Sony has come out on top of a bidding war for Skeletons, a thriller that has JJ Abrams on board to produce and Brie Larson attached to star. The studio beat out Paramount, Warner Bros. and Neon for the project, which was also selling at the European Film Market.
Sony’s deal is for worldwide rights.
What makes the interest in the project even spicier is the involvement of JT Mollner, the filmmaker behind Strange Darling. He co-wrote the script and is attached to direct.
Mollner has emerged as rising filmmaking talent in the mold of a Zech Cregger (Weapons) and Parker Finn (Smile), an original voice in the genre space. Mollner wrote and directed Strange Darling, a non-linear thriller that, while not a box office hit, cemented him as a filmmaker with whom studios are deeply keen to work. He wrote last year’s acclaimed adaptation of Stephen King’s The Long Walk, but did not direct it. Studios have been waiting for his next move.
Many of Skeletons plot details are being kept in the closet. It is understood, however, to focus on the relationship between a son and his mother, with the latter being mysteriously placed in a secure cage each night.
The initial draft was written by Brian Duffield, who wrote No One Will Save You (which he also directed) and Love and Monsters. The project is based on a short story by Philip Fracassi and at one point was previously known as Fail-Safe.
The project hit the town last week and generated immediate bids, according to sources. At the same time, the project was selling at the European Film Market. The initial plan by FilmNation Entertainment, WME and CAA was to sell it by individual territories. Sony, however, came in aggressively to take worldwide rights.
It was not immediately clear where financial figures are landing, but it is at least in the mid-$20 million range for domestic rights. Sources say the figures for worldwide are higher.
Abrams has been relatively quiet on the feature front since making 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, focusing much of his attention on television. He did, however, produce documentaries The Blue Angels and Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes, as well as the Allison Janney Netflix thriller Lou.
Larson’s last big-screen entry was Marvel Studios’ ill-fated The Marvels and she also starred in Apple TV’s prestige mini-series Lessons in Chemistry.
Larson is repped by WME and Sloane Offer. Mollner is repped by UTA and Jackoway Austen.
