The 2017 Black List is out, and we at Modern Horrors found an interesting horror movie concept among its entries. Based on an Edgar Award-winning short story by Gillian Flynn, The Grownup follows the story of a “clairvoyant” con woman who gets in over her head trying to banish evil spirits from a wealthy woman’s house. Flynn is probably best remembered as the author of the bestseller Gone Girl, which David Fincher adapted in 2014. Her follow-up novel, Dark Places, was a adapted into a 2015 feature film starring Charlize Theron. The Grownup would be Flynn’s third feature based on her own original writing.

oozes with horror movie potential

For the uninitiated, Hollywood’s annual Black List identifies the “best” un-produced screenplays each year, according to a survey of studio and production company executives. Sometimes, Black List scripts remain perpetually in production purgatory. Other times, they go on to become popular and respected films. Arrival, Scott Pilgrim vs The World, and Zombieland all came from Black List scripts.

acquired … in a high six to low seven figure bidding war

Universal acquired the rights to The Grownup in 2016, beating out Fox, TriStar, and Paramount in a high six to low seven figure bidding war. However, in the wake of disappointing performance by 2017’s The Mummy, the future of horror at Universal is somewhat uncertain. However, horror fans should still hold out hope of a feature film adaptation. Both Flynn and Universal have working relationships with noted horror producer Jason Blum. Blum is in the midst of a 10-year partnership with Universal. Simultaneously, he is currently collaborating with Flynn on an HBO series based on Flynn’s first novel, Sharp Objects.

an intriguing premise with ample opportunity for a filmmaker to expand

However, fans of Flynn needn’t wait to find out what haunts and scares may be in store. The short story is currently available for purchase in hardback, e-reader, and even audio book formats. (Check it out with an Audible trial courtesy of Modern Horrors, maybe?) At a brisk 62 pages, The Grownup makes for quick, entertaining reading. Flynn’s story develops quickly and oozes with horror movie potential. The opening act provides an enticing hook and introduction to our troubled main character. From there, the story takes the main character through enough twists and experiences to keep the story interesting, but with a particular lack of detail making it ideal for adaptation.

Flynn provides an intriguing premise with ample opportunity for a filmmaker to expand on the haunted house and possession concepts suggested in the narrative. While the storyline about a fake clairvoyant encountering the real supernatural may not be original, Flynn takes her story in a creative new direction.

Plot Synopsis
The Grownup follows a nameless, female narrator on her journey from a child grifter to phony clairvoyant. Through the course of “reading auras” of wealthy women, she encounters a client whose home appears to actually be haunted. She soon finds herself in over her head, as she must face down her own demons or risk being consumed by the mistakes of her past.