After releasing over 40 films and cementing themselves as the new home for horror, Blumhouse Productions is finally making a feature film with a female director. Sophia Takal (Green, Always Shine) will helm a reboot of Black Christmas. The 1974 Bob Clark slasher film follows a group of sorority girls over the holidays, where they are stalked by a mysterious killer.
Takal previously worked on Blumhouse’s Into the Dark series on Hulu, where she directed January’s entry into the holiday-themed anthology, New Year, New You. Takal was the first woman to direct an entry into the series, which was followed by Chelsea Stardust’s All That We Destroy.
Takal’s hiring is a step in the right direction for CEO Jason Blum, who previously came under fire for not hiring female directors. Blum said in an interview, “We’re always trying to that. We’re not trying to do it because of recent events. We’ve always been trying … There are not a lot of female directors period, and even less who are inclined to do horror.” Blum was roundly called out on social media and later apologized.
Nocturnal Emissions 