Story perspectives

Sony Screen Gems Beats Amazon, Searchlight for Horror “Mime”

8/7/2026

Summary

Story summary

Sony Screen Gems beat Amazon and Searchlight to acquire the horror film “Mime,” starring John David Washington and directed by Nikyatu Jusu.
The screenplay, based on Stephen Herman’s original idea, places the story in a New York City apartment complex during a heat-wave blackout.
John David Washington, Scott Derrickson, Matt Tolmach and Camilla Grove will produce, with Sony Screen Gems holding a first-look deal with Derrickson.
Production is active and filming is scheduled for the spring.

History

Historical Context

Haxan Films, founded in 1993 by five University of Central Florida graduates, released its first feature, the pseudo-documentary horror The Blair Witch Project, in 1999. The film’s low-budget, found-footage approach proved commercially viable and ignited an indie-film acquisition frenzy for inexpensive horror titles. Sony Screen Gems’ bid for the horror film Mime mirrors that 1999 scramble.

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Story summary

Sony Screen Gems beat Amazon and Searchlight to acquire the horror film “Mime,” starring John David Washington and directed by Nikyatu Jusu.
The screenplay, based on Stephen Herman’s original idea, places the story in a New York City apartment complex during a heat-wave blackout.
John David Washington, Scott Derrickson, Matt Tolmach and Camilla Grove will produce, with Sony Screen Gems holding a first-look deal with Derrickson.
Production is active and filming is scheduled for the spring.

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