Two weeks. Two studio deals. One internet horror artist.
Sony's TriStar Pictures has acquired the feature film rights to Trevor Henderson's Cartoon Cat in a pre-emptive deal, according to Deadline. The move comes just weeks after a five-way studio bidding war ended with Henderson's other creature, Siren Head, landing at Warner Bros.
Henderson is a creature designer whose work has received billions of views online. Hollywood's interest in his characters follows the success of similar creator-driven projects including Kane Parsons' Backrooms and Markiplier's Iron Lung. Markiplier was also an early supporter of Henderson and Siren Head, helping build the online following that eventually drew studio attention.
The Siren Head project at Warner Bros. will be co-written by Zach Cregger and Brian Duffield, with Duffield also directing. Producers Roy Lee, Steven Schneider, Scott Glassgold, J. Todd Harris, Thomas Pettinelli and Marc Marcum are attached to that film.
Cartoon Cat is described as an ancient hollow rot that uses the collective human awareness and memories of old cartoons as a passageway to manifest into reality and cause violent havoc. TriStar is moving quickly on the project and has already begun searching for a filmmaker.
Nicole Brown and Malcolm Gray of TriStar will oversee development on the film, which is described as fast-tracked.
Sony and Henderson have a prior working relationship. He contributed concept art to Screen Gems' horror film Tarot, and the studio has framed the Cartoon Cat acquisition as part of a broader investment in Henderson as a creator and in creator-led projects generally.
Henderson is represented by Verve, Josh Dove and Marios Rush.