Sammy Davis Jr.’s Brush With the Church of Satan Is Becoming a Horror Movie

Leslie Odom Jr. is turning one of the strangest corners of Sammy Davis Jr.'s life into a horror movie. Yes, horror. And yes, it involves Anton LaVey and the Church of Satan. Buckle up.

What Odom is making

The Tony and Grammy winner is developing and set to star in a feature based on Alex Bhattacharji's August 2024 Rolling Stone piece, 'Dance With the Devil.' The film aims to dig into Davis Jr.'s alleged connection to LaVey, the Church of Satan's founder, and how that connection took root in the first place. The friendship between Davis and LaVey is a central thread the movie plans to pull on.

The article behind it

Odom has acquired the screen rights to Bhattacharji's article, which caused a stir when it ran because it did not treat Davis's Satanism chapter as a blip or a stunt. The reporting argues Davis maintained a relationship with LaVey and the Church that stretched for roughly two decades, right up near the end of his life — a part of his story that has often been minimized or edited out over the years.

'A sensitive story about a profoundly alienated Davis and his search for acceptance. It is a rollicking ride that touches on complex, timely issues: racial and sexual identity, politics, religion, pop culture, and the counter-culture.'

— Alex Bhattacharji, speaking to Deadline

What we know right now

• Project: Untitled horror feature in early development.
• Lead: Leslie Odom Jr. will star and is developing the film.
• Source: Based on 'Dance With the Devil,' Alex Bhattacharji's Rolling Stone story from August 2024.
• Focus: Sammy Davis Jr.'s alleged ties to the Church of Satan and his friendship with Anton Szandor LaVey.
• Scope: Tracks the circumstances that pulled Davis into LaVey's orbit and explores identity, politics, religion, and pop culture themes reflected in the article.
• Status: No title, creative team, studio, or release date announced yet.
• Meanwhile: A separate Miramax film about Davis, 'Scandalous!,' is also in the works with Sydney Sweeney and Colman Domingo attached. Different project, different lane.

Why this could get weird (in a good way)

A prestige actor tackling a true-life Hollywood icon through a horror lens is not your standard biopic move. The subject matter is provocative, the real-life friendship with LaVey is controversial, and the article did not shy away from the more uncomfortable details. Expect debate — and if the film leans into the psychological angle suggested by the piece, expect it to be stylishly unsettling rather than campy.

About that other Sammy Davis Jr. movie

Miramax's 'Scandalous!' is a separate project entirely and sounds like a more traditional life story play, with Sydney Sweeney and Colman Domingo on board. There is no crossover with Odom's horror project; they are tackling different facets of the same legend from very different angles.

That is the lay of the land for now. When Odom's film locks a title, creative team, or timeline, I will update — because this one has the potential to be a wild ride if they actually go where the article goes.