Sydney Sweeney to star in Hollywood adaptation of viral Reddit horror story

A viral Reddit horror story is making its way to the big screen, with Sydney Sweeney taking on the lead role and producing through her Fifty-Fifty Films banner. Titled I Pretend to Be a Missing Girl, the eerie story first gained traction on the r/nosleep subreddit, where Massachusetts-based educator Joe Cote originally posted it four years ago.

Hollywood adapts a Reddit horror sensation

The plot revolves around a mysterious woman who arrives at a family’s doorstep, claiming to be their daughter who disappeared a decade earlier. The gripping premise caught Hollywood’s attention, with Warner Bros securing the film rights and Oscar-winning Forrest Gump screenwriter Eric Roth polishing the script.

Joe Cote himself will serve as an executive producer. The author was first approached by Folbe about adapting the story last year, initially ignoring the request before realising its potential. This isn’t the first time Hollywood has tapped into Reddit for inspiration. In 2018, Ryan Reynolds was linked to an adaptation of The Patient Who Nearly Drove Me Out of Medicine, but the project never materialised.

Sydney, best known for Euphoria and The White Lotus, has been expanding her production portfolio. She produced and starred in Anyone But You, which grossed USD 220 million globally, and led the horror-thriller Immaculate. She’s also attached to several upcoming projects, including Scandalous!, a biopic on Kim Novak, and a thriller The Housemaid alongside Amanda Seyfried.