Sam Raimi makes movie from horror survival video game, yep, with Toy Story 4 director
Sam Raimi is plotting a big-screen take on a smash horror survival game, with the Toy Story 4 director aboard, as 20th Century Studios snaps up the rights.
If you thought the craze for game adaptations was slowing down, think again. Sam Raimi, yes, the bloke responsible for Spider-Man and the Evil Dead films, is back at it – but this time, he’s not directing. He’s producing a live-action film based on a hit survival game from the Roblox universe: 99 Nights in the Forest. If you’ve not heard of it, don’t feel too out of touch – it only launched in 2025.
99 Nights in the Forest hit Roblox in 2025 and has since shot up to over 29 billion visits, making it the seventh-most-played game on the platform.
Who's Actually Making It?
It’s not just Raimi on board, either. Josh Cooley (the man behind Toy Story 4 and the recent Transformers One) has signed on to write the script. Cooley’s no stranger to Pixar – he co-wrote Inside Out, which landed him an Oscar nomination, and he actually won the little gold bloke for Best Animated Feature with his directorial debut, Toy Story 4.
Raimi’s not solo on production duties – his regular partner Rob Tapert is involved as well. As for where it’s landing: 20th Century Studios has won the rights after hearing from plenty of writers, so clearly there was a bit of a scrum for it.
Wait, Roblox? And What's This Game?
Right, let's clarify for anyone not up on their Roblox lore. 99 Nights in the Forest is, basically, a horror survival game cooked up on Roblox. Players wind up in a haunted forest and – you guessed it – have to last 99 nights. It’s not just wandering about in the dark, there’s base-building involved, and you’re also pressed to rescue four missing children. That might sound vaguely wholesome until you realise you’re also being hunted by a terrifyingly violent deer along with whatever else the woods can throw at you.
The game's absolutely smashed it since launching – at last count, we’re talking over 29 billion visits and a player approval rating nudging 91 percent, so it’s not just the usual fleeting Roblox trend. Surprising, then, that Hollywood’s caught on so quickly – usually they need a couple more years to decide if something’s actually a phenomenon.
- Director attached: Josh Cooley (Toy Story 4, Transformers One)
- Producer: Sam Raimi (Spider-Man, Evil Dead, Doctor Strange 2) and Rob Tapert
- Studio: 20th Century Studios
- Game launched: 2025
- Gameplay: Survive 99 nights in a haunted forest, rescue four lost kids, fend off lethal creatures (including a murderous deer)
- Player numbers: 29+ billion visits, 7th-most-popular Roblox title ever
No word yet on the film’s actual storyline or release date, and frankly, details about Cooley’s approach remain locked up tighter than the game’s best hiding spot. But if you’re after a Roblox-to-cinema crossover with genuine horror chops behind the scenes, this is the one to keep an eye on, even if it does sound slightly bonkers on paper compared to most game adaptations.