Gnomes, a horror movie about killer gnomes, is currently in development with Stranger Things producer Shawn Levy. Levy is also known for his directorial work on recent blockbuster features including the Ryan Reynolds collaborations The Adam Project, Free Guy, and the upcoming Deadpool 3. He hasn't dabbled in horror too often, but he is producing the buzzy upcoming Stephen King adaptation The Boogeyman.
Per Deadline, Sony is developing a feature adaptation of the Dutch short film Gnomes by Richard Raaphorst and Ruwan Heggelman. There is currently no director attached, but Levy is on hand to produce alongside his 21 Laps cohorts Dan Cohen and Dan Levine. The screenplay is currently being written by Andrew Barrer & Gabriel Ferrari, who previously collaborated on the MCU outing Ant-Man and the Wasp.
A Brief History of Gnomes Onscreen
Gnomes aren't exactly an unknown presence on film, even in horror. In fact, they've been featured in indie horror features including 2015's Gnome Alone starring Verne Troyer. However, the mythological creatures have largely been ignored in favor of their diminutive cousins trolls, elves, and goblins.
To see gnomes onscreen, one generally has to look toward the kitsch classic item the garden gnome. Garden gnomes have been at the center of a few major films, including the animated duology of 2011's Gnomeo and Juliet and 2018's Sherlock Gnomes, comedies bringing classic literature to life using sentient garden gnomes. Beyond that, gnomes' only other major outing has been the 1967 Disney live-action film The Gnome-Mobile.
Gnomes have also made non-starring appearances in various fantasy properties on the page and screen including The NeverEnding Story. Though gnome films aren't unheard of, Sony has clearly found a vacuum in the modern cinema landscape. It remains to be seen if Gnomes can capture the mayhem of the original short film, but it will be unique no matter what.
Source: Deadline