‘The Medium’ to Become a Video Game From One of the Producers of It and Annabelle

Writer-producer Gary Dauberman’s Coin Operated, known for its work on horror films It and Annabelle, has acquired screen rights for The Medium. The award-winning video game, developed by Bloober Team, will be produced through Coin Operated by Dauberman and his president Mia Maniscalco.

– Coin Operated, a horror-centric banner founded by Gary Dauberman, the writer-producer behind It and Annabelle, has obtained the screen rights to the award-winning video game, The Medium. Dauberman and Coin Operated’s president, Mia Maniscalco, will produce the film adaptation.
– The Medium, developed by European company Bloober Team, is set in post-communist Poland during the 1990s and follows a woman with psychic abilities who is tasked to solve the mystery of a child’s death in an abandoned hotel. The game received praise for its dystopian surrealist style visuals and original soundtrack.
– Coin Operated’s future projects also include a reboot of Urban Legend, a new horror film called Human Remains, and the film adaptation of Joe Hill’s short story Ushers, among others.

Founded by Gary Dauberman, the creator behind horror masterpieces such as It and Annabelle, Coin Operated has gained the screening rights to The Medium, an award-winning video game developed by Bloober Team, a European company. The adaptation will be produced through Coin Operated with Dauberman and his company president, Mia Maniscalco at the helm.

Currently, the search for a suitable writer and director for the adaptation is in process.

The video game is set during the post-communist period in Poland from the 1990s, largely taking place in a fictitious abandoned hotel in Krakow. The narrative follows Marianna, a woman with psychic powers recruited to decipher the mysterious death of an innocent child.

The video game has been acclaimed for its stunning graphics and dystopian surrealist aesthetic inspired by Zdzisław Beksiński, a renowned painter. The game’s unique soundtrack, crafted by Arkadiusz Reikowski and Akira Yamaoka, also garnered praise. Under the leadership of its CEO Piotr Babieno, Bloober Team has produced a blend of original and franchise games, such as Observer: System Redux and the award-winning, Silent Hill 2.

Dauberman’s adaptation of the horror video game, Until Dawn, was previously directed by David F. Sandberg and launched by Screen Gems earlier this year. Observing The Medium’s riveting story and spectacular cinematic imagery, Dauberman expressed enthusiasm about the future feature film adaptation. He shared his early discussions with Babieno, focusing on their shared enthusiasm for horror and his faith in Babieno’s vision for the genre.

Babieno discussed the challenges of adapting games into films due to balancing numerous variable interests. However, his discussions with Dauberman have made him confident that Gary is the ideal collaborator for this endeavor. Babieno specifically pointed out how their early discussions helped him realize their shared vision and expectations, which have remained consistent in their subsequent interactions.

Having proved himself with groundbreaking horror franchises such as It, Annabelle, and The Nun in the past decade, Dauberman has established a solid reputation as a triple-threat filmmaker. Currently, his company is working on a modern reboot of Urban Legend, a Screen Gems’ slasher movie from the 90s, to be written by Shanrah Wakefield. Other ongoing projects include Human Remains, a fresh horror film by writer Zachary Donohue and Ushers, an adaptation of Joe Hill’s short story for Screen Gems being scripted by Zak Olkewicz.