Family entertainment production company Trustbridge Entertainment is developing an animated movie based on Andrew Joseph White’s queer debut novel, Hell Followed with Us, with producer Lilly Wachowski (The Matrix, Sense8) and Sarah Marie Flores of Anarchrists United.
Circle Management + Production Founding Partner Lawrence Mattis (Work in Progress), Powerhouse Animation Studios (Castlevania, Masters of the Universe), and producers Daniel Dominguez (Gen: Lock, Seis Manos), Brad Graeber (Castlevania, Blood of Zeus) and Jacob Robinson (Skull Island, Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft) of Line Mileage are also producing. Alvaro Rodriguez (Machete, Seis Manos) and Warren Wagner (The Only Safe Place Left Is The Dark) are the pic’s screenwriters.
“Hell Followed with Us is such a visceral combination of dystopian fantasy, action, and horror that turning it into an epic anime-inspired feature was a no-brainer,” said Trustbridge Entertainment president Bob Higgins. “The gut-wrenchingly honest personal journey that is truly the heart of this story requires filmmakers with an authentic point of view to translate, and that is exactly what we’ve got with this dream team of producers and writers.”
“Anarchists United and Circle M+P are beyond thrilled to be a part of this amazing team in support of Andrew Joseph White’s harrowing novel,” shared Wachowski, Mattis, and Flores. “‘The book shines a much-needed light on the power of found family and the imperative to protect our LGBTQIA+ siblings in the fight against dogmatic hate.”
Published in 2022 by Peachtree Teen, an imprint of Peachtree Publishing Company, “Hell Followed with Us” is about embracing the monster within and unleashing its power against one’s oppressors. The book tells the story of transgender teen Benji, who flees the fundamentalist cult that unleashed Armageddon, but not before the cult infected him with a bioweapon that will transform him into a rotting beast—and wipe out what’s left of humanity. Benji teams up with a found family of teenagers holed up in an LGBTQ+ youth center for survival.
Featuring transmasculine as well as autism representation, the young adult novel was met with immediate acclaim upon its release. Critics and readers gravitated toward the horror/sci-fi genre bender’s authenticity. White has since published The Spirit Bares Its Teeth (2023) and Compound Fracture (2024).
“From working with queer and neurodivergent artists to tackling the book’s hardest topics with enthusiasm, the production team has such an amazing vision for Hell Followed with Us,” said White, who will consult on development and production. “I can’t wait to bring the book’s rage at a transphobic world to a new audience, right when we need it.”
