J.J. Abrams unleashes new horror that reunites Brie Larson with a Kong: Skull Island co-star

Brie Larson and John Goodman are teaming up again, and no, it’s not some daft sequel to Kong: Skull Island, but a horror film for Sony that’s already making a bit of noise. You probably remember the last time these two shared the screen—admittedly, Goodman got a bit more monster action than Larson did. Now, they’re back together for something entirely different: a creature thriller called Skeletons, with a big pile of studio money behind it.

So, Who’s Doing What?

Skeletons is being directed by JT Mollner (his last film was Strange Darling, which not many saw, but let’s move on), and written by Brian Duffield, whose previous credits include Whalefall. The story’s based on a short from Philip Fracassi called ‘Fail-Safe’, which apparently caught enough Hollywood attention for this level of adaptation. They’re not messing about with the cast either: alongside Larson and Goodman, you’ll spot Kyle Gallner (Smallville), Willa Fitzgerald (from MTV’s Scream era), Ione Skye (an all-timer from Say Anything...), and Daithí Ó Haragáin.

A Bit of a Journey To the Big Screen

If you enjoy tracing the convoluted paths of Hollywood rights deals, get ready: J.J. Abrams jumped in as producer back in 2020, planning to bring Fracassi’s short to film. Universal Pictures snapped up an option with a two-year window in 2022, but for reasons no one’s explained, ditched it. So, a merry-go-round: by May 2025, JT Mollner was directing, with Larson in. Sony then won a bidding scrap at the 2026 European Market, dropping over $25 million for global rights (besting Warner Bros, Paramount and Neon, if that sort of thing impresses you). Filming kicked off on 22 June 2026.

What’s the Actual Story?

Not your everyday monster bash, by the sound of it. The pitch is it’s ‘a modern take on creature horror movies told from the perspective of a young boy who slowly begins to discover his beloved parents are hiding a disturbing secret about his mother’s true nature.’ It’s got all the markings of a psychological creature feature, rather than a pure jump-scare affair. I’d expect plenty of atmosphere (and possibly more questions than answers about the mum).

Production Round-Up

• Directed by: JT Mollner
• Written by: Brian Duffield (based on Philip Fracassi’s short story 'Fail-Safe')
• Starring: Brie Larson, John Goodman, Kyle Gallner, Willa Fitzgerald, Ione Skye, Daithí Ó Haragáin
• Produced by: J.J. Abrams (via Bad Robot), Drew Simon, Jon Cohen, Jack Heller; with executive producers including Caitlin de Lisser-Ellen, Roy Lee, Steven Schneider, Brie Larson, Fracassi, and Duffield
• Sony Pictures holds the global distribution rights (bought for over $25 million in Feb 2026)
• Filming started: 22 June 2026
• Release date: Not announced yet

‘Beloved parents are hiding a disturbing secret about his mother’s true nature.'

That’s the line they’re leading with. And frankly, it’s vague enough to cover anything from demon-possessed housewife to 'Mum’s actually a full-on monster'. Safe to say, family therapy probably won’t cover it.