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Horror filmmaker Blumhouse has launched a new video game production and publishing subsidiary. Blumhouse Games will be led by president Zach Wood and CFO Don Sechler.
Blumhouse Games will partner with independent game developers to bring their creative visions to life through original horror-themed games for console, PC and mobile audiences.
Los Angeles-based Blumhouse is a multimedia company considered the powerhouse of horror. The company has produced over 150 films and television series with box office revenues exceeding $5 billion. Jason Blum started it in 2000.
“During my time in the industry, I have had the good fortune to work closely with developers to bring their ideas to life. There is a unique opportunity for horror and genre in the indie game space, and I am excited to work with Blumhouse to capitalize on the company’s brand, reputation and creative talent,” said Wood, in a statement.
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In the spirit of its film business, Blumhouse Games will target independent budget games (under $10 million) to enable innovation and push creative boundaries.
“For some time now we have been trying to build a team to start accessing the growth opportunity in interactive media. When we sat down with Zach and Don, they articulated an approach that resonated with the Blumhouse model, and we knew it was the perfect place to start our push into the interactive space.” Abhijay Prakash, president of Blumhouse, said in a statement. “With their experience, sensitivity and knowledge of the gaming market, Zach and Don are the ideal leaders to leverage Blumhouse’s unique strengths in the gaming genre.”
Late last year, Blumhouse and Atomic Monster announced that they were looking to merge. The deal is expected to close sometime this summer.
Wood has been a video game producer for over 25 years and has shipped over 30 games on every major platform — from Game Boy to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.
Games range from major teams to triple-A award-winning titles such as Sound Shapes, Hohokum, The Unfinished Swan, and Bound at Santa Monica Studio/PlayStation. Prey: Mooncrash and Redfall on Arkane/Bethesda. and most recently, a stint with Iron Galaxy.
Prior to joining Blumhouse Games, Sechler led finance, operations and strategy for Sony PlayStation’s Publisher and Developer Relations function, where he helped structure and execute business development deals for game development, marketing and distribution. from the largest IP in video games. to first time developers.
When he joined the team in 2013, he was a key member of the team that reshaped the culture of PlayStation’s relationship with third-party game creators, culminating in investing more than $150 million in indie game content, generating significant returns for creators. He also created the team that advises game developers on industry best practices that help optimize engagement and monetization of their content.
In movies, the company has created iconic, genre-bending franchises like Halloween, Paranormal Activity, The Purge, and blockbusters like the box-office juggernaut M3GAN. Scott Derrickson’s black phone. Glass, The Visit and Split by M. Night Shyamalan? Spike Lee’s BlackKkKlansman? Exit Jordan Peele. among many others.
This year, the company is slated to release David Gordon Green’s The Exorcist and Chris Weitz’s They Listen in theaters. The television company operates in genre and challenging programming through acclaimed scripted and non-scripted series and documentaries.
Credits include the upcoming series The Horror of Dolores Roach, starring Justina Machado, for Amazon; The Thing About Pam, starring two-time Academy Award winner Renee Zellweger, for NBC. the upcoming original series The Sticky, produced by Jamie Lee Curtis for Amazon; The Jinx for HBO? Our Father for Netflix. and the acclaimed Showtime series The Good Lord Bird, starring Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke, among others.
The company also produces streaming anthology series such as Welcome to the Blumhouse for Amazon and a series of horror/thriller films for MGM+.
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