Doctor Strange Director Scott Derrickson Is Sticking With Horror For His Next Movie

Director Scott Derrickson is returning to horror for his next project. The filmmaker behind movies such as Marvel's "Doctor Strange" and the Apple TV+ original "The Gorge" is working once again with his creative partner C. Robert Cargill on an adaptation of the 2022 novel "Road of Bones," according to The Hollywood Reporter. The project has been set up at Sony Pictures' Screen Gems, where Derrickson and Cargill's production company Crooked Highway has a first-look deal.

Derrickson is set to direct the film. He will also co-write the screenplay alongside Cargill, whom he's worked closely with ever since 2012's breakout hit "Sinister." The duo will also produce the movie, which is based on Christopher Golden's novel, which was published by St. Martin's Press. There's no word yet on who will star in the adaptation, or how soon production will get underway.

So, what's this one about, exactly? The name is in reference to Siberia's Kolyma Highway, which is a 1,200 mile stretch of road near the Arctic Circle. Not only have many drivers met their demise there, but thousands of the former Soviet Union's gulag prisoners did as well while they were constructing it. Per the book's official synopsis:

Fascinated by the history, documentary producer Felix "Teig" Teigland is in Russia to drive the highway, envisioning a new series capturing Life and Death on the Road of Bones with a ride to the town of Akhust, "the coldest place on Earth", collecting ghost stories and local legends along the way. Only, when Teig and his team reach their destination, they find an abandoned town, save one catatonic nine-year-old girl ― and a pack of predatory wolves, faster and smarter than any wild animals should be.

Golden, Vince Cheng, and Pete Donaldson are set to serve as executive producers on the project. It's unclear how far along in the development stage it is, but Derrickson and Cargill are wrapping up "The Black Phone 2," which is set to hit theaters later this year. One imagines this one will at least have to wait until the press tour for that sequel is in the rearview mirror.

What's important here is that Derrickson and Cargill seem committed to staying in the horror world for the time being. Derrickson had worked on big movies such as his remake of "The Day the Earth Stood Still," which didn't go particularly well, before "Sinister" turned his career around. That helped him get the job directing "Doctor Strange," which put him on the map in a big way. Derrickson and Cargill had developed a version of "Doctor Strange 2" before they left over creative differences.

Ever since, they've been sticking with horror. "The Black Phone" proved to be a huge hit in 2022, which led to this year's upcoming sequel. It also led to "The Gorge," which became the biggest movie premiere for an Apple TV+ movie to date earlier this year. What's clear is that this duo won't be taking a long break from horror again any time soon.

"Road of Bones" does not currently have a release date, but stay tuned.