Coin Operated, the horror-centric banner founded by It and Annabelle writer-producer Gary Dauberman, has secured the screen rights to The Medium, the award-winning video game created by European developer Bloober Team.
Dauberman and Mia Maniscalco, his president at Coin Operated, will produce the adaptation through the banner.
A search for a writer and a director for the project is underway.
Set in the post-communist era of Poland in the 1990s and taking place mostly in a fictional abandoned hotel in Krakow, the game tells of a woman named Marianna, imbued with psychic abilities, who is called to unravel the mystery of the death of an innocent child.
The game was praised for its visuals and its dystopian surrealist style, inspired by the works of painter Zdzisław Beksiński. It also earned praise for its original soundtrack, created by Arkadiusz Reikowski and Akira Yamaoka. Bloober, run by CEO Piotr Babieno, has published a mix of original and franchise games, from Observer: System Redux to the award-winning Silent Hill 2.
“With its compelling story and incredibly cinematic visuals, The Medium is a natural for a feature film adaptation,” said Dauberman in a statement. Dauberman previously worked on adapting horror video game Until Dawn, directed by David F. Sandberg, which Screen Gems released earlier this spring.
“When I talked to Piotr about it, we immediately connected on our mutual love of horror and his vision for where the genre is headed. I have no doubt anything Bloober develops is going to push horror forward in unique and terrifying ways, and I’m excited to be working alongside them,” continued Dauberman.
Stated Babieno, “Adapting games into films often involves balancing many interests, but with The Medium, I have a deep sense that Gary is the perfect partner for us. From our very first conversation, I felt we were completely in sync. And every conversation since has only reinforced that feeling.”
Dauberman is the triple threat filmmaker behind some of the biggest horror franchises of the past decade, including It, Annabelle and The Nun. His company is currently developing a modern era reboot of Urban Legend, based on Screen Gems’ 1990s slasher movie of the same name, with Shanrah Wakefield set to write the script; Human Remains, a new horror film from writer Zachary Donohue; and Ushers, based on Joe Hill’s short story for Screen Gems being adapted by Zak Olkewicz.
