Horror movies are a dime a dozen, most of them being awful with a few sparkly gems here and there fans of the genre will search for like Indiana Jones hunting down lost artifacts. Because of this, horror projects in the earlier stages of development need a little something to stand out and attract attention. The Bringing is one of those projects.

The movie first scored some attention when it was announced due to the fact that it’s inspired by a very real, very unsettling mystery involving the disappearance and eventual death of a young woman named Elisa Lam. (If you’re not familiar with her story, be sure to head right here to read about the mystery and see the disturbing video that makes the whole thing even stranger)

Now comes word that director Nicolas Winding Refn has entered into negotiations to direct the horror, making the project doubly intriguing.

Refn is best known for his deeply cerebral movies, including Drive, Bronson, Valhalla Rising, Only God Forgives, and the Pusher trilogy. Not everyone likes them, but no one can forget them either. It’s impossible to not feel anything after watching his work, whether it be adoration or detestation. That speaks volumes to his unique style of filmmaking, and the thought of him taking on a horror such as this is something to be excited about.

At first it sounded like the movie would actually be about trying to solve what happened to Elisa Lam, but now it sounds more like her mystery was simply the inspiration for what will be a haunted hotel horror about a man trying to solve a murder before stumbling into a nightmarish situation. The movie will be directed from a spec script written by Brandon Murphy and Phillip Murphy.

It’s also interesting enough to note that, while studios are usually trying to hire Refn to make a new movie for them, for this particular project he actually went to Sony Pictures with interest in doing the film. This is likely due to his being as fascinated by the mystery surrounding Lam and her video as everyone else is, and also due to his wanting to make a horror movie.

Now…about that title.

[Source: Deadline]