Lionsgate & Red Barrels Bringing ‘Outlast’ Horror Videogame To Big Screen

Horror film producer Roy Lee is planning to adapt the Red Barrels videogame for Lionsgate with J.T. Petty, who was involved in the game, working on the film’s screenplay.

The psychological horror game franchise counts 37 million players worldwide. The original first-person game revolves around an investigative journalist, Miles Upshur, who decides to investigate a remote psychiatric hospital named Mount Massive Asylum, in the mountains of Lake County, Colorado. Beneath the psychological terror that defines each Outlast installment lies a recurring theme of manipulation and abuse of power, with corrupt institutions exploiting people for their own sinister purposes.

Since its launch in 2012, the Outlast video game series includes such installments as the prequel Outlast: Whistleblower and the standalone sequel Outlast 2. Most recently, The Outlast Trials launched this year, offering an immersive multiplayer experience for up to four players.

A modestly produced feature in the spirit of Five Nights at Freddy‘s and Lionsgate’s own The Strangers: Chapter 1 and Saw movies is planned, we hear.

“When Outlast launched in 2012, it changed the landscape of horror gaming, setting a new standard for immersion in the genre,” said Roy Lee. “Its deep, emergent lore has provided a perfect foundation for creating a film that delves into the psychological and physical horrors at the core of the franchise. I’m excited to bring this unique world to life for both new viewers and the series’ dedicated fans.”

“As die-hard fans of horror across every medium, at Red Barrels we are great admirers of Roy Lee’s and Lionsgate’s work. Horror movies old and new have had an undeniable impact on our franchise over the years, and to now have the opportunity to work on an Outlast film with true horror legends is a dream, or should I say, nightmare, come true,” explains David Chateauneuf, Co-Founder and Creative Director at Red Barrels.