Bill Hader is taking the big swing: he is writing, directing, and starring in a full-on horror feature called 'They Know'. It will be his first time directing a movie after sharpening those skills on multiple episodes of 'Barry'.
What is 'They Know'?
Hader plays a father spiraling into suspicion when his ex-wife introduces a new partner. He becomes convinced this guy has a strange grip on his kids, and not in a meet-the-parents, awkward-dinner way. The paranoia is the point, and the angle sounds lean, creepy, and very Hader.
Who is making it happen
The film is being financed by MRC. It is based on an original story by Hader and Duffy Boudreau, who teamed with Hader on 'Barry'. Cameras are being targeted for a spring start, with the release window likely landing in 2027.
- Title: 'They Know'
- Star/Writer/Director: Bill Hader
- Story by: Bill Hader and Duffy Boudreau
- Financier: MRC
- Planned start: Spring
- Likely release: 2027
Why this tracks for Hader
If you watched 'Barry' — the dark comedy about a hitman trying to claw his way out of murder-for-hire — you know Hader can do unnerving. He has already picked up several Directors Guild of America awards for that work, plus multiple Emmys overall. His directing on 'Barry' earned Emmy nominations too, even if the trophy did not land on his shelf that night.
Comedy folks keep crushing horror
Hader is sliding into a lane that has paid off lately. Jordan Peele reshaped the genre with 'Get Out'. Zach Cregger scored a breakout with 'Barbarian'. And Curry Barker is jumping from comedic YouTube videos to a buzzed-about horror feature, 'Obsession', which is already drawing raves from critics. The path from sketch to scares is starting to look like a pipeline.
File this under projects to watch. Spring is not far off, and a 2027 date gives Hader room to craft something sharp and unsettling. More as it firms up.