Comic book creator James Tynion IV and his production banner Tiny Onion has signed a first-look deal with Blumhouse Atomic, the horror powerhouse run by Jason Blum and James Wan.
The deal begins with a bang as Blumhouse joins Tiny Onion and Lyrical Media in working on an adaptation of Exquisite Corpses, Tynion’s best-selling and award-winning comic book universe centered on a serial killer battle royale. The title, which Tynion created with artist Michael Walsh, is being developed across both film and animation.
Blumhouse Atomic and Tiny Onion are already working on a movie adaptation of Tynion’s horror comic Something Is Killing the Children, with Craig Zobel recently boarding as director. The good vibes led to the first-look and partnership on Corpses.
“James has been a valued partner on Something Is Killing The Children, which is why we wanted to expand our relationship. He has great storytelling instincts with a passion for the horror genre,” said Blum, CEO and co-founder of Blumhouse Atomic. “As we look to develop more IP, this felt like a great fit, and we’re happy to take the next step with him and Tiny Onion.”
Stated Tynion, “From the moment I first stepped into the Blumhouse offices, it felt like coming home. Every person in that building, and every filmmaker on their roster is dedicated to making great horror, and I’m thrilled to stand by their side and help bring these terrifying stories to life.”
Corpses has a killer premise: Every five years on Halloween, the 13 oldest and richest families in America play a game of control in which their so-called champions, recruited killers of various stripes, descend upon an unsuspecting town and fight until the last slayer standing determines the winner. The initial 13-issue series, which wrapped earlier this year, told of the various townspeople trying to survive the night as killers with monickers such as Lone Gunman, Fox Mask Killer, Pretty Boy, Rascal Randy, and Lady Carolina ran through their town.
Corpses has sold over one million copies in its first eighteen months of publication by Image Comics. There are now three spin-off series focusing on some of the killers and a second overarching mini-series, with new killers, is planned for next year.
Tynion, whose notable comic books include The Department of Truth and The Nice House on the Lake, created Tiny Onion in 2024 as a way to take a measure of control in the screen adaptations of his growing intellectual property. With an investment from Lyrical Media, the company is focused on developing new IP and releases graphic novels and comics through publishing partners like Image Comics, Dark Horse Comics and Penguin Random House.
Killing the Children is expected to go into production next year while an adult animated television series, with Tynion spearheading, is also in the works. Tynion’s short film and one-shot comic, Room Service, is also in development. Tynion is repped by UTA, Brillstein Entertainment Partners and TroyGould.
Blumhouse Atomic, which merged banners run by Blum and Wan, will release nine movies in 2027. It starts the year off with The River, hitting theatres Jan. 15, includes movies such as The Exorcist: Martyrs and Curry Barker’s Anything But Ghosts, and ends with Drew Hancock’s Seasons.
