The two adaptations of Tynion’s work further Tiny Onion and Lyrical’s partnership and ventures in the horror genre
James Tynion IV’s Tiny Onion and Lyrical Media announced today the development of two horror films, marking a new phase of their growing partnership. The collaboration will bring to screen Tynion’s new bestselling horror comic book series Exquisite Corpses, and a feature adaptation of his short film and one-shot comic Room Service. Tynion, the five-time Eisner Award-winning writer behind Something is Killing the Children, The Nice House on the Lake,and The Department of Truth, launched Tiny Onion in 2023 with a seed investment from Lyrical Media, the banner behind upcoming feature films The Death of Robin Hood and Onslaught, to serve as a cross-platform incubator for his original IP. The new films expand that relationship, formalizing Lyrical as a key producing partner across multiple mediums.
Exquisite Corpses is a horror franchise centered on a deadly game played every five years on Halloween, when the wealthiest families in America unleash twelve of the world’s most dangerous killers on an unsuspecting town. The first season of the comic book series, published by Image Comics and co-created by artist Michael Walsh, has already become a breakout hit, selling more than 500,000 copies to date. Exquisite Corpses also became the highest-selling original IP launch of the year in the comic book direct market, marking Tynion’s best debut in over three years. A companion trading card game, Exquisite Corpses: The Game, is in development to be released this summer. Lyrical Media and Tiny Onion envision the property as a franchise starter with expansive potential across live-action film, animation, and video games, and are currently packaging the feature with A-list talent. Tynion will produce the feature film for Tiny Onion, with Michael Walsh joining as executive producer, and Alexander Black and Arlen Konopaki are producing for Lyrical Media with Jon Rosenberg from Lyrical Media as an executive producer.
Room Service is a feature adaptation of Tynion’s Kickstarter crowdfunded short film, co-created by artist Elsa Charretier and director PK Colinet, about a sinister hotel service that allows its clients to commit their ideal murder scenarios. In addition to the short film, Tynion and his collaborators released a prequel one-shot comic, published by Image Comics. Tynion will co-write the feature script with filmmaker Colinet.
“When I first started Tiny Onion, the most important thing to me was finding likeminded partners to build incredible worlds with,” said Tynion. “Lyrical has been there every step of the way, and I could not be more thrilled to embark on the next leg of our journey together. These projects were built with love and care with my incredible co-creators, and I’m thrilled to bring that same creative energy to the big screen.”
“James’s comics have captivated audiences worldwide, redefining what modern horror can be. With Tiny Onion, he’s building on that success by creating stories designed to expand across film and television while tapping into his devoted audience,” said Alexander Black, CEO of Lyrical Media. “At Lyrical, we’re committed to empowering visionary creators to take bold swings, and these two films embody the kind of creator-driven storytelling that can grow into the next great horror brand. We’re proud to continue our partnership with James and to support the evolution of Tiny Onion—big things are ahead.”
Exquisite Corpses and Room Service join an aggressive development slate for both James Tynion IV and Tiny Onion. In October, it was announced that Blumhouse Productions had optioned Tynion’s bestselling comics horror franchise, Something is Killing the Children, to adapt both for film and for an animated television series with Tynion attached to produce alongside the series publisher BOOM! Studios. In December, Tiny Onion announced its expansive development slate in animation, including an adaptation of Tynion’s Image Comics series W0RLDTR33 at Netflix, an adaptation of his BOOM! Studios series The Woods, and an original adult animated comedy series developed with production company Irony Point, Tipsy Dragon.
In 2025, Lyrical also expanded its creative universe with the launch of Lyrical Games, a new privately funded game publisher with a commitment to empowering creators of high-quality indie games. The division has already established partnerships with top-tier studios, including Blackbird Interactive, the team behind Hardspace: Shipbreaker, and currently has three projects underway. Lyrical also recently launched Lyrical Animation, following the acquisition of Line Mileage, an acclaimed production company behind some of the most successful fandom-driven animated film and TV to date. The division will focus on bold, creator-first storytelling across film and television, tapping into the global demand for adult animation, with an emphasis on the opportunity in adult animated features.
Lyrical Media is currently in post-production on Adam Wingard’s Onslaught and Michael Sarnoski’s The Death of Robin Hood starring Hugh Jackman, Jodie Comer, and Bill Skarsgård, both of which will be distributed by A24 this year. They are also developing a slate of projects, including Funny Story, an adaptation of Emily Henry’s bestselling romantic comedy for Netflix, Butcher & Blackbird, based on Brynne Weaver’s popular novel, She Started It, the film adaptation of Sian Gilbert’s debut thriller, and “Powerless,” a television adaption of Lauren Roberts’ best-selling debut YA novel. Lyrical recently partnered with NEON and are currently in post production on Osgood Perkins The Young People starring Lola Tung and Nico Parker.
Tynion is represented by Jason Richman at UTA, Zac Frognowski and Jared Ceizler at Brillstein, and Caitlin DiMotta at Troygould.