Ben Wheatley assumes direction of Molepeople

Ben Wheatley, the British director of the thriller Normal, has taken over the helm of Molepeople. He steps in to direct the upcoming horror film produced by Paramount Primal and Blumhouse Atomic Monster. The change comes after Rob Savage, who was originally attached to the project, departed due to scheduling conflicts.

Savage’s previous work includes The Boogeyman and Other Mommy. LaKeith Stanfield, who had been cast as a lead actor, is also exiting the production. Savage will remain involved in the project as an executive producer. He is joined in that capacity by Ryan Turek, Tracy Rosenblum, and screenwriter Nathan Elston.

The film was introduced to the public earlier this month at the Blumhouse Atomic Monster presentation during New York Comic-Con. The script, written by Elston, centers on a man who descends into the abandoned tunnels beneath New York City. There, he encounters a twisted society lurking beneath the streets.

Blumhouse Atomic Monster and Paramount Primal are co-financing and co-producing the picture. Paramount will handle worldwide distribution. The film is currently scheduled for a theatrical release on August 27, 2027. Jason Blum, head of Blumhouse Atomic Monster, serves as a producer alongside J.D. Lifshitz and Raphael Margules of Paramount Primal, as well as James Harris.

Wheatley made his feature film debut in 2009 with Down Terrace. He followed that with Kill List in 2011, which earned six British Independent Film Award nominations. His subsequent career has spanned independent projects like High-Rise and Free Fire, as well as studio productions such as Meg 2: The Trench and Netflix’s Rebecca. His latest work, Normal, starred Bob Odenkirk and premiered at TIFF before its April 2026 release.

The director is represented by WME, Independent Talent Group, and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole. The production team will now work under Wheatley’s direction to prepare for the 2027 release.