Sony Takes Rights To ‘Mouthwashing’ Videogame; Karyn Kusama Directing With Crooked Highway Producing
Sony Pictures has acquired the film rights to psychological horror game *Mouthwashing*, with Karyn Kusama set to direct and Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay adapting the story. The project brings the game’s tale of isolation and paranoia aboard a stranded spacecraft to the big screen, though the film’s plot has not been disclosed.
The game follows five crew members on the freighter Tulpar as supplies dwindle and tensions rise. Since its 2024 release, it has sold close to one million copies, scored 88 on Metacritic and won two Horror Game Awards categories; related videos have amassed 63 million views on YouTube and nearly one billion on TikTok. Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill and Vince Cheng are producing through Crooked Highway.
In short
- Sony has acquired film rights to *Mouthwashing*.
- Karyn Kusama will direct the adaptation.
- The game has sold close to one million copies.
Explained simply
Mouthwashing is a psychological horror videogame set aboard the Tulpar, a cargo spacecraft stranded far from help. Its five crew members face dwindling supplies and growing tensions as they try to cope with their isolation.
The game was created by independent studio Wrong Organ and released in 2024. Its mix of confined-space horror and a story centred on the crew has attracted a large audience through both the game and videos shared online.
Sony Pictures is a film and television studio that develops projects for cinema and streaming. Karyn Kusama is a film director, while Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay are screenwriters; Crooked Highway is the production company behind filmmakers Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill.
Entertainment Film Gaming Horror Software Technology