Jason Blum Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

EXCLUSIVE: Shrinking‘s Lukita Maxwell has been cast in They Listen from writer-director Chris Weitz in what we hear is a top-billed role. In the horror pic, which has a storyline under wraps, the actress plays the daughter of John Cho and Katherine Waterston’s characters.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Blumhouse is sinking its horror chops into the video-game biz. The media company on Tuesday announced the launch of Blumhouse Games, a new subsidiary that will produce and publish “indie-budget” video games (below $10 million) to “enable innovation and pushing creative boundaries” that is “in the spirit of its film business.” The company has appointed veteran video-game producer Zach Wood (above left) as president and ex-PlayStation exec Don Sechler (above right) as CFO of the new venture. Blumhouse Games will partner with independent game developers to bring their creative vision to life via original, horror-themed games for console, PC and mobile audiences.

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. The beautifully creepy android doll from “M3GAN” is shimmying her way into your home. The unrated cut of the satirical sci-fi horror film will begin streaming exclusively on Peacock starting Feb. 24. Directed by Gerard Johnstone and produced by Jason Blum (“Get Out,” “BlacKkKlansman”) and James Wan (“Saw,” “Insidious,” “The Conjuring”), the film stars Alison Williams as Gemma, a brilliant toy company roboticist who creates a lifelike doll programmed with artificial intelligence to be a child’s greatest companion. But things take a tragic turn when Gemma becomes the unprepared caretaker of her newly orphaned niece and brings home the humanoid doll to keep her company.

Peacock has announced that it will begin streaming the sci-fi horror smash M3GAN from Blumhouse and Atomic Monster on February 24 — exactly three weeks ahead of its recently secured China release. The film’s PG-13 theatrical cut will be accompanied on the platform by an unrated version exclusive to Peacock.

In a turnabout, China is handing out release dates for Hollywood movies at a clip these days — and with a fair bit of notice. Yesterday, we learned that Paramount/eOne’s Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves will go day-and-date on March 31, and today comes news that Universal/Blumhouse/Atomic Monster’s hit M3GAN has been granted a March 17 start. That’s about two months since the pic began overseas rollout and will see it face off with Warner Bros/New Line/DC’s Shazam: Fury of the Gods on March 17, that film timed to the domestic release.

EXCLUSIVE: Blumhouse/Sony/Depth of Field’s They Listen has added Greg Hill to the Chris Weitz written and directed feature. The pic reps Hill’s second collaboration with director Weitz, having worked with him on MGM’s post-World War II thriller Operation Finale, as part of the ensemble cast that included Oscar Isaac, Ben Kingsley, Melanie Laurent and Nick Kroll. 

EXCLUSIVE: More additions to the cast of Blumhouse-Morgan Creek-Universal-Peacock’s The Exorcist with Raphael Sbarge joining as the pastor in the feature.

EXCLUSIVE: Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta books have completed their long journey to the screen with a blockbuster TV series starring Oscar winner Nicole Kidman in the title role and Oscar nominee Jamie Lee Curtis as the famous forensic pathologist’s sister Dorothy, I have learned. Kidman is executive producing through Blossom Films and Curtis through Comet Pictures the drama, from writer-showrunner Liz Sarnoff (Barry) and Blumhouse Television, which I hear is nearing a two-season straight-to-series order at Prime Video. A rep for the streamer declined comment as deals for the project, to be produced by Amazon Studios and Blumhouse, are still being finalized. It is expected to receive an order for two eight-episode seasons, sources said.

EXCLUSIVE: Lionsgate is in final negotiations to acquire worldwide rights to Imaginary — a new Blumhouse thriller to be directed by Jeff Wadlow (The Curse of Bridge Hollow). 

EXCLUSIVE: Olivia Marcum is the latest to join Blumhouse, Universal, Peacock and Morgan Creek’s next installment of The Exorcist.

EXCLUSIVE: Deadline has learned that Lidya Jewett will star in The Exorcist, the first film in the rebooted trilogy, which Blumhouse, Morgan Creek, Universal and Peacock scooped up global rights to for $400M.

NBC Universal CEO Jeff Shell said the company is always eyeing possible deals to bolster its business, citing the $3.8-billion acquisition of DreamWorks Animation in 2016 and Universal’s partnership with Blumhouse Productions.

Jeanette Benzie (“Wonder Woman,” “Justice League”) serves as Casting Director.Knight, who recently starred in HBO MAX’s “The Flight Attendant,” is repped b Authentic; Myrin, who starred in horror hit “Satanic Panic” (2019), is repped by Innovative Artists and Vault Entertainment.Booth, best known for “The Scarehouse” (2014), produced by Jason Blum and distributed by Universal, most recently directed “Last Call,” the tale of a bitterly alone man who calls the Suicide prevention hotline, received overwhelmingly positive reviews and was released in theaters and digital platforms in 2020.

Nothing to be alarmed about — as we told you, M3GAN 2.0, was inevitable and Uni just set a Jan. 17, 2025 release for sequel to the Blumhouse and Atomic Monster hit film.

