Temple Hill Entertainment, the powerhouse behind the box office hits Smile and Smile 2, is setting its sights on another horror success with Monitor, a screenlife horror film inspired by the short film of the same name, according to Deadline.

The film marks the feature debut of writers and directors Ryan Polly and Matt Black, who are adapting their original short for the big screen. The duo, known for I Bet You’re Wondering How I Got Here, are bringing their chilling vision to life with Monitor.

The film follows a group of social media moderators who refuse to publish a disturbing video, only to become the targets of a demonic entity. As the creature feeds on their fear, it begins to hunt them down through every screen they encounter—relentlessly attacking until it achieves its ultimate goal: to break free from the screen and enter the real world.

Protagonist Pictures’ CEO, Dave Bishop, shared his enthusiasm for the project, telling Deadline, “Monitor is as terrifying as it is timely, offering a fresh and frightening take on the digital world we all navigate daily. Ryan and Matt are incredibly talented filmmakers, and we’re excited to jump into production early next year.”

The directors, Polly and Black, explained their inspiration for the film, saying, “The more we use screens in our daily lives, the more we realize we can’t trust them. It’s a universal fear, one we think is ripe for a new horror concept. Temple Hill has been the perfect partner for us, and their track record in the genre speaks for itself. We can’t wait to bring this monster to life.”

Describing the film as “The Ring for the social media generation,” the producers are hoping Monitor will strike a chord with audiences in the same way Smile did. Smile, which was initially set to be released on Paramount+, instead debuted in theaters and grossed a staggering $215 million worldwide in 2022. Like Monitor, Smile was based on a short film—Parker Finn’s Laura Hasn’t Slept.

Monitor is being produced by Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, and John Fischer for Temple Hill (known for Smile, The Twilight Saga, and The Maze Runner films), with Nostromo Pictures (co-producer on The Night Manager Season 2) also on board. Protagonist’s Dave Bishop and George Hamilton will serve as executive producers. This marks the second collaboration between Temple Hill and Protagonist Pictures, following their joint work on the upcoming slasher Clown In A Cornfield.

Protagonist Pictures is set to launch worldwide sales at the upcoming American Film Market, with production slated to begin in spring 2025.