A while back, author Grady Hendrix contributed the 29 page short story Ankle Snatcher to the Amazon Original Stories Creature Feature collection, which also featured stories by Joe Hill, Josh Malerman, Paul Tremblay, Jason Mott, and Chandler Baker. The story quickly secured a film adaptation deal with Sony. When Amazon put together an original stories collection called The Shivers, Hendrix contributed the 35 page story The Blanks, which can be read in The Shivers Collection alongside stories by the likes of Stephen Graham Jones, Catriona Ward, Owen King, and, again, Joe Hill. Now, Deadline reports that The Blanks has also secured a film adaptation deal, this one with 21 Laps, Aperture Entertainment, and the Netflix streaming service.
In The Blanks, a family returns to their vacation home on Jeckle Island, as they do every summer, settling into familiar routines and abiding by the island’s unspoken rules. But when Rachel’s son discovers a family friend collapsed and confronted by something unspeakable, the illusion of normalcy shatters — setting off a chain of events that will change their lives forever.
21 Laps’ Shawn Levy and Dan Levine are producing the film with Aperture Entertainment’s Adam Goldworm, while Hendrix serves as an executive producer.
Hendrix’s works include BadAsstronauts (formerly known as Occupy Space), Satan Loves You, Horrorstör, My Best Friend’s Exorcism, Paperbacks from Hell: The Twisted History of ‘70s and ‘80s Horror Fiction, We Sold Our Souls, The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, The Final Girl Support Group, These Fists Break Bricks: How Kung Fu Movies Swept America and Changed the World, How to Sell a Haunted House, and Witchcraft for Wayward Girls. My Best Friend’s Exorcism was turned into a feature film that was released through Prime Video, and Horrorstör adaptations have been in the works for years. At first it was intended to be a TV series, now producers are aiming to turn it into a movie. A film adaptation of How to Sell a Haunted House is set up at Legendary Entertainment, and TV series adaptations of both The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires and The Final Girl Support Group were in the works, but appear to have stalled out.
Hendrix also co-wrote the films Mohawk and Satanic Panic, as well as the documentary Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks.
Are you a fan of Grady Hendrix’s work, and are you glad to hear The Blanks is getting the feature film treatment? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.
