Sony buys escape room pitch for “Season of the Witch” writer

PanARMENIAN.Net - Sony’s Columbia Pictures has purchased an untitled escape room pitch for Bragi Schut (“Season of the Witch”) to write and Neal Moritz (“Fast and Furious” franchise) to produce under his Original Film banner, TheWrap has learned.

Sony declined to comment on the deal.

While the details of Schut’s take remain under wraps, the project is based on the interactive gaming phenomenon that has grown popular all over the world. People have been flocking to physical adventure games in which they’re locked in a room with others and must use elements within that space to solve a series of puzzles and find clues to escape the room within a set time limit.

Moritz will produce with Original Film’s Ori Marmur, while Andrew Norman will help oversee the project on behalf of the company.

A recent episode of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” featured a subplot involving an escape the room game, while LA Weekly wrote about the budding phenomenon back in December 2014.

Schut wrote the Nicole Cage supernatural thriller “Season of the Witch” and created the CBS series “Threshold,” which starred Carla Gugino and Peter Dinklage. Schut also sold his spec script “Samaritan” to Bold Films last year, and his original script “March or Die” is being developed by producer Chuck Roven under his Atlas Entertainment banner.

Next up for Original Film is the Chris Pratt-Jennifer Lawrence movie “Passengers,” and the company is also gearing up for F. Gary Gray‘s “Fast 8.” Its last release, “Goosebumps,” grossed nearly $150 million worldwide.