Moving preemptively, Paramount has picked up the rights to Jonathan Behr’s short film The Follower and the accompanying pitch by screenwriter Aaron W. Sala.
Brad Fuller and Andrew Form, who produced the horror hit A Quiet Place with Michael Bay, are producing via their label, Fullyformed Entertainment, which has a first-look deal at Paramount. Scott Glassgold of Ground Control is also producing.
Behr’s short film tells the story of a young babysitter who is being mysteriously followed through her various devices. Part of the creepy tale is told via the devices. The feature version will have the same setup but focus on the young woman’s attempt to turn the tables on her would-be stalker.
For Sala, this marks another high-profile sale after his spec script, The Beast, sold to H Collective in a competitive situation. The script also landed on the 2018 Black List.
Ground Control is readying production on the supernatural thriller Incident at Fort Bragg for Lionsgate, which Oz Perkins is directing and Glassgold is producing alongside Beau Flynn.
For Fully Formed, The Follower lands in the company’s wheelhouse of horror. The banner is in postproduction on a sequel to A Quiet Place and is about to begin shooting the latest installment of the Purge franchise.
Behr is repped by Paradigm and Goodman, Schenkman, while Sala is repped by Verve, Lit Management and attorney Jeff Frankel.
