Spielberg Producing The Mandela Catalogue Movie, Bringing Analog Horror to Film

Steven Spielberg is stepping into online horror as he’s set to produce a feature film adaptation of the viral YouTube series The Mandela Catalogue, bringing its unsettling “analog horror” vibe to the big screen.

Spielberg to produce The Mandela Catalogue movie for Amazon MGM

Spielberg will produce the film for Amazon MGM, with series creator Alex Kister—who is 22 years old—attached to direct. While details about the movie’s specific story are still being kept private, the original YouTube series centers on demonic doppelgangers that rely on manipulation and deception to push people into taking their own lives.

The series is known for its “analog horror” approach, presenting its narrative mainly through VHS tapes and other corrupted-looking recordings. The first installment of The Mandela Catalogue hit in the summer of 2021, when Kister was just 17. The latest chapter released in March.

That retro, low-fidelity presentation isn’t just a stylistic choice—it’s part of Kister’s process as well. He has claimed that a substantial portion of The Mandela Catalogue was created entirely on his phone.

What this could mean for YouTube horror IP

It’s not yet clear whether the movie will retell the YouTube series’ events directly or function as a continuation, in the way other internet-origin horror concepts have been expanded for theatrical audiences. Still, the project fits a broader trend: studios are actively looking at YouTube’s horror ecosystem for fresh IP and for filmmakers who started building audiences online.

That same momentum was recently visible when Warner Bros. announced that Zach Cregger would write the screenplay for a Siren Head film, directed by Brian Duffield.

• The Mandela Catalogue film: Spielberg produces for Amazon MGM; Alex Kister directs
• Series format: analog horror delivered through VHS-style tapes and distorted recordings
• Timeline: first video released in summer 2021; latest installment released in March

Related internet horror success: Backrooms and Obsession

One key reason studios are paying attention is that these internet-born horror stories have already proven they can translate into major box office numbers. Backrooms, which grew out of an online creepypasta that was partly boosted by a younger YouTuber named Kane Parsons—known as Kane Pixels—has reportedly brought in more than $300 million at the box office so far. Hollywood later moved to develop it into a feature film, and the gamble paid off.

For theaters, an extended cut of Backrooms is set to arrive this weekend, adding an additional 15 minutes to the runtime. Earlier in June, Deadline reported that Parsons was exploring a sequel, though it has not received official approval yet.

Another example of the same pipeline is YouTuber Curry Barker, who struck success with Obsession earlier this year. Even though the film is original, Barker’s background as an online creator helped him move quickly and keep costs down, working with a budget of roughly $750,000. The movie has since grossed over $370 million, making Barker one of the more in-demand names in Hollywood.

Barker has already filmed his next project, Anything But Ghosts. He’s also currently writing the script for A24’s new Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie, which he will direct as well.

When talking about why his film did so well, Barker pointed to generational taste—specifically Gen Z’s interest in original, well-made movies.

“The lesson is that Gen Z will show up to an original film,” Barker said. “Maybe that’s all that needs to be said: that we will show up to a film. I don’t think it’s about IP, necessarily. You know what? It’s not even about being original or not being original. I think we’re all really hungry for good stories, and we’re kind of – and I can only speak for myself – a little tired of films that feel rushed or overly produced.”

What to watch next

With Spielberg producing and Kister directing, the The Mandela Catalogue movie is now positioned as another major attempt to bring YouTube horror into mainstream format. The biggest open questions are whether the film will mirror the series’ specific events or branch outward, and how closely it will preserve the analog horror presentation that made the original installments stand out.