By Irshad Khan 
In a major announcement that signals the growing significance of comic book intellectual property in Hollywood’s acquisition landscape, Blumhouse Productions—the studio behind the massive horror successes Black Phone 2 and the upcoming Five Nights at Freddy’s 2—has secured the exclusive rights to adapt James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera’s critically acclaimed horror comic Something Is Killing the Children into both a live-action feature film and an adult animated television series. The deal, negotiated in a competitive bidding war involving multiple major studios and streaming platforms including Lionsgate and Netflix, marks a significant victory for Blumhouse as it expands its horror empire into the comic book adaptation space. Notably, the adaptation reunites series co-creator James Tynion IV as executive producer and creative overseer of the animated series, representing a rare instance where a comic creator maintains substantial creative control over their adaptation.
The Blumhouse Deal and Competitive Bidding War
Blumhouse Productions has successfully acquired the adaptation rights to Something Is Killing the Children following an intense competitive bidding process involving multiple major media companies, streaming platforms, and production studios. The victory represents a strategic win for Jason Blum’s horror-focused production company, which has built an unparalleled reputation for identifying and developing horror intellectual property into commercial and critical successes.
The bidding competition included Lionsgate and Netflix, the latter of which already possessed a development history with the property. According to reports, Blumhouse’s aggressive approach and demonstrated expertise in the horror space ultimately prevailed over rival bidders, with Jason Blum’s personal involvement in the negotiation and creative vision proving decisive factors in the acquisition. The deal signifies renewed confidence in comic book adaptations specifically within the horror genre, following consistent audience enthusiasm for properties that successfully translate illustrated horror onto screens.
“It’s easy to see why audiences and critics alike have praised Something Is Killing the Children,” Jason Blum stated in the official announcement. “James and Werther’s comic book series taps into our most primal fears, luring us into a fascinating world and introducing Erica Slaughter, the ass-kicking hero we all wish we had to fight the monsters that lurk in the dark.”
The timing of Blumhouse’s acquisition victory arrives in the aftermath of recent horror box office dominance, including the massive success of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle (which earned $70 million domestically) and The Black Phone 2‘s strong second-weekend performance, demonstrating sustained audience appetite for theatrical horror experiences that streaming platforms continue struggling to replicate.
The Comic Book Phenomenon: A Global Success Story
Something Is Killing the Children, published by Boom! Studios (an imprint of Penguin Random House following the publisher’s 2024 acquisition), stands as the most commercially successful original horror comic book property since The Walking Dead. Since its September 2019 debut, the series has sold over 5 million copies worldwide, been translated into more than 20 languages, and is published in 14 countries around the globe, establishing itself as a genuine international phenomenon.
The comic’s breakout spinoff House of Slaughter demonstrated extraordinary market performance, launching with over 500,000 copies sold on its first issue alone—positioning it among the top-selling original comic book debuts of the 21st century. This commercial momentum reflects both critical and audience enthusiasm for Tynion IV and Dell’Edera’s storytelling.
The series has garnered numerous accolades and critical recognition, including multiple Eisner Awards—the highest honors in the comic book industry. James Tynion IV made history as the first writer since legendary comic creator Alan Moore to win the Eisner Award for Best Writer in three consecutive years (2021, 2022, 2023) for his work on the series, cementing his status as one of contemporary comics’ most acclaimed voices.
Following Boom! Studios’ acquisition by Penguin Random House in 2024, the publisher committed to a substantial 100-issue run of the series, guaranteeing the comic’s shelf presence for the next decade. Additionally, a new event series titled Fall of the House of Slaughter is scheduled for 2026, leading up to the landmark 50th issue release.
From Netflix Development Hell to Blumhouse’s Rescue
Netflix originally acquired development rights to Something Is Killing the Children years ago, setting up the property as a live-action series adaptation. The streaming platform assembled an impressive creative team for the endeavor, enlisting renowned showrunners Mike Flanagan, Baran bo Odar, and Jantje Friese—the acclaimed creators of the internationally successful thriller series Dark and its spin-off 1899—to shepherd the adaptation.
Despite months of development work involving sophisticated creative minds with proven track records in prestige television, Netflix ultimately decided to shelve the project in late 2024, declining to proceed with the adaptation after extensive pre-production efforts. The decision represented a significant setback for a property that had generated considerable anticipation among both comic enthusiasts and television critics expecting the adaptation from Dark‘s creators.