Universal is wasting little time scheduling another horror title from James Wan’s Atomic Monster and Jason Blum’s Blumhouse Pictures. “Night Swim,” an original horror film starring Wyatt Russell (“Overlord”) and Kerry Condon (“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”), has been slated for theatrical release on Jan.

EXCLUSIVE: In their next collaboration following the $30 million-plus opening success of this past weekend’s M3GAN, Atomic Monster and Blumhouse are making Night Swim starring Wyatt Russell and Kerry Condon. Bryce McGuire will direct and write the supernatural thriller which is built around the hidden source of terror found in an iconic backyard swimming pool. The film is based on the short film created by McGuire and Rod Blackhurst.

Hoping to take the sub-horror killer doll genre to new heights, producers James Wan and Jason Blum have teamed on what they hope to be a modern technology-infused combo somewhere along the lines of Annabelle meets The Terminator. Short of literally doing that, they have cooked up the latest Blumhouse fright picture, M3GAN, which for the most part follows a formula but shakes it up just enough to have strong appeal — especially for the teen-girl audience that gravitates to these PG13-safe kind of movies.

John Cho and Katherine Waterston will headline Sony-Blumhouse-Depth of Field’s They Listen, directed by Chris Weitz. A theatrical release of Aug. 25, 2023 has been set; it’s the only wide release that weekend. You’ll remember the Cho thriller Searching debuted in late summer and was a microbudget hit grossing over $26M stateside, and north of $75M WW off a less than a million production cost.

NBC Universal chief Jeff Shell was coy yet clearly jazzed today about the possible merger of prolific horror producers Jason Blum and James Wan’s respective companies — Blumhouse and Atomic Monster – saying “I can’t confirm it,” but, “If that should happen, we are going to be in an absolutely impregnable position.”

Even though we were right in the heart of Beverly Hills for last night’s American Cinematheque Awards tribute to Ryan Reynolds, you would be forgiven if you thought somehow you had been transported from the Beverly Hilton International Ballroom and landed in Canada. Judging from these proceedings Reynolds just may be the hottest import ever to come across the border.

Prolific horror producers Jason Blum and James Wan are in advanced talks to merge their respective production companies Blumhouse and Atomic Monster, Deadline can confirm.

Jason Blum’s Blumhouse and James Wan’s Atomic Monster are in advanced talks to merge, according to an individual with knowledge of the situation.After joining together the two iconic brands, Atomic Monster would have a first look deal with Universal Pictures. Blumhouse is currently under a first look with Universal as well.Post close, the parties expect that Atomic Monster and Blumhouse will continue to operate as separate labels, with each maintaining its own creative autonomy and brand identity.

The Universal/Blumhouse/Atomic Monster genre film is going a week earlier on Jan. 6.

The second annual Gala for The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures was full of bold fashion statements and served as the ultimate date night for Hollywood's most elite power-couples. The event presented by Rolex raised $10 million for the arts, sciences, and artists of movie-making. The four individuals honored were Miky Lee, Sir Steve McQueen, Julia Roberts, and Tilda Swinton, with the event being co-chaired by Halle Berry, Lupita Nyong'o, Ryan Murphy, and Jason Blum.

EXCLUSIVE: Momentum Pictures has acquired distribution rights in the US, Canada, and UK to Soft & Quiet, the debut feature from filmmaker Beth de Araújo which made its world premiere at SXSW.

“Mr. Harrigan’s Phone,” produced by Ryan Murphy and Jason Blum, straddles both sectors – it’s the tale of a young boy (“It” alum Jaeden Martell) who befriends an elderly billionaire (Donald Sutherland). After the billionaire dies, he still communicates with the boy through the iPhone he was gifted shortly before his death.

dominating Netflix’s charts following its Sept. 21 release.

EJ Panaligan editor In the new trailer for “M3GAN,” an AI, childlike robot doll has a murderous taste for blood. The film comes from the esteemed horror production company Blumhouse, in close collaboration with horror maestro James Wan, who was notably behind the “Saw,” “Insidious” and “Conjuring” franchises. “M3GAN” stars Allison Williams as Gemma, a toy company roboticist who programs the artificial intelligence doll. Gemma tasks the doll with protecting her grieving niece Cady, played by Violet McGraw, who lost both of her parents in a car crash. While Cady and M3GAN hit it off initially, the doll’s brutal side takes over when Cady gets bullied by an insensitive boy. M3GAN seeks to protect her from physical harm. The trailer is soundtracked by Taylor Swift’s “It’s Nice to Have a Friend.”

