Christopher Landon to Direct Feature Adaptation of Grady Hendrix’s ‘The Final Girl Support Group’

Big news this afternoon, as Deadline reports that Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day, pictured above), has signed on to direct an adaptation of Grady Hendrix‘s novel, The Final Girl Support Group, for Paramount Pictures.

The New York Times bestseller follows a support group for six “final girls” who have survived attacks from mass killers. Their traumatic experiences inspired various slasher franchises of the 1980s and ’90s, making them minor celebrities. Now, someone is hunting them down one by one in an effort to finish the job. 

I’ve read the book, and I loved it. It’s one of a recent group of transgressive novels to release over the last few years with stories that look at the aftermath of slashers and what it means to be a “final girl” in the real world.

No word yet on who will star in the film.

While I personally would’ve loved to see a woman take a crack at Final Girl Support Group, Landon has no shortage of excellent titles to his name. He’s directed a few hit slasher films such as Happy Death Day and Freaky, and even had a hand in writing Heart Eyes (one of my new annual watches). Most recently, he put out Drop, a Hitchcockian thrill ride that uses its contained setting to maximum effect.

As for Hendrix, this isn’t the first novel of his to be adapted for the screen. That honor belongs to My Best Friend’s Exorcism (produced by Landon), based on the far superior novel. Seriously, if you didn’t like the movie, read the book. It’s great.

The outlet notes that The Final Girl Support Group was previously set up at HBO Max as a series with Andy and Barbara Muschietti producing in addition to Charlize Theron under her Denver and Delilah Films. Theron is no longer attached to the project, but the It filmmakers are. They’ll produce under their Double Dream label. Adam Goldworm’s Aperture Entertainment will produce as well.