Michael B. Jordan and Liz Raposo’s Outlier Society are set to produce the film adaptation of Aaron Jayh’s unpublished short story, The Dwelling. Jordan may also potentially star in the adaptation. Amazon Studios secured the rights to the story in a competitive auction, sealing a high-six figure outright purchase. Aaron Guzikowski, known for his work on Prisoners and Raised by Wolves, will adapt the story, with Jordan potentially starring. Ground Control’s Scott Glassgold will produce alongside Jordan and Raposo.
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The Dwelling centers around a retired all-pro football player who discovers a buried house in his backyard after his divorce. As the hits he took on the field begin to affect his mind, he becomes unsure of what is real and imagined, leading to things going awry. This story marks the eighth sale of a short story for Glassgold’s Ground Control and Verve.
Outlier Society, which has a deal with Amazon, is currently lining up its next film after the success of Creed III, which grossed $250 million globally. The company’s representation includes WME, M88, and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole. Guzikowski is represented by Verve & Adam Kolbrenner at Lit Entertainment Group, while Jayh and Ground Control are represented by Verve and Ashley Silver.
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Short stories are increasingly becoming a viable way to broker deals and draw talent, particularly in the genre. Glassgold and his team have had success with short story sales, including I Am Not Alone to Netflix, with Jessica Chastain to star and Misha Green to write and direct, and The Occupant for New Line Cinema, with Barbarian’s Zach Cregger and Roy Lee producing alongside Glassgold. Other short story sales include My Wife & I Bought a Ranch and We Used to Live Here to Netflix, Caretaker to Universal with Sydney Sweeney to star, I Think My Mother-In-Law Is Trying to Kill Me to Sony 3000, and Wilderness Reform to Paramount.
Glassgold is currently in post-production on Sony Pictures’ HorrorScope and is getting ready for Zeek Earl and Chris Caldwell’s follow-up to their Pedro Pascal starrer, Prospect.