‘The Littles’ Grows Into a Feature Horror: Stop-Motion Terror Comes to Paramount

The unsettling horror short The Littles, from American Horror Stories producer and bestselling author Andrew Duplessie, is growing into a full-length nightmare. Paramount Pictures and 18hz, the production company behind hits like IT and The Conjuring, have snapped up the rights to the 7-minute terror.

Duplessie will expand his own short as writer and director for the feature, promising a deeper dive into the creeping dread that made the original so unnerving.

The short blends live action with haunting stop-motion animation by Anthony Scott (The Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline) and puppetry by Katy Strutz (Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio), creating a tactile, spine-tingling world that feels alive—and ready to crawl out from under your floorboards.

The story centers on 11-year-old Juliet, whose seemingly innocent toe stub on a loose floorboard triggers a cascade of otherworldly horrors. As she investigates, she becomes entwined in a chilling encounter that threatens to unravel her reality and expose the dark secrets lurking in her home.

Violet McGraw (The Haunting of Hill House), Janel Parrish (Pretty Little Liars), and Dominic Sherwood (Shadowhunters) star, bringing both innocence and dread to the unfolding nightmare.

“I’m thrilled to be partnering with 18hz to bring The Littles to life as a feature,” Duplessie told Deadline. “I’ve always loved the art of stop motion, especially when it’s combined with horror. The response to this short has been truly inspiring, and I can’t wait to expand this universe and show the world what lurks beneath their floorboards.”

With 18hz recently renewing its production pact with Paramount, the studio behind hits like Primate (January 9 release) is clearly doubling down on high-concept horror that blends craftsmanship with terror—and The Littles promises to be its next miniature nightmare made monstrously real.