The Amanda the Adventurer movie is officially entering development after Blumhouse Productions partnered with YouTube star Matthew Patrick for a multi-project deal announced at New York Comic Con [1]. Representatives confirmed that the creator has several projects in the works with the horror studio [2]. The planned production begins with DreadXP’s tape-based puzzle game [1].
Adapting the Amanda the Adventurer Movie
The upcoming feature adapts DreadXP’s 2022 indie horror release. Players explore old public TV tapes from a simulated children’s broadcast that turns sinister as they watch [1]. It’s a tape puzzle. Players unravel a dark mystery hidden behind cheap animation [2].
At the New York Comic Con panel, Patrick explained the goals behind his deal with Blumhouse and his plan to bring online projects to theaters. “I am proud to announce that I’m working with Blumhouse to launch some new movies. I am taking some of my all-time favorite indie games and horror channels from the interwebs and partnering with Blumhouse to bring them to the big screen,” MatPat said at the panel [2]. He spoke before a banner of Raising Cane’s Chicken logos, saying indie storytellers need bigger platforms. “We are giving them the spotlight that they deserve, the megaphone they need, because they’re incredible,” he added [1].
The creative team views the film as an emotional story rather than a standard monster chase. “It’s horror with heart,” Patrick said about the central theme of the story. He explained that Amanda is a horrifying yet tragic figure who prompts viewers to ask whether parents can truly trust children’s media [2]. That thematic weight helped the 2022 game stand out in the crowded indie scene [1].
MatPat Builds on Five Nights at Freddy’s
Patrick spent 15 years turning toy-themed horror games into a thriving digital cottage industry through his “Game Theory” channel on YouTube, where his in-depth videos helped transform the Five Nights at Freddy’s franchise into a worldwide sensation. His videos unraveled tangled animatronic lore for millions of dedicated fans. That decade-long effort helped establish mascot horror as a dominant online genre, shaping an influential storytelling style that contrasts cheerful children’s playthings with dark conspiracy mysteries. His channel proved that fan communities don’t just consume trivia on mobile screens; they also turn out in droves to buy theater tickets whenever studios adapt their favorite indie stories [1].
Blumhouse saw that audience enthusiasm firsthand when its film adaptation of Five Nights at Freddy’s scored big box office numbers in 2023. A movie sequel arrives in 2025. Patrick made cameo appearances in both productions. He joined both casts [1]. Those appearances strengthened his ties to the studio.
The partnership unites a prolific production company with a creator who understands online horror fandoms. Blumhouse built its reputation on successful genre hits like The Purge and Jordan Peele’s Get Out, providing the industry backing required for major theatrical runs. Yet studio film executives often struggle to understand why certain viral games resonate while others vanish. Patrick provides fifteen years of audience insight to help bridge that gap [1].
Production Talks and Creative Direction
Work on the film moves fast. The team wants a direct path to filming. Patrick told convention attendees that he and Blumhouse are already holding discussions with writers and directors to outline the script and visual tone. They’re “actually moving fast” to push the movie into active production, according to panel statements. The team wants a direct path to filming [2].
Translating an interactive puzzle game built around searching video cassettes creates distinct creative hurdles that the creative team must resolve before cameras can roll on the project. In the original 2022 DreadXP title, the horror builds when players pause tapes, rewind footage, and spot unsettling background changes that alter the story on later viewings [1]. A feature film can’t rely on player inputs or mouse clicks, so the screenplay must find clever ways to build suspense without making the protagonist feel like a passive observer. The filmmakers want to preserve the eerie atmosphere of watching cursed tapes on an old television set while delivering the brisk pacing that theater audiences expect from a feature release [2].
The multi-project deal reported by Variety extends beyond a single movie [1]. Blumhouse wants to create a repeatable pipeline that brings viral online horror concepts to the big screen [2]. If the first project succeeds, more indie developers could see their work licensed for film. The studio keeps production budgets modest, which helps protect each release from box office risk [1].
Expanding the Amanda the Adventurer Film Slate
The Blumhouse deal mirrors a broader trend across Hollywood, where major film studios are increasingly looking to internet stars and indie developers for new genre ideas. Earlier this year, YouTube star Mark ‘Markiplier’ Fischbach surprised moviegoers by self-funding Iron Lung, an adaptation of an indie submarine horror game. That project showed that an online creator could independently finance and release a feature film based on a niche video game. Meanwhile, Sean ‘Jacksepticeye’ McLoughlin revealed he was directing an animated Bloodborne movie, marking another creator moving into cinema [2].
Studios started paying closer attention to internet horror following the box office performance of Kane Parson’s Backrooms earlier this year. That film proved that creepypasta lore could draw large crowds to theaters, prompting studios to greenlight adaptations of The Mandela Catalogue, Siren Head, and The SCP Foundation in rapid succession. Similar rights acquisitions are expanding into other gaming genres, as seen with Chernin Entertainment’s adaptation deal for Arc Raiders and The Finals. Film companies now view online gaming communities as a fertile ground for original ideas [2].
Patrick’s role as a creative partner puts him in position to curate which projects move into development. Having spent over a decade dissecting game lore, he knows which indie titles offer rich narrative depth and which are short-lived internet fads. He wants to protect the creative identity of original games while giving developers the resources to reach larger audiences [1]. That collaborative approach could help Blumhouse avoid common game movie missteps [2].
Which Mascot Horrors Could Follow Next?
The announcement sparked wide speculation among fans about which viral games might follow Amanda the Adventurer into development. Mascot horror titles like Poppy’s Playtime, Baldi, and Bendy share similar themes of corrupted children’s media, making them frequent topics of discussion among horror fans. These games gradually replaced older pop culture icons like Chuck E. Cheese and the Pizza Time Theater crew with dark parodies designed for modern online audiences. Fans regularly debate whether those game worlds contain enough narrative depth to sustain full-length features [1].
Slender Man won’t happen. That famous internet legend remains off the table. During the Comic Con panel, an attendee shouted out “Slender Man” as a suggestion for a future movie. Patrick quickly rejected the idea, answering, “They already tried Slender Man. That ship has sailed my friend”. His response acknowledged earlier Hollywood attempts to adapt the character, confirming that the collaboration will focus on fresher indie games rather than older creepypasta concepts that already had their turn [1].
Popular playthroughs from channels like CoryxKenshin offer hints about other potential directions for Blumhouse’s indie horror slate. Retro-styled titles from developer Puppet Combo, such as Nun Massacre, command dedicated followings and could offer a raw, grittier tone if the studio branches out beyond mascot horror. For now, Blumhouse and Patrick remain focused on moving the Amanda the Adventurer film into active production before announcing the next project on their shared docket [2].
- ONLINE NEWS Kotzer, Z. (2026, October 10). MatPat and Blumhouse developing Amanda the Adventurer movie. Kotaku. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Glaze, V., & Goldman, E. (2026, October 9). Blumhouse partners with MatPat to make Amanda the Adventurer movie, confirms more indie horror game adaptations are coming. IGN. [Article Link]
