New Line Cinema has emerged victorious from a competitive bidding war to acquire the feature rights to Theo James Krekis’ horror short Jealous People Are Ugly People, beating out more than ten rival bidders in the process. The Greek-British filmmaker is attached to write and direct the feature adaptation himself, marking a significant studio breakthrough following the short’s successful festival run. The deal underscores Hollywood’s growing appetite for emerging horror filmmakers as studios increasingly compete for original genre concepts before they reach the mainstream.
Premiering in the Midnight Madness section at SXSW earlier this year after an initial screening at the Aesthetica Film Festival in 2025, Jealous People Are Ugly People quickly attracted industry attention. The 10-minute short was commissioned by BBC Three and produced by UK-based production company The Fold, with its festival success ultimately sparking an intense bidding war among major studios.
The short follows a young man named Vasilly, whose growing jealousy intensifies after his best friend Luke lands the same career-defining job they both pursued. Soon afterwards, Luke begins experiencing a series of bizarre and increasingly violent misfortunes whenever he shares good news about his new role. Disturbed by the strange coincidences, Vasilly recalls his grandmother’s warnings about the evil eye—the ancient Greek belief that envy alone can inflict real harm. As the supernatural events escalate, he is forced to question whether the curse stems from folklore or from the destructive power of his own repressed jealousy.
No official story details for the feature adaptation have been revealed, but Krekis will remain at the helm as both writer and director. Jennifer Monks and Michelle Stein will produce for The Fold alongside Temple Hill Entertainment, with Isaac Klausner, John Fischer, Ben Levine and Ethan Cappello producing. Josh Mack and Lauren Botchan will oversee the project for New Line Cinema.
The acquisition reflects a broader trend within the horror genre. Following the breakout commercial success of Curry Barker’s Obsession, which has grossed more than $443 million worldwide, and Kane Parsons’ Backrooms, which has earned over $387 million globally, major studios have become increasingly aggressive in identifying the next generation of horror filmmakers. According to reports, Paramount Pictures, Blumhouse, Universal Pictures, 20th Century Studios and Lionsgate were all among the companies pursuing Jealous People Are Ugly People before New Line ultimately secured the rights.
Short-film adaptations have become an increasingly important source of original genre material for Hollywood, with studios regularly turning to acclaimed festival shorts to discover new filmmaking voices and commercially viable concepts. Krekis’ project is the latest example of that trend, demonstrating how a distinctive short film can rapidly evolve into a major studio production following strong festival reception.
The bidding war has also further elevated Krekis’ profile within the industry. Following the deal, he signed with Anonymous Content while continuing to be represented by Independent Talent Group. Beyond Jealous People Are Ugly People, the filmmaker is currently developing his second feature with BBC Film and is creating and writing the six-part drama series Blossom for Clerkenwell Films, which follows a group of teenagers attending a grief camp. He is also attached to write on an upcoming television series from Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, produced by Kudos.
Krekis previously directed the British Film Institute-funded short Pram Snatcher, while his films Memoirs of a Geeza and Mangas both premiered at the BFI London Film Festival, steadily establishing him as one of Britain’s emerging genre filmmakers.
For New Line Cinema, the acquisition further strengthens an expanding genre slate. The studio recently released Evil Dead Burn on July 10 and has several high-profile projects on the horizon, including Santiago Menghini’s The Revenge of La Llorona, scheduled for 26 February 2027, The Conjuring: First Communion on 10 September 2027, and The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum on 17 December 2027.
With multiple film and television projects now in development and his first major studio feature officially in the works, Krekis has quickly emerged as one of the industry’s most promising new horror voices. Jealous People Are Ugly People represents the latest example of Hollywood’s race to discover the next breakout genre filmmaker before the rest of the industry catches up.
Read More:
- Hollywood Box Office Failures 2025 Explained — What The Year’s Biggest Misses Taught Us
- From Water to Fire: How Avatar’s Visual Language Is Evolving
- Why James Cameron’s Films Refuse to Fade — Even When the Box Office Is Done
- Best Santa Claus Movies of All Time, Ranked by Impact and Legacy
- When Beauty Becomes a Prison: The Eternal Relevance of Jalsaghar
