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TriStar Pictures Lands Feature Rights To Trevor Henderson’s Viral Internet IP ‘Cartoon Cat’
Sony's TriStar Pictures has pre-emptively acquired feature film rights to "Cartoon Cat," another viral internet creature created by Trevor Henderson, following a bidding war for his "Siren Head" concept that landed at Warner Bros. It marks the second Henderson property optioned for film within a fortnight, underlining a growing Hollywood appetite for adapting internet-born horror IP into feature films, spurred by the success of similar projects like Kane Parsons' "Backrooms" and Markiplier's "Iron Lung."
Cartoon Cat is described as a malevolent entity that manifests using humanity's collective memories of old cartoons to wreak havoc in the real world. TriStar executives Nicole Brown and Malcolm Gray will oversee fast-tracked development, with Roy Lee, Steven Schneider, Scott Glassgold, J. Todd Harris, Thomas Pettinelli and Marc Marcum producing; the studio is now moving quickly to find a filmmaker. Sony has an existing relationship with Henderson, who previously provided concept art for Screen Gems' "Tarot," and the deal is framed as a further bet on him and the wider creator-led content space.
In short
- TriStar pre-emptively buys film rights to Henderson's "Cartoon Cat" creature.
- It's Henderson's second feature deal in two weeks, after Warner Bros' "Siren Head."
- Studios are chasing viral internet horror IP following Backrooms and Iron Lung's success.
Explained simply
Trevor Henderson is a Canadian digital artist known for creating unsettling horror concepts that have become viral sensations on social media. His original artwork and fictional backstories have developed devoted followings, with fans engaging extensively with his creations through online communities.
"Cartoon Cat" is one of Henderson's creations, a malevolent entity designed to exploit humanity's nostalgic memories of old cartoons and turn them into something disturbing and horrifying. Like his other viral internet creatures, it combines familiar childhood imagery with deeply unsettling elements in ways that have resonated widely online.
In recent years, Hollywood studios have increasingly sought to adapt horror concepts from the internet into films. The success of films based on similar viral internet creations has prompted major studios to invest in acquiring work from internet creators, viewing the existing fan bases and commercial appeal as valuable prospects for feature films.
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