What happens when three of horror’s boldest voices join forces to explore the face of divinity itself? Universal Pictures is about to find out. In a hotly contested bidding war, the studio has secured Portrait of God, a feature adaptation of Dylan Clark’s viral horror short that has terrified millions online. The move marks the first-ever collaboration between genre icons Sam Raimi and Jordan Peele—two masters of fear who, surprisingly, have never worked together. But here's where it gets even more intriguing: the story tackles religion, art, and terror in ways that could spark serious debate among horror fans and theologians alike.
Written by Clark alongside Joe Russo (The Inheritance), Portrait of God expands on the chilling premise of Clark’s 2022 short film. That short opens with a haunting Old Testament line: “No man shall see Me and live.” The narrative follows Mia, a devout young woman who attempts to unravel the mystery behind a painting allegedly depicting God Himself. Some viewers see only darkness—yet others claim to witness a human figure within, described again and again in unnervingly identical detail. The short’s minimalism only heightens its dread, presenting a provocative twist on the idea of a benevolent deity. Could this artwork be revealing divine truth—or something else entirely? And this is the part most people miss: its quiet commentary on faith, perception, and how humans project fear into the unknown.
Since its debut in August 2022, Portrait of God has drawn over 8.6 million views on YouTube, cementing Clark’s reputation as one of YouTube horror’s breakout filmmakers. For the feature, Jordan Peele and Win Rosenfeld will produce under Monkeypaw Productions’ first-look deal with Universal, joined by Raimi and Romel Adam through Ghost House Pictures, and Russo as co-producer. Chris Rosati will serve as executive producer, with Sam Evenson co-producing. Development oversight will come from Jose Cañas at Ghost House and Sara Scott, Universal’s EVP of Production Development.
And here’s a common misconception worth clearing up: this Dylan Clark shouldn’t be confused with the producer behind The Batman and The Penguin. This Clark is an emerging filmmaker with a dedicated following built through shorts that blend religious imagery, moral tension, and tech-infused horror concepts. Raised between Germany and Austria, he developed a passion for filmmaking early, eventually earning his degree in film production and screenwriting from Ithaca College. Beyond Portrait of God, he’s prepping an adaptation of his other popular short, Story Time, with Zak Olkewicz and LD Entertainment set to produce. Clark is represented by 3 Arts, UTA, and Ginsburg Daniels Kallis.
Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions recently released Him, a football-themed horror film from director Justin Tipping starring Tyriq Withers and Marlon Wayans. Peele’s next directorial project, which had been expected to follow Nope, has been repeatedly delayed and was even pulled from Universal’s release slate this past fall—a move that has fueled speculation about what he might be cooking up next. Monkeypaw and Peele are represented by CAA and Yorn, Levine, Barnes.
Meanwhile, Raimi’s Ghost House Pictures has been equally busy. The company wrapped production on Play Dead, a tense survival thriller described as Don’t Breathe meets 1917, and completed Evil Dead Burn, the sixth film in the legendary Evil Dead series directed by Sébastien Vanicek and set for release on July 24, 2026. Up next: an untitled seventh installment penned and directed by Francis Galluppi. Raimi and Ghost House are represented by CAA, along with Stewart Brookman and Mahdi Salehi at Hansen, Jacobson, Teller.
Joe Russo, who co-wrote Portrait of God, is represented by Untitled Entertainment, Fictional Entity, and Yorn Levine.
So, what does it mean when horror’s two biggest innovators—Raimi, the architect of cinematic mayhem, and Peele, the mind behind modern nightmare social allegories—unite under one project? Could this reshape the genre’s spiritual core, or will it push audiences too far into theological terror? Would you dare to look upon the Portrait of God? Debate in the comments: should horror continue to explore religion’s darkest corners, or are there some images humanity was never meant to see?
