Steven Spielberg to Produce Film Adaptation of YouTube Horror Series The Mandela Catalogue
Steven Spielberg is set to produce a feature film adaptation of the viral YouTube horror series The Mandela Catalogue.
According to Deadline , Spielberg will produce the film for Amazon MGM. Series creator Alex Kister, who is 22 years old, will direct the film. Although specific plot details for the film are under wraps, The Mandela Catalogue YouTube series tells the story of demonic doppelgangers that use deception to coerce victims into killing themselves. The series utilizes the "analog horror" subgenre, as the story is told primarily through VHS tapes and other distorted recordings. The first video of The Mandela Catalogue came out in the summer of 2021 when Kirster was just 17; the most recent installment was released in March.
Analog horror often replicates the visual style of worn VHS tapes or other kinds of low-fi recordings, leaning into the eeriness of old-school tech. Kister claims to have made a significant chunk of The Mandela Catalogue entirely on his phone.
It's unclear if the film will directly adapt the events from the YouTube series or serve as an extension of it all, similar to Backrooms. However, it is clear that producers are keen to mine YouTube's trove of online horror for new IP and talented young filmmakers. Earlier this week, Warner Bros. announced that Zach Cregger would pen the script for a Siren Head film directed by Brian Duffield.
Backrooms, which spawned from an online creepypasta partially popularized by a young YouTuber named Kane Parsons (whose channel name is Kane Pixels), has made over $300 million at the box office to date. Hollywood eventually tapped Parsons to turn it all into a feature film, which proved to be a successful gamble for everyone involved . An extended release of Backrooms is coming to theaters this weekend that adds an extra 15 minutes to the film's runtime. In early June, Deadline also reported that Parsons was exploring a sequel , though it has not officially been greenlit.
Similarly, YouTuber Curry Barker struck gold with Obsession earlier this year . Although it was an original film, Barker's roots as an online content creator allowed him to work efficiently on a budget of around $750,000. The film has gone on to gross over $370 million and has made Barker one of the most sought-after names in Hollywood. Barker has already shot his next film, Anything But Ghosts, and is currently penning the script for A24's new Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie , which he will also direct.
Barker attributed the success of films like Obsession to Gen Z craving original, well-made films.
"The lesson is that Gen Z will show up to an original film," Barker explained. "Maybe that's all that needs to be said: that we will show up to a film. I don't think it's about IP, necessarily. You know what? It's not even about being original or not being original. I think we're all really hungry for good stories, and we're kind of – and I can only speak for myself – a little tired of films that feel rushed or overly produced."
Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN's news team. He covers all things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.