‘The Mortuary Assistant’: Hit Video Game From DreadXP To Get Film Adaptation Starring Willa Holland and Paul Sparks
Did you love Brian Clarke and DreadXP’s hit game, The Mortuary Assistant, and now you crave more of the demonic hell that lurks in the depths of the River Fields Mortuary? Well, you’re in luck because a film adaptation of the horror hit is now in production from Dread (Dread Central’s sister company) and Traverse Media, which was exclusively announced earlier today by Deadline. Plus, the team has announced that the film will be led by Willa Holland (Arrow) and Paul Sparks (House of Cards) and directed by Jeremiah Kipp (Slapface).
In the new film:
Rebecca Owens (played by Holland) is a recent mortuary science graduate who takes a night shift job at River Fields Mortuary. Initially, the job seems straightforward—embalming bodies, completing paperwork, and keeping things tidy. But once Rebecca starts working the night shift, things take a dark turn…
The synopsis is similar to Clarke’s video game, but in the Deadline announcement, the team promises that this cinematic adaptation of The Mortuary Assistant is “a new chapter in the story that will expand on the game’s world and mythology, delving deeper into the lore of the demonic entities plaguing River Fields.”
With Holland playing Rebecca, Sparks will take up the role of Raymond Delver, Rebecca’s mysterious mortician boss. Tracee Beebe and Brian Clarke adapted the screenplay.
Published in April 2023, The Mortuary Assistant was first released on Steam, and eventually came to Xbox, PlayStation, and the Nintendo Switch. Since its release, the game has become a massive hit, especially among Twitch streamers who crave a good jump scare or two. And trust us, The Mortuary Assistant has plenty of them. Mostly, we just can’t wait to see how they bring our favorite creepy friend to life!
In a statement to Deadline, Kipp said that he and Clarke, “respond to character-driven storytelling within a disturbing horror space. Because his influences have been largely cinematic, the whole process has organically felt like an expansion of his unique gameplay. We’ve captured the atmosphere of singular dread that players responded to so powerfully. This movie will be scary as hell.”
Clarke added,
“Seeing The Mortuary Assistant evolve over the years from a small prototype to a full feature film is beyond anything I could have imagined as a solo developer. Jeremiah Kipp is an insanely skilled director, and it has been one of the highlights of my life working with him. Jeremiah and the entire team at Epic Pictures have done an amazing job capturing the spirit of the game while adding their own unique cinematic flair. It is an honor to see Willa and Paul bring these characters to life along with the rest of the film crew. I feel extremely fortunate and can’t wait for fans to see The Mortuary Assistant expand into new territory.”
Keep an eye on Dread Central for more updates about The Mortuary Assistant film adaptation as we have them!
Categorized: News
