The Mortuary Assistant Film Adaptation Finally Has A…

Summary

Shudder acquired the distribution rights for The Mortuary Assistant film adaptation at San Diego Comic-Con.
The film expands on the game, with a script co-written by the original game developer and horror writer Tracee Beebe.
Directed by Jeremiah Kipp, the film promises to bring the chilling experience of the game to Shudder in 2026.

The film adaptation of The Mortuary Assistant is sure to creep moviegoers out in the same way the video game did back in 2022. Now, we know who has picked up the distribution rights to the film.

The Mortuary Assistant became a breakout surprise hit in 2022, as many horror games do, thanks to streamers and YouTubers highlighting how terrifying the jump scares in the game are. Of course, The Mortuary Assistant is more than a jump scare factory. The game involves procedural generation to tell the late-'90s tale of a, well, mortuary assistant named Rebecca Owens being harassed by a demon while doing her job in a mortuary. Though the game was initially only available on PC, it has since been released on pretty much every current console under the sun and has gotten numerous players addicted with its puzzle-based gameplay and terrifying delights. The fact that the game was developed by one person, Brian Clarke, using the Unity Engine only adds to The Mortuary Assistant's runaway success. This isn't a game crafted by dozens or even hundreds of employees at a major game developer. No, The Mortuary Assistant was the brainchild of one man and one man only. The film adaptation of the game will have the opportunity to introduce the story to horror fans who tend to stay away from video games.

YouTube age restricted screen mortuary assistant demon

How Major YouTubers Like Markiplier Have Reacted to the Mortuary Assistant's Shady Age Restrictions

CoryxKenshin recently spoke up against YouTube’s shady age-restriction practices, calling into question the fairness of the company’s standards.

Posts

By Anna C

During a panel at the San Diego Comic-Con on Friday, Shudder announced that they had acquired the distribution rights for the film adaptation of The Mortuary Assistant, due to be released at some point in 2026. Willa Holland of Arrow fame is the film's lead and Paul Sparks, seen in series like House of Cards and Physical, is the titular mortician that Holland's character works under. Given that the film is directed by Jeremiah Kipp, perhaps best known for directing Shudder's Slapface, this development shouldn't come as a massive surprise.

Shudder Has Acquired The Rights To The Mortuary Assistant Film Adaptation

Adam Koehler, Director of Acquisitions and Productions for Independent Film Company and Shudder, had this to say about the movie: "Under the direction of a filmmaker with a remarkable command of tone and suspense, the film expands on the game’s terrifying world in a way that feels both faithful and deeply cinematic. We’re beyond excited to bring this chilling experience to Shudder."

What should excite fans the most is that the original game's developer, Brian Clarke, co-wrote the screenplay with Tracee Beebe. Beebe is best known for writing horror short films, meaning Clarke is in good company. The film is set to expand on the game's setting and story, providing more insight into why Rebecca and the small town of River Fields are being haunted in such a harrowing fashion.

The upcoming adaptation of The Mortuary Assistant has quite the legacy to live up to and franchises like Resident Evil and Silent Hill have shown that the jump from games to film isn't the easiest one to make. That being said, fans of The Mortuary Assistant will surely be looking forward to 2026 even more now that the film has an official distributor.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image