Steven Spielberg, Scott Stuber, and Amazon MGM Studios are bringing the next hit in the horror genre from YouTube, “The Mandela Catalogue.”
According to Deadline, the movie is set to be directed by the Mandela Catalogue creator itself, Alex Kister. The film will be based on a screenplay that he’s adapted with Tyler Clifton.
Stuber and Spielberg fought hard to win the rights to the viral phenomenon. It was a highly competitive bidding war for the series among 11 studios vying to produce it.
We might have our next biggest hit arrive on screens for the horror genre, considering the producers attached to the project. Not to mention, the lore will also be expanded further with the original creators attached to direct the film.
What’s ‘The Mandela Catalogue’
For anyone wondering why this project might be the next big thing in the horror genre, it’s because it’s already a hugely popular series. The series started back in 2021 and quickly gained traction on YouTube.
The plot centers around villainous shape-shifting entities that are invading the fictional Mandela County, IW. These creatures, known as Alternates, can transform into an uncanny valley version of another human.
Alex Kister’s series also delves deep into religious themes that might be expanded further in the film. It has even spawned spin-off creations of the universe.
The Mandela Catalogue has brought in over 100 million views with separate series episodes from Alex Kister. It’s one of the biggest phenomena to come from the analog horror banner, aside from “The Backrooms.”
Similar to the Backrooms property, there are also many reaction videos and theories bouncing around the series. So, there’s bound to be a similar level of interest from audiences to see the film.
The Horror Genre Is on Fire Right Now
The horror genre might be witnessing one of its biggest resurgences in recent film history. This year has seen one of its biggest successes come from horror films such as “Obsession” and “Backrooms.”
Both of those movies have some things in common. One is that there were two young directors, Curry Barker, 26, and Kane Parsons, 21, leading their respective projects.
The other similarity that they achieved their reputation online from their horror projects. Alex Kister now has the chance to do the same thing as a fellow young director coming from the same platform.
There have also been hidden gems in the horror genre to come out this year, such as “Hokum,” “Passenger,” and “Leviticus.” All of these films have earned high praise from critics and audiences.
Even more exciting horror projects are also on the way in 2026, such as “Resident Evil,” “Evil Dead: Burn,” and “Werwulf.”
Steven Spielberg & Amazon MGM Studios Join the Recent Horror Trend
Studios have noted the huge success of A24’s Backrooms, and everyone wants a piece of the money pie.
Amazon Studios, Scott Stuber, and Steven Spielberg will be hoping to replicate the box office successes of Kane Parson’s film.
A new “Siren Head” movie is also in the works under Warner Bros, with Zach Creggor and Brian Duffield attached to the project.
It looks like the next few years might be invigorating for the horror genre, given this recent trend among big studios.
