Sony Takes Rights To ‘Mouthwashing’ Videogame; Karyn Kusama Directing With Crooked Highway Producing

Sony Pictures has acquired the feature film rights to psychological horror game Mouthwashing from developer Wrong Organ and publisher Critical Reflex. Destroyer director Karyn Kusama is attached to direct with scribes Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay adapting. Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill, and Vince Cheng are producing under their Crooked Highway banner which has a deal under Sony’s Screen Gems. While the pic’s storyline is under wraps, the game follows five crew members who are stranded aboard the space freighter Tulpar, where dwindling supplies, isolation and mounting paranoia expose the fractures between them. The first-person psychological horror game combines surreal imagery with a nonlinear narrative exploring responsibility, denial and the consequences of unchecked power. Mouthwashing is available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and Xbox on PC, and will be available through Game Pass on console and PC. The game when it debuted in 2024 notched an 88 score on Metacritic and user reviews on Steam and sold close to 1M units. It also won in the Best Narrative and Players’ Choice categories at the Horror Game Awards, as well as Best Hidden Gem at the New York Game Awards. Content surrounding Mouthwashing has generated 63M views on YouTube and close to 1B views on TikTok.Kusama was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards for directing for the acclaimed Yellowjackets television series and serves as EP. Her other film credits include The Invitation, Jennifer’s Body and Girlfight where she won Best Director and the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. Matt Manfredi & Phil Hay are frequent collaborators with Kusama, whose credits include The Invitation, Destroyer, Clash of the Titans and the Ride Along films. Wrong Organ is an independent game studio based in Stockholm, Sweden. The studio is currently developing Carcass Clad, a co-op tank horror game that puts players in the roles of Commander, Driver and Gunner as they fight to escape a war-torn city. Must Read Stories Read More About: Subscribe to Deadline Get our Breaking News Alerts and Keep your inbox happy. Sign Up