Joachim Rønning is moving into original horror with System, a new feature he is directing and co-writing for Spooky Pictures and Image Nation Studios. The film is already in production in London, with Rønning developing the screenplay alongside his brother, Andreas Rønning. Plot details and the cast are being kept under wraps, adding an unusual layer of secrecy to a project that marks a clear shift for a filmmaker best known for large-scale studio productions.
Rønning will also produce System through his banner, The Saga Company. Spooky Pictures producers Roy Lee and Steven Schneider are attached to the project, while Image Nation Studios CEO Ben Ross and Spooky Pictures executive Rami Yasin are serving as executive producers. UTA Independent Film Group arranged the financing and is handling sales, giving the film an international business framework even as its creative details remain closely guarded.
The move into horror is particularly notable given Rønning’s recent filmography. The Norwegian filmmaker broke out with the Academy Award-nominated Kon-Tiki, made with Espen Sandberg, before moving into major Disney productions including Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil. He later directed Young Woman and the Sea and most recently Tron: Ares, placing System in striking contrast with the franchise-scale filmmaking that has defined much of his Hollywood career.
Rather than adapting an established property, Rønning is building System from an original screenplay with Andreas Rønning. That distinction is significant in a theatrical market where familiar franchises, existing characters and recognizable intellectual property remain central to studio filmmaking. At the same time, horror continues to provide filmmakers with room to develop original concepts, making System an intriguing combination of an established director and a deliberately undisclosed story.
The project also brings Rønning together with producers who have deep experience in contemporary genre cinema. Roy Lee has produced films including Weapons and It, while Steven Schneider is associated with the Paranormal Activity and Insidious franchises. Their involvement places System within a creative network that understands the demands of horror while giving Rønning space to work outside the large franchise structures of his recent career.
Spooky Pictures and Image Nation Studios have already developed a substantial genre partnership. Their collaborations include Late Night with the Devil, Charlie Polinger’s The Plague, Hokum, Casey Affleck’s Company and Guy Nattiv’s The Liberation. The companies have also announced V/H/S: SCP with A24, extending their work across different forms of horror and genre storytelling.
That creative choice keeps attention on the people making the film rather than on a brand. For Rønning, it creates an opportunity to return to a story driven by his material, while Spooky Pictures and Image Nation Studios bring a production partnership to a film whose identity has not been revealed. As production continues, the combination of secrecy and original material remains part of the project’s appeal.
For now, System’s greatest mystery is its story. The production has chosen not to reveal its premise or cast, and no release date has been announced. That secrecy makes the film unusual even within horror, where a strong concept is often used as an early selling point. Here, the filmmakers are allowing the project’s creative team and the decision to make an original film to define the announcement.
The limited information surrounding System also places greater emphasis on the film’s creative team. Rønning is taking on directing, co-writing and producing duties, while Andreas Rønning is collaborating with him on the screenplay. Roy Lee and Steven Schneider bring their genre-production experience through Spooky Pictures, while Image Nation Studios is involved through its leadership and executive production team. UTA Independent Film Group is handling financing and sales, giving the project an international framework despite the lack of publicly revealed story or casting details.
With production underway in London, System represents a notable new chapter for Joachim Rønning. His transition from pirate ships, fantasy worlds and digital spectacle to an original horror story places his large-scale filmmaking experience in a very different setting. Paired with Spooky Pictures and Image Nation Studios, the project brings together an experienced director, established genre producers and an intentionally concealed story, making System a distinctive addition to Rønning’s evolving filmography.
