Multi-screen production company Trustbridge Entertainment has acquired the dramatic rights to develop author Andrew Joseph White’s furious, queer debut novel, Hell Followed with Us, into a full-length animated feature.
Overseeing the development of this propulsive, manga-inspired horror/action thriller will be producer Lilly Wachowski (The Matrix) and Sarah Marie Flores through their Anarchists United shingle.
Also producing will be Circle Management + Production founding partner Lawrence Mattis (Work in Progress), Powerhouse Animation Studios (Castlevania), and producers Daniel Dominguez (Seis Manos), Brad Graeber (Castlevania) and Jacob Robinson (Skull Island) of Line Mileage. Screenwriters Alvaro Rodriguez (Machete) and Warren Wagner (The Only Safe Place Left Is The Dark) will bring the book’s powerful message to the script.
“Hell Followed with Us is such a visceral combination of dystopian fantasy, action, and horror that turning it into an epic anime-inspired feature was a no-brainer,” said Trustbridge Entertainment president Bob Higgins. “The gut-wrenchingly honest personal journey that is truly the heart of this story requires filmmakers with an authentic point of view to translate, and that is exactly what we’ve got with this dream team of producers and writers.”
“Anarchists United and Circle M+P are beyond thrilled to be a part of this amazing team in support of Andrew Joseph White’s harrowing novel,” shared Wachowski, Mattis, and Flores. “Hell Followed with Us shines a much-needed light on the power of found family and the imperative to protect our LGBTQIA+ siblings in the fight against dogmatic hate.”
Published in 2022 by Peachtree Teen, an imprint of Peachtree Publishing Company, Hell Followed with Us is about embracing the monster within and unleashing its power against one’s oppressors. The book tells the story of transgender teen Benji, who flees the fundamentalist cult that unleashed Armageddon, but not before the cult infected him with a bioweapon that will transform him into a rotting beast—and wipe out what’s left of humanity. Benji teams up with a found family of teenagers holed up in an LGBTQ+ youth centre for survival.
Featuring transmasculine as well as autism representation, the young adult novel was met with immediate acclaim upon its release. Critics and readers gravitated toward the horror/sci-fi genre bender’s authenticity. White has since published The Spirit Bares Its Teeth (2023) and Compound Fracture (2024), which have cemented him as a vital new voice in YA and fan favourite with a robust body of work in the genre.
“From working with queer and neurodivergent artists to tackling the book’s hardest topics with enthusiasm, the production team has such an amazing vision for Hell Followed with Us,” said White, who will consult on development and production. “I can’t wait to bring the book’s rage at a transphobic world to a new audience, right when we need it.”
White is managed by Kimberly Guidone, who will executive produce. The deal was brokered by Stephen Moore of The Kohner Agency on behalf of the Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency. Rodriguez is repped by Authentic Talent & Literary, CAA and GGSSC.