Sony’s Screen Gems, behind recent horror movies including Insidious: The Red Door, The Pope’s Exorcist and The Invitation, is looking to make an even bigger mark on the horror space, The Hollywood Reporter informs us tonight. On that note, they’ve signed Gary Dauberman (Salem’s Lot) to a first-look deal for the purposes of developing feature films in the genre.

THR notes, “The move comes as Sony seeks to rebuild Screen Gems, its division focused on lower-budgeted fare, into a more productive label, with horror being a top focus.”

As part of the deal, Gary Dauberman is said to be “creating projects for himself,” while also “curating a slate featuring established and up-and-coming filmmakers.”

“Involved in some of the biggest horror franchises in the last 10 years, Gary has an extraordinary ability to create and build out terrifying worlds and create a visceral experience through thoughtfully crafted story and characters,” Screen Gems’ Ashley Brucks said. “He’s a force in the horror genre space and we are thrilled to be partnering with him at Screen Gems as he continues to come up with new and creative ways of entertaining and scaring audiences.”

“I am thrilled to be part of the exciting new chapter of horror at Sony Pictures and Screen Gems,” Dauberman said in a statement of his own. “I’m truly inspired by Ashley’s energy, instincts, and vision for the genre space, and I thank Josh and Sanford for their trust and support, and their commitment to horror fans.”

Gary Dauberman has been a fixture in the horror space for several years now, writing horror hits including IT (2017), The Nun and IT: Chapter Two. He made his directorial debut with Annabelle Comes Home in 2019, and he more recently directed the remake of Stephen King’s horror novel Salem’s Lot that remains without any sort of release strategy at this time.