Bill Hader’s Unmade Horror Film and a Crisis of Confidence
Bill Hader opens up about a stinging rejection from a Hollywood executive that left him doubting his own abilities, despite a celebrated career in comedy and television.
Even those at the top of their creative game are not shielded from the sting of criticism. The journey from initial inspiration to finished work is often a turbulent one, marked by bursts of enthusiasm, creeping uncertainty, and the inevitable moment of questioning whether the end result is any good at all. Bill Hader, a familiar presence in the world of television and film comedy, knows this cycle all too well. It’s a key reason why his foray into the world of horror has yet to reach audiences.
For two decades, Hader has been a staple for viewers who appreciate sharp comedic timing and memorable characters, particularly during his tenure on Saturday Night Live. His performances in films such as Pineapple Express, Hot Rod, and Superbad have only cemented his reputation. More recently, he devoted several years to Barry, a darkly comic series about a contract killer who aspires to become an actor. The show, which Hader co-created, wrote, and directed, garnered a slew of accolades, including dozens of Emmy nominations and wins, as well as Golden Globes. After Barry concluded in 2023, Hader immediately set about writing a new feature—this time, a horror script.
From Comedy to Chilling Tales
Hader’s transition from comedy to horror seemed a natural progression, given the bleak undertones that often surfaced in his previous work. However, when he presented his screenplay to a prominent Hollywood producer, the response was far from encouraging. As Hader recounted to director Ari Aster, the meeting did not go as he had hoped.
“I had written a horror movie right after Barry wrapped, I didn’t really take a break… I kind of went right into writing this feature. I had a meeting with a big producer – actually, a very smart, lovely guy. But his response to it was so bad.”
Despite Hader’s established track record and his evident passion for the genre—he’s a known admirer of unsettling films like David Cronenberg’s The Brood—the producer was unimpressed. The script was dismissed as
‘disturbing’ and ‘cynical’
, with the executive reportedly telling Hader,
“This is so mean-spirited and horrible and everything,”
to which Hader replied,
“I was like, yeah, it’s a horror movie, did you not see my TV show?”
Knocked Back and Bouncing Forward
The blunt feedback left Hader feeling rather deflated.
“I really lost my confidence,”
he admitted, describing how the experience knocked the wind out of his creative sails. Yet, inspiration has a way of returning, sometimes from unexpected places. After watching Ari Aster’s 2025 drama Eddington, set in a small town during the Covid pandemic, Hader found himself reconsidering his own script, despite the mixed reception Aster’s film received.
Details about Hader’s horror project remain under wraps, but he has not been idle. He is currently lending his voice to a forthcoming adaptation of the children’s classic The Cat in the Hat. In a rather different vein, he is also rumoured to be involved in an HBO series based on the 1978 Jonestown Massacre—a harrowing event in which cult leader Jim Jones orchestrated the deaths of over 900 followers in Guyana. The phrase ‘drinking the Kool Aid’ originates from this tragedy, where victims were given a poisoned, grape-flavoured drink, and some younger members were forcibly injected.