Earlier this month, a Scottish crime writer, Barry Hutchison, who pens his best-selling “DCI Logan” series under the pseudonym JD Kirk, went viral after jokingly tweeting about the horrors of Scottish midges and how he would love to make the notorious nuisances into a horror movie. Fans loved the idea and quickly began posting story ideas and sharing images.
Midges, or midgies (mi-jees), as they’re known in Scotland, are a species of biting insect. Though small, midgies are regarded by locals as Scotland’s most fearsome creature.
Kirk was inspired and the reactions to the internet joke and has since begun working on a script. Pre-production is quickly picking up steam with Alessio Avezzano (Islanders) signing on to direct, with Mick Betancourt (“The Purge,” Law & Order: SVU) producing.
“What started as an inside joke on Twitter has grown legs, and wings to boot, in a matter of weeks. We’ve gone from a title and a few concept images to a growing production plan, and we can’t wait to bring this film to life on a scale that has never been seen by the humble midge before.”’ Hutchison said.
In the upcoming film, “Midgies will follow Marcie and her teenage daughter Isla as they embark on a road trip through the Scottish Highlands. Their journey takes an unexpected turn when they find themselves thrust into a harrowing struggle for survival against a deadly swarm of mutated midgies.”
The film is aiming to begin production in 2024 and plans to mix horror and comedy like classic films such as “Shaun of the Dead.”
