Community-powered studio Tongal has announced it has secured the rights to develop a feature film based on Jeff the Killer, one of the internet’s most enduring and recognizable horror characters from the creepypasta genre. Creator and filmmaker Savanah Moss — known for her surreal “fever dream” horror and comedy videos and her 15 million-plus following — is attached to produce alongside veteran film executives Mark Korshak (Incoming, Peppermint) and Michael McKay (Peppermint, The Age of Adaline, In Our Blood).

The project marks Tongal’s first original feature-length horror film and Moss’ first foray into feature production, following her short Funny Bunny, which screened at the International Horror & Sci-Fi Film Festival and HollyShorts. What sets this project apart from a typical Hollywood adaptation is Tongal’s model: the studio plans to open the development process to its global community of more than 160,000 filmmakers and Moss’ fanbase, inviting creators and fans to pitch their own character concepts and interpretations of Jeff the Killer from the start. The first open project is already live at tongal.com/jeffthekiller.

The announcement fits neatly into the trajectory of creepypasta-to-cinema: Backrooms, also born from internet horror lore, evolved from a viral YouTube series by Kane Parsons into an A24 theatrical feature directed by Parsons himself.

“Jeff the Killer was born from internet culture, so it feels right to develop the film alongside the creators and fans who understand why the character has remained part of the cultural zeitgeist,” said James DeJulio, CEO and Co-Founder of Tongal.

“Jeff the Killer has always been one of those internet horror characters that never really leaves your brain,” said Moss. “I want this to feel as imaginative and unexpected as the internet culture that made Jeff iconic in the first place.”