Paul Feig has spent much of his career making people laugh. With films such as Bridesmaids, Spy, and Ghostbusters, his name has long been associated with comedy. Then came A Simple Favor and The Housemaid, and his filmmaking began to move into darker territory. Now, that evolution is taking another step forward. Paul Feig is set to direct Detention, a horror film in development at Blumhouse Atomic Monster, with Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes also on board. The announcement was made on July 9 and marks the first time Feig has taken on a pure horror project in his career.
The full storyline for Detention is being kept under wraps for now, but it has been confirmed that the story follows a group of former classmates who reconnect as adults and, in doing so, uncover a deeply disturbing secret. It is the kind of premise that works well in the horror genre, building on shared history, buried guilt, and the unsettling feeling of returning to where you came from. Beyond that, the filmmakers are remaining tight-lipped.
Detention began as a spec script, meaning it was written without a studio commissioning it, by screenwriter Daniel Gold, who is enjoying a remarkable moment in Hollywood. He recently sold another spec script, Tough Guys, to Amazon MGM Studios, where Ryan Gosling and Will Ferrell are attached to star and produce. Gold has also landed the assignment of writing Ride Along 3 for Universal. Brad Fuller, one of the producers on Detention, was the first to champion the script and later brought Paul Feig on board to direct.
The producing team behind Detention is equally notable. Paul Feig will produce alongside his longtime collaborator Laura Fischer through their company, Pretty Dangerous Films. Michael Bay, Jason Blum, Brad Fuller, and Cameron Fuller are also producing, while Steven Schneider, Bea Sequeira, and Daniel Gold serve as executive producers. The project comes from Blumhouse Atomic Monster, the production company formed through the partnership between Jason Blum’s Blumhouse and James Wan’s Atomic Monster. Although no studio has been officially attached yet, Universal is widely considered the most likely distributor given its longstanding relationship with Blumhouse.
What makes Detention feel like a natural next step is the trajectory Feig has been on in recent years. A Simple Favor, his 2018 thriller starring Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick, demonstrated that he was comfortable working in darker, more suspense-driven territory. That was followed by The Housemaid, based on Freida McFadden’s bestselling novel and starring Sydney Sweeney. Made on a budget of just $35 million, the film went on to earn more than $400 million worldwide, becoming one of the biggest surprise hits in recent memory and further establishing Feig as a filmmaker capable of delivering commercially successful thrillers alongside his comedy work.
Before Detention enters production, Feig is expected to complete work on The Housemaid’s Secret. The Lionsgate sequel reunites him with Sydney Sweeney and also adds Kirsten Dunst to the franchise. Once that project is finished, Detention is expected to become his next directing assignment. No cast members have been announced for the horror film, and casting has not yet begun.
Paul Feig’s move into horror marks an interesting new chapter in his career. He brings a strong commercial sensibility and a proven ability to work with actors, while Blumhouse Atomic Monster has an established track record of producing horror films that connect with wide audiences. Detention is still in the early stages of development, but with Feig directing and a production team that includes Jason Blum, Michael Bay, and James Wan’s Atomic Monster, it has already emerged as one of the more notable horror projects currently in development.
Read More:
