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Oz Perkins has been tapped to rewrite and direct an adaptation of Paul Tremblay’s novel A Head Full of Ghosts. The novel tells the story of a woman recounting her childhood experience of her family treating her older sister’s signs of mental illness with an exorcism, and the resulting media attention it garnered.
Perkins has previous experience in the horror genre, writing and directing The Blackcoat’s Daughter and I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House in the last few years.
Both of his previous works are available via streaming services, with The Blackcoat’s Daughter on Amazon Prime Video and I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House a Netflix exclusive.
His previous movies are very slow-burn, deliberately paced horror movies that were great at building a sense of dread. I’d say both of them only three-quarters paid off in their potential, but they’re still worth watching if you’re a fan of the horror genre. They’re the kind of films that would irritate me if I’d paid to see them in theaters, but pleasantly surprised me as lights-turned-low scary movies. Pretty Thing also has an unfortunate bit of unintentional hilarity near the end due to some…aggressive overacting and a shot that lingers a bit too long. You’ll know it when you see it.
His previous two movies were original creations, so I’m hoping he’s able to infuse the adaptation with his signature low-key building of dread. Oz Perkins is the son of Anthony Perkins, aka the original Norman Bates, so I feel like the horror genre is baked into his bones.
Osgood Perkins To Direct ‘A Head Full Of Ghosts’ For Focus Features [Deadline]