Industry observers attributed Netflix’s decision to various factors, including the streaming platform’s ongoing struggles with horror-focused series performance, changing strategic priorities regarding genre content, and potential budgetary concerns regarding the production scope. Netflix’s film division subsequently pursued the property during the recent rights acquisition process, attempting to secure film rights separately from television, but Blumhouse’s unified approach—developing both film and television simultaneously—ultimately proved more attractive to Boom! Studios and the creators.
This represents a pattern in recent years of Blumhouse effectively competing for high-quality properties that other major studios or streaming platforms previously developed but abandoned, using the company’s horror expertise and track record of success to justify aggressive acquisition strategies.
Dual Adaptation Strategy: Film and Adult Animated Series
Blumhouse plans to develop Something Is Killing the Children simultaneously across two formats: a live-action feature film and an adult animated television series. This dual-format approach distinguishes the project from traditional single-medium adaptations and reflects Blumhouse’s demonstrated ability to develop properties across multiple distribution platforms while maintaining creative vision integrity.
The live-action film will be produced by series co-creator James Tynion IV and Boom! Studios’ Stephen Christy, with Werther Dell’Edera serving as co-producer and visual development consultant. Executive producers Adam Yoelin and Mette Norkjaer round out the production team, bringing additional expertise to the live-action adaptation process.
The adult animated television series will be creatively shepherded by James Tynion IV himself, serving as both adapter and executive producer. This arrangement represents a rare instance of comic creators maintaining substantial creative control over their adapted properties, suggesting Blumhouse’s recognition that creator vision preservation enhances both production quality and fanbase satisfaction. Werther Dell’Edera will contribute as co-executive producer and visual development consultant, ensuring the animation reflects the distinctive illustrated aesthetic audiences know from the comics.
This dual-format development strategy mirrors successful approaches employed by studios adapting other properties—combining theatrical reach of live-action cinema with adult animation’s growing prestige and viewership following acclaimed series like Castlevania, Blue Eye Samurai, and Arcane. The animated format particularly suits Something Is Killing the Children‘s inherent visual storytelling and fantastical monster designs, which translated directly from comics could create visually distinctive television.
Creative Team and Production Details
James Tynion IV, the GLAAD Award-winning writer behind the comic series, brings substantial credentials as an acclaimed creator equally comfortable with mainstream superhero narratives (Justice League, Batman: Detective Comics) and creator-owned horror material. His involvement as executive producer and creative director of the animated adaptation ensures thematic and tonal fidelity to the source material while enabling fresh interpretative approaches suited to different media.
Werther Dell’Edera, the legendary artist whose distinctive illustrations define the comic’s visual identity, contributes as co-executive producer and visual development consultant for both adaptations. His involvement guarantees that the films and series maintain visual consistency with established character designs, creature aesthetics, and atmospheric qualities that made the comics distinctive.
Stephen Christy, Boom! Studios’ leadership overseeing the adaptation, expressed the publisher’s vision: “Developing Something Is Killing the Children with Blumhouse is a milestone for Boom! Studios. In this deal, Jason Blum has shown a real commitment to putting James and Werther’s vision first, which means everything to us. We’ve been on this journey with them since the very first issue, and to now partner with Blumhouse to bring their world to film and television feels like the culmination of years of belief in this story.”
No additional creative personnel, directors, screenwriters, or premiere dates have been announced at this time. However, industry tracking suggests Blumhouse typically requires 18-24 months of development before production commencement for projects of this scope, positioning potential production timelines around 2026-2027 with possible theatrical and streaming releases following in 2027-2028.
Key Project Information
Comic Series: Something Is Killing the Children
Original Publisher: Boom! Studios (Penguin Random House)
Creators: James Tynion IV (Writer), Werther Dell’Edera (Artist)
Adaptation Rights Holder: Blumhouse Productions
Film Format: Live-action Feature Film
Television Format: Adult Animated Series
Comic Debut: September 2019
Global Sales: 5 million+ copies worldwide
Publication Languages: 20+ languages across 14 countries
Awards: Multiple Eisner Awards, Ringo Award nominations, Harvey Award nominations
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, Variety, IMDb News, First Comics News, Comic Book Club, Bubble Blabber, CBR, Bloody Disgusting, The Pop Verse, Reddit Communities, Yahoo Entertainment, Times of India, Boom! Studios Official