Dave Boyle Takes the Helm of New Sci-Fi Horror Film from Paramount Pictures and Walter Hamada’s 18Hz

Dave Boyle to Direct New Untitled Sci-Fi Horror Feature for Paramount

Director Dave Boyle is set to helm a new untitled feature for Paramount Pictures, produced under Walter Hamada’s 18Hz label. This announcement follows the successful debut of Boyle’s latest film, Never After Dark, at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival, where it received notable critical acclaim.

Boyle will also take on the task of rewriting the screenplay for the upcoming project, which is based on a previous draft created by writers Natalie Conway and Peter Stanley-Ward. While specific plot details remain undisclosed, sources describe the film as a blend of science fiction and horror. This initiative falls within Hamada’s discretionary fund as part of his overall deal with Paramount.

Hamada’s current slate at Paramount includes the film Passenger, scheduled for release in theaters on May 22. Directed by André Øvredal, Passenger features actors Jacob Scipio, Lou Llobell, and Melissa Leo. Additionally, the horror film Primate, directed by Johannes Roberts, was released earlier this year on January 9.

Boyle’s recent work on Never After Dark, a Japanese-language horror film, garnered attention at SXSW and won the Audience Award in the Midnighter section. Prior to this, he served as both showrunner and director for the Netflix series House of Ninjas, which achieved the No. 1 position on the streaming platform’s Global Top Ten (Non-English) list in 2024.

Boyle is represented by Brillstein Entertainment Partners and Ginsburg Daniels Kallis.