Roy Lee is understandably a man in demand. The IT producer, and the man also behind Hollywood’s successful J-horror craze in the early 2000s, has a very successful horror track record. Thus it’s a smart move that Orion Pictures are partnering with Lee’s Vertigo Entertainment to develop a film based on the creepy viral sensation, Momo.
“What is Momo?” I hear you ask, understandably afraid to lurk into the darker corners of the internet to find out. Momo originally existed as a sculpture called Mother Bird that was part of a 2016 gallery exhibit in Tokyo for Japanese artist Keisuke Aisawa. The piece was rooted in the Ubume legend, a venomous, child-snatching bird of Japanese folklore.
However, the internet co-opted the bizarre look of the sculpture and a viral hoax named Momo’s Challenge was born. It revolved around a sordid game that encouraged children to hurt themselves, and various Momo-related incidents from around the world were reported. Momo achieved full urban legend status after Kim Kardashian shared the image on Instagram.
Yes, this sounds similar to Slender Man. However, let’s hope the Momo film is far better than the awful Slender Man movie from a few years ago. If anyone can make this urban legend into a great horror film, it’s Lee. He’s working with Taka Ichise, the producer of the original versions of The Ring and The Grudge. Momo has a similar backstory to the evil presences in those films.
Lee and Ichise’s involvement certainly gives one hope that this could actually turn into something worthwhile. The film is currently untitled. It’s actually not the only Momo-related film in the works, as the Momo Challenge is said to be the inspiration for the upcoming indie, Getaway.
Can Momo jump from being a creepy internet hoax into a major Hollywood film? We’ll wait and see. There aren’t many projects, outside of Slender Man, to compare this to. But Momo certainly has the creepy look to become a great horror monster.
Lee’s next major producing gig, IT: Chapter Two, opens Friday, September 6.
#Peace.Love.Momo
