Drew Hancock, whose upcoming directorial debut Companion is already generating hot buzz months before its release, has come aboard to write and direct My Wife and I Bought a Ranch, a supernatural horror feature in development at Amazon MGM Studios.
The project unites some heavy hitters, and some big horror names, on the producing side. Producers include 21 Laps, the banner run by Shawn Levy, Dan Cohen and Dan Levine, as well as James Wan and Michael Clear’s Atomic Monster. Also producing is Scott Glassgold of Ground Control, which counts this year’s surprise hit Tarot among its credits.
Ranch follows a couple who move into their dream home in Idaho, only to discover that a malevolent spirit inhabits their valley.
It is based on a short story by Matt Query that first appeared on Reddit and was later published as a novel, co-written with his brother Harrison, by Grand Central Publishing titled Old Country. Query is also known for the horror book Wilderness Reform, which he also wrote with his brother and has an adaptation set up at Paramount. The Ranch adaptation was initially set up at Netflix but has renewed energy now that Amazon and Hancock are involved.
Hancock was a writer who toiled in the TV space, working on shows such as ABC’s Suburgatory and creating the supernatural rom-com My Dead Ex for Awesomeness.
But he made a big splash when he wrote Companion, a sci-fi-tinged horror script that came to the attention of Zach Cregger, Raphael Margules and J.D. Lifshitz of BoulderLight Pictures and Vertigo’s Roy Lee, the players behind the cult horror hit Barbarian.
The project attracted New Line, which not only picked it up in January 2023 but fast-tracked it as well for Hancock to direct. Now the movie — starring Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid — has those that have seen it ahead of its Jan. 10, 2025, release talking up a storm about how thrilling it is.
Hancock is repped by UTA, Range Media Partners, Empirical and Hansen Jacobson.
