David F. Sandberg, celebrated for directing Lights Out, Annabelle: Creation, and Shazam!, has signed on to direct the psychological horror film Mommy’s Home for Lionsgate, according to industry reporting from Variety and Dread Central.
The project was originally penned by James Morosini, who was initially slated to direct his own script before Lionsgate opted to bring in Sandberg to helm the feature behind the camera. While an official studio logline has not yet been released, IMDB’s synopsis details a high-concept, unsettling premise: “When a 24-year-old woman is unfrozen decades later, her son, now a father himself, faces a terrifyingly unhinged family life.”
The Bottom Line
- The Creative Shift: James Morosini wrote the screenplay for Mommy’s Home, but Lionsgate tapped David F. Sandberg to direct instead.
- The Premise: The psychological horror centers on a 24-year-old woman unfrozen decades later, thrusting her now-adult son into an unhinged family dynamic.
- The Pedigree: Sandberg brings horror credentials to the studio project, dating back to his feature debut, Lights Out, which originated as a YouTube horror short.
From YouTube Short to Studio Horrors
David F. After gaining attention with his horror short Lights Out on YouTube, he made the leap to major studio filmmaking with the feature film Lights Out.
He followed that success by stepping into established franchises with Annabelle: Creation before shifting gears into the superhero space with Shazam!, alongside an upcoming feature adaptation of the video game Until Dawn.
Inside the Production and Script Shift
James Morosini penned the script for Mommy’s Home. While Morosini was originally attached to direct, Dread Central notes that Lionsgate ultimately pivoted to Sandberg for the directing duties.
| Film Title | Studio / Distributor | Genre |
|---|---|---|
| Lights Out | Horror | |
| Annabelle: Creation | Horror | |
| Shazam! | Superhero | |
| Until Dawn | Horror Adaptation | |
| Mommy’s Home | Lionsgate | Psychological Horror |
What This Means for Lionsgate’s Horror Slate
Lionsgate has maintained a footprint in the theatrical horror space.
As pre-production moves forward, horror fans tracking the project’s development can expect further casting announcements and official logline confirmations from the studio.
Drop a comment below: Do you prefer when directors like Sandberg tackle original scripts, or would you have liked to see writer James Morosini helm his own vision?
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