Blumhouse Is Making (Scary AF) Video Games Now
Because “Bioshock” just wasn’t creepy enough, enter: Blumhouse.
The company behind movies “M3GAN,” the new “Halloween” stuff, and “The Purge” is coming for the “horror-themed” video-game market, according to a Tuesday announcement. And it’s got legits: Blumhouse has hired Zach Wood as president of Blumhouse Games and Dan Sechler as CFO. More on them below.
Buried in this morning’s press release was also this nugget: “At the end of last year, Blumhouse and Atomic Monster announced that they were looking to merge. That deal is anticipated to close sometime in the summer.”
Blumhouse Games will partner with independent game developers on original games for console, PC, and mobile platforms. It will focus on indie-budget games (below $10 million), which fits with “the spirit of its film business,” the press release reads.
“For some time we have been looking to build out a team to start accessing the growth opportunity in interactive media. When we sat with Zach and Don they articulated an approach that resonated with Blumhouse’s model and we knew it was a perfect place for us to start our push into the interactive space,” said Blumhouse President Abhijay Prakash. “With their experience, sensibility and knowledge of the gaming marketplace Zach and Don are the ideal leaders to leverage Blumhouse’s unique genre strengths into gaming.”
“Through my time in the industry, I’ve had the good fortune of working closely with developers to bring their ideas to life. There’s a unique opportunity for horror and genre in the indie game space, and I’m thrilled about teaming up with Blumhouse to meaningfully leverage the company’s brand, reputation, and creative talent,” Wood said.
Wood has produced video games for more than 25 years; he’s put out more than 30 games and worked on every major platform. Wood’s done “Sound Shapes,” “Hohokum,” “The Unfinished Swan,” “Prey: Mooncrash,” and “Redfall,” to name a few. Sechler headed finance, operations, and strategy for Sony PlayStation’s publisher and developer relations function.
Blumhouse Games logo
Courtesy of Blumhouse
Jason Blum’s Blumhouse also produced “Paranormal Activity,” “The Black Phone,” Jordan Peele’s “Get Out,” Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman,” and M. Night Shyamalan’s “Glass,” “The Visit,” and “Split.” On the TV side, Blumhouse made “The Thing About Pam,” “The Jinx” and “The Good Lord Bird.”