Adam B. Vary Senior Entertainment Writer Blumhouse is ready to spend “Five Nights at Freddy’s.” The venerable horror production company has set Emma Tammi (“The Wind”) to direct an adaptation of the popular video game series, set in a Chuck E. Cheese-like children’s restaurant called Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, where the animatronic creatures within go on a killing rampage after closing time. Jim Henson’s Creature Shop are handling the creation of the evil, murderous children’s mascots. Launched in 2014, the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” video game series quickly developed a robust and inventive fan base due in part to its unusual approach to survival horror gameplay. Rather than navigate the restaurant or fight off the rampaging animatronics, the game places the player in the role of the night watchman, who must remain in their office and use a limited number of grainy security cameras feeds and electronic door controls to track the movements of the creatures. If the player survives five nights — and a subsequent bonus night — they effectively win the game (by getting fired). Subsequent sequels expanded the scope of the world of the game and its macabre mythology.

Five Nights at Freddy’s” video game franchise is in the works for Blumhouse in collaboration with the game’s creator Scott Cawthon.The studio has tapped Emma Tammi (“The Wind,” “Blood Moon”) to direct the “Five Night’s at Freddy’s” film, which according to an official synopsis follows a troubled security guard as he begins working at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. While spending his first night on the job, he realizes the night shift at Freddy’s won’t be so easy to make it through.And bringing the terrifying animatronic characters to life for the film is none other than Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, which will work alongside Blumhouse on the film.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer Heatseeking actor Arian Moayed has joined the cast of “House of Spoils,” a new psychological thriller starring Oscar nominee Ariana DeBose and “Euphoria” actor Barbie Ferreira. Moayed is a breakout star of the HBO juggernaut “Succession,” in which he stars as private equity investor Stewy Hosseini — best frenemy and casual abuser to Jeremy Strong’s Kendall Roy. The part earned Moayed an Emmy nomination this year for outstanding guest actor in a drama series. He also drew acclaim as the weary lawyer of Anna Delvey in the Netflix original “Inventing Anna.” From Blumhouse and Amazon Studios, “House of Spoils” is directed by Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy from their own script, based on an original idea. DeBose plays an ambitious chef who opens her first restaurant — a farm-to-table affair on a remote estate — where she battles kitchen chaos, a dubious investor and crushing self doubt. The powerful spirit of the estate’s previous owner, however, threatens to sabotage her at every turn.

EJ Panaligan editorJamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie Strode confronts Michael Myers head on in the final trailer for David Gordon Green’s “Halloween Ends.”A follow-up to 2021’s “Halloween Kills,” the newest installment of the storied franchise picks up four years later with Laurie living with her granddaughter Allyson and finishing her memoir. But a string of nearby violence and terror forces Laurie to confront the evil of Michael Myers once more. James Jude Courtney, Andi Matichak, Will Patton and Kyle Richards all reprise their roles from previous installments alongside Curtis.“He killed my daughter,” Curtis says in the final trailer. “But tonight, I will kill him.” The clip then shows Myers peering around a door and coming face-to-face with Laurie as she fires a gun in his direction. The trailer ends with Laurie peeling back the mask of a seemingly-dead Myers, only for him to spring to life again.

Andrew Wallenstein President and Chief Media Analyst The signs are everywhere that the film industry is struggling, from the current dry spell at the box office to exhibition giant Cineworld filing for bankruptcy earlier this month. But the movie business is actually more profitable than it’s ever been, according to the CEO and founder of Blumhouse Productions. Jason Blum and his company’s new president, Abhijay Prakash, were positively bullish about the state of cinema in a joint keynote appearance last week at Variety’s Entertainment & Technology Summit Presented by City National Bank. While acknowledging that it’s highly unlikely that the box office will return to it its pre-pandemic peaks, they testified that the rise of streaming has only helped monetize movies more effectively in later release windows.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Blumhouse Television has promoted Chris Dickie to executive vice president of development and programming, Variety has learned exclusively. A five-year veteran of the Jason Blum-founded company, Dickie oversees a team of eight working on current and development across ongoing and limited series, domestic and international, television movies and streaming features, animation and podcasts. “Chris Dickie has consistently proven to be a creative and strategic executive possessing great instincts for material and the EQ essential for being a leader at Blumhouse,” Chris McCumber, president of Blumhouse Television, said. “I have full confidence in his ability to lead the team as we steer towards an exciting television slate in 2023 and beyond.”

An Andy Cohen-based coming-of-age comedy is in development at NBC. “Most Talkative” is in the works by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, with Blumhouse Television attached.“Most Talkative” is inspired by the New York Times best-selling book penned by the Emmy-winning host, producer and author.

Selome Hailu Universal Television is developing Andy Cohen’s memoir “Most Talkative” into a coming-of-age comedy series for NBC. Blumhouse Television is also attached. “Most Talkative” centers a fictionalized 13-year-old Cohen coming of age in 1980s St Louis. He’s gay, loves the Cardinals, his bar mitzvah tutor is a stoner and his soap opera-fueled imagination makes him both the life of the party and the source of endless drama. The series will follow young Cohen’s journey not fitting into any one box and figuring out how to build his own. Cohen published his memoir in 2012 via Macmillan Publishers’ St. Martin’s Press. He is best known for hosting Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live” and executive producing the “Real Housewives” franchise for the network.