story of an invasion in his science-fiction thriller "Disclosure Day," will not be taking the director's chair for the film adaptation of "The Mandela Catalogue" but will serve as a producer. Instead, Alex Kister, the creator of the YouTube hit, will direct the planned film. Together with Tyler Clifton, he is also responsible for the screenplay. Kister and Clifton are also among the producers, along with Holly Bario, Aaron B. Koontz, Scott Stuber, and Nick Nesbitt. As for potential cast members, nothing has been announced yet. No details about the plot have been revealed either. A potential release date has not yet been announced – though it will likely be quite a while before the film is ready.
Horror hits from the internet are in extremely high demand in Hollywood
It's not all that surprising that the rights to the film adaptation are so highly sought after. The series became a hit on YouTube. According to Deadline, the official episodes of "The Mandela Catalogue" have racked up well over 100 million views. Furthermore, horror content like this – which became a hit online and brings a breath of fresh air to the genre – is all the rage. The best example is "Backrooms." The current box-office sensation also began as a YouTube web series. Its creator, Kane Parsons, took the director's chair himself for the film adaptation – and scored a huge hit. The big-screen adaptation features a star-studded cast with Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve in the lead roles and tells the story of a failed architect who discovers a series of mysterious, seemingly endless rooms in his furniture store – marking the beginning of the horror. "Backrooms" has grossed $330 million at the global box office so far, despite having a production budget of just $10 million. At just 21 years old, Parsons directed the most successful film of the studio A24. Not to mention that the film was also very well received by critics.
Backrooms and Obsession were just the beginning
With Curry Barker, another young director with YouTube roots is currently taking the film world by storm – also with a horror film that's thrilling critics and filling theaters. His film "Obsession" has already grossed 371 million – even though its budget is said to have been just 750,000 US dollars. The story centers on a young man who, with the help of a supernatural toy, has his greatest wish granted: the woman of his dreams falls in love with him – with dire consequences.
In the wake of this massive success, "The Mandela Catalogue" isn't the only internet horror sensation making its way to the big screen. Just recently, Warner Bros. Pictures secured the rights to "Siren Head." Behind the viral hit is Canadian illustrator Trevor Henderson, who created a massive, skeleton-like creature that caused a sensation online.
It remains to be seen whether "Siren Head" and "The Mandela Catalogue" will be as successful in theaters as "Backrooms" and "Obsession." In any case, these unusual stories offer an opportunity to enrich horror cinema with new, refreshing elements.
