Good Boy’s Ben Leonberg to Helm Adaptation of Grady Hendrix’s “Ankle Snatcher”

If you’ve spent your adult life pretending you don’t sprint from the light switch to the bed to avoid the “under-the-bed” monster, Sony Pictures is about to make you feel very seen—and very terrified. Ben Leonberg, the director behind the indie breakout Good Boy, has officially signed on to direct an adaptation of Grady Hendrix’s short story “Ankle Snatcher,” according to Deadline. And he’s bringing his Good Boy co-writer Alex Cannon along for the ride to polish a screenplay draft originally penned by Hendrix himself.

 Superstition or Psychosis?

While Sony is keeping the official movie synopsis under wraps, the source material (published in 2023 as part of Amazon’s Creature Feature collection) introduces us to Marcus, a man haunted by a childhood trauma that would make anyone buy a nightlight.

Marcus grew up believing his father murdered his mother. The father’s defense? “The Boogeyman did it.” The older man’s golden rule was simple: Keep the lights on, or the monster gets your ankles. Now an adult, Marcus still religiously follows the “lights on” protocol—a habit that becomes increasingly awkward when he invites his new girlfriend over.

The film promises a psychological tightrope walk: Is there actually a creature waiting in the dust bunnies, or has Marcus inherited his father’s murderous delusions? By sunrise, we’ll have an answer.

A Horror Powerhouse in the Making

The production team behind this project is a “who’s who” of genre and action veterans. We’ve got Adam Goldworm (My Friend Dahmer) for Aperture Entertainment, Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, and Tony Shaw (The Equalizer) for Escape Artists. Grady Hendrix himself will also serve as a producer.

The Hendrix Empire

If it feels like Grady Hendrix is taking over your local multiplex, that’s because he basically is. Ankle Snatcher joins a massive slate of Hendrix adaptations currently in various stages of development:

Ankle Snatcher doesn’t have a release date yet, but one thing is certain: after this hits theaters, the “no-clearance” bed-frame industry will see a massive spike in sales. Stay tuned for more updates—keep your feet tucked under the covers while you wait.