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Happy Death Day director teams up with Netflix for new ghost movie

A new ghost movie is on it way to Netflix, but it wont be a horror movie this time round.

Vince Vaughn and Kathryn Newton in Freaky
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Coming straight off the success of his comedy movie, Freaky, Christopher Landon will be teaming up with Netflix to bring us another quirky take on the horror genre. The Happy Death Day director announced via Twitter yesterday, confirming that his new production has started, as well as revealing the title of his and Netflix’s latest flick, We Have a Ghost.

According to Deadline, the project has been in the works since 2017, and is based on Geoff Manaugh’s Vice Published short story Ernest, described as a “socially mediated ghost story”. It follows a ghost who resembles Ernest Borgnine, becoming a global viral sensation. Haunted house owner, Frank, decides to monetise the mostly harmless ghost, exploiting the supernatural force through social media. However, things take a turn for the worst once his business accomplice and the apparition end up missing.

Legendary acquired the screen rights to the story and signed on Landon to adapt and direct the feature in the same year Ernest was first published. However, it is only now, four years later, that filming has finally begun. Confirming that the long-awaited adaptation is underway, Landon posted a photo of a clapboard on Twitter, along with the caption, “and away we go!!!”

But before horror fans start looking forward to some spooky hauntings, the director has also stated that We Have a Ghost will not be a horror movie, despite its supernatural subject matter. In response to Bloody Disgusting’s tweet covering the news, Landon let movie-goers know that his new film won’t be looking to scare. “Hey guys sorry to be the bearer of unexpected news,” Landon tweeted. “But this isn’t a horror movie.”

Christopher Landon has played with horror tropes before without committing to the genre, his latest example of which being Freaky, a body-swap comedy first and foremost with slasher elements. But that doesn’t mean he is done with horror completely. Besides We Have a Ghost, Landon is also confirmed to be writing the relaunch of the found-footage series, Paranormal Activity.

While we wait on updates to Landon’s spooky but not spooky projects, why not look over our list of the best horror movies on Netflix.

Emma-Jane Betts is the Guides Editor of The Digital Fix. She helps our team cover all your favorite TV shows and movies, keeps all our guides up to date, and makes sure all our lists are filled with trusty recommendations. Emma-Jane is an entertainment journalist with over four years of editorial experience; she has covered film festivals, appeared on multiple radio shows, attended press conferences held by the likes of Amazon and Disney, and is a Rotten-Tomatoes-approved film critic. She’s also worked in the film industry and in a literary agency. You’ll likely find her rewatching The Lord of the Rings or quoting obscure horror movies in her spare time.