Award-winning filmmaker Jerry S. Gonzalez is stepping into feature filmmaking with Big Spooky House, a live-action horror comedy fueled by puppets and practical effects. Produced by Candy House Productions, the film will begin production in Chicago in early 2026.

Known for his acclaimed short films and inventive use of puppetry, Gonzalez promises to deliver a project that blends comedy, horror, and handcrafted artistry. Big Spooky House follows Seth Spooky, a man afraid of everything, who inherits a haunted mansion filled with cryptic riddles, ghostly residents, and peculiar creatures. To break a generational curse and prove himself, Seth must navigate a house where nothing is quite what it seems.

Gonzalez describes the film as “a fun, gory popcorn flick with a lot of laughs, lots of frights, and a lot of heart,” calling it an homage to 1930s and ’40s haunted house cartoons with a Scooby-Doo influence tailored for adult audiences.

His past work includes the award-winning short The Spaghetti Man (Best Monster/Demon – Chicago Horror Film Fest 2024; Troma Award – Days of the Dead 2024; Best Film and Best Director – HollyWeird Film Fest 2024), Intergalactic PizzaBoy (2022), and There’s Something in the Woods (2019). His latest short, Hamster in My Head, is currently in post-production for a fall 2025 premiere.

Candy House Productions, founded by John David Wolfe (Swayed, High Fidelity) and Chloe Koegel (Ramy, Fargo), is producing the film. The company is known for backing unconventional projects and sees Big Spooky House as a natural fit for its genre-driven slate.

Production begins in 2026, with the team actively seeking investor partnerships and co-production opportunities. Updates on the film can be found at www.bigspookyhouse.com.