Fresh off of the success of DarkStone Digital’s The Mortuary Assistant, publisher DreadXP has announced that they’re making the leap to film with an adaptation of the game, which is to be directed by Jeremiah Kipp (Sins, Slapface). Patrick Ewald will produce the films, while DarkStone Digital’s Brian Clarke and Ted Hentschke will executive produce, and Abbey Smith will co-produce. Casting for the production will be announced in the future.
Currently in pre-production, Kipp will also be handling the writing duties for the film adaptation of The Mortuary Assistant. “There’s a quiet, unnerving intensity to The Mortuary Assistant that creeps into the player, creating a sense that something terrible could happen at any moment,” says Kipp. “Writing the adaptation, I wanted to celebrate all of the game that terrified me as well as create a companion piece to it — honoring the dense creepy world developer Brian Clarke (DarkStone Digital) made and translating it into the visual storytelling and character driven horror of narrative filmmaking.”
“It’s such a rare and exciting opportunity to have your work adapted into film. It’s certainly something I never imagined would happen to me when I started developing the game two years ago,” says Clarke. “Movies have always been the main inspiration for the style of my games. I’m always trying to create story, dialogue, and moments that feel filmic, so an opportunity to bring this project full circle is making a dream of mine a reality.”
The story for The Mortuary Assistant involves mortician Rebecca Owens, a recent Mortician Studies grad, who on her first night at River Fields Mortuary, learns of a sinister presence that resides there. As the dead awaken and malevolent spirits bind themselves to her, Rebecca has to learn how to combat the demons (including the figurative demons of her past) and survive the night.
The Mortuary Assistant is available now on Steam. And check out our take on the game.