Kumail Nanjiani To Direct And Star In Horror Comedy Howl At Orion Pictures

Amazon MGM Studios division Orion Pictures has secured the rights to develop Howl, an upcoming horror comedy. The project marks a major milestone for Kumail Nanjiani, who is stepping behind the camera to make his feature film directing debut while also taking on the lead starring role.

The screenplay was penned by Madison Vanderberg. Vanderberg is a former entertainment news and pop culture writer who is currently writing the feature comedy Corporate Retreat for Netflix.

The narrative concept for Howl centers on a famous yet notoriously troubled actor. During a talk show appearance, the protagonist drops a shocking bombshell announcement on live television, claiming that he will transform into a werewolf in less than an hour. The premise previously drew industry attention when the script appeared on the 2024 Black List.

Development duties for the film are being shared across two production banners: Weed Road Pictures and Winter Coat Films. Winter Coat Films is operated by Nanjiani and his wife, Emily V. Gordon. Rachel Wizenberg, a senior vice president at Weed Road Pictures, originally brought the project into the company and will oversee its development. Alongside Wizenberg, the producing team for Weed Road includes Akiva Goldsman and Greg Lessans. Winter Coat Films is represented on the producing team by Nanjiani, Gordon, and Dani Melia.

His recent credits include his comedy special Night Thoughts, which marked his first comedy special since his debut Beta Male 12 years ago. Night Thoughts bowed on Hulu in December, and he received a Golden Globe nomination for it. His extensive television credits also feature roles in Welcome to Chippendales — which earned him an Emmy nomination, alongside work in Silicon Valley, a recurring role in Hulu's Only Murders in the Building, the second season of Amazon MGM's Fallout, the second season of Peacock's Poker Face, and casting in the fourth season of HBO's The White Lotus.

Nanjiani's upcoming screen slate extends across several additional film and television ventures. He next will be seen in Neon's The Wrong Girls, the FX series Very Young Frankenstein, Judd Apatow’s upcoming comedy feature The Comeback King, and the sci-fi thriller Green Bank.

Beyond acting and his upcoming directorial debut, Nanjiani and Gordon are actively collaborating as co-creators and executive producers under their Winter Coat Films banner. The duo is adapting the comic book series Sex Criminals into a series for Amazon MGM, with LuckyChap also producing. Additionally, Winter Coat Films is backing the comedy film Compulsive Liar set at Amazon MGM, with Nanjiani co-writing and producing.

Meanwhile, Weed Road Pictures maintains an expansive development slate of upcoming series, which includes Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Land of the Giants, and The Time Tunnel. Akiva Goldsman's previous producing credits under the Weed Road banner encompass major feature films such as Deep Blue Sea, Constantine, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Hancock, Starsky and Hutch, Without Remorse, The Map of Tiny Perfect Things, Back to the Outback, Meet Cute, and the upcoming Billion Dollar Spy.

Project Lineup And Representation

• Project: Howl (Horror Comedy)
• Writer: Madison Vanderberg
• Director & Star: Kumail Nanjiani
• Producers: Weed Road Pictures and Winter Coat Films
• Studio: Orion Pictures (Amazon MGM Studios)

Representation details for the creative teams behind Howl span multiple major agencies and management firms. Madison Vanderberg is represented by Verve, 3 Arts, and Gang Tyre Ramer & Brown. Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon are represented by UTA, Mosaic, and Schreck Rose. Akiva Goldsman is represented by CAA, TFC Management, and Hansen Jacobsen Teller.

The film is in development and will be produced by Weed Road Pictures and Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon's Winter Coat Films.