One of YouTube’s most popular horror series is heading to cinemas. The Mandela Catalogue, the viral analogue horror phenomenon created by Alex Kister, is being adapted into a feature film after United Artists, Amblin Entertainment and Amazon MGM Studios secured the film rights following a bidding war involving 11 studios.
Kister will make his feature directorial debut with the project. He also adapted the screenplay with Tyler Clifton.
Since its launch on YouTube in 2021, The Mandela Catalogue has attracted more than 100 million views across its official episodes. It is widely regarded as one of the biggest titles in the analogue horror genre, alongside Local 58 and The Backrooms.
The story takes place in the fictional Mandela County, Wisconsin, where mysterious shape-shifting creatures known as Alternates begin terrorising residents.
The project comes as Hollywood continues to turn successful YouTube horror stories into feature films. The strong performances of Backrooms and Obsession have shown the growing appeal of online-born horror franchises among younger audiences, prompting studios to search for the next breakout hit.
Steven Spielberg and Holly Bario will produce the film for Amblin Entertainment alongside Aaron B. Koontz for Paper Street Pictures. Scott Stuber and Nick Nesbitt will produce for United Artists, while Kister and Clifton also serve as producers.
According to Deadline, Amazon MGM Studios completed the deal with United Artists after a fiercely contested bidding process. Annie McCreery will oversee the project for United Artists, while Maria Fortese will supervise it for Amblin.
