Hollywood doesn't just set trends, it also capitalizes on them. From rollerblading, to disco dancing, to BMX biking, to dance competitions, to reality television shows, filmmakers have always looked to pop culture for the inspiration needed to drive their next big movie - no matter where that may take them. It recent years, Hollywood has explored societal trends to give audiences movies about texting (LOL starring Miley Cyrus) and first person video games (Gamer starring Gerard Butler).

Continuing the trend-optioning, Umami Media and Cinecrowd announced today they will be producing "the first movie based on an internet meme"  - Netflix & Chill. The short film, written and directed by Michael Middelkoop, is being described as a horror/comedy. Middelkoop gave a little insight into his vision for his film:

“With Netflix & Chill I hope to deliver an absurd horror comedy that makes a bit of fun of our excessive media consumption. Also, there should be enough gore to make both John Carpenter and Wes Craven proud.”

Production will begin in the Spring of 2017 once the budget has been established (which is being done through crowdsourcing). Once finalized, the film will be promoted at various festivals. Unlike the internet trope on which it's based (going to someone's house under the guise to watch movies but with the intention to have sex), the story for Netflix & Chill is pretty straightforward:

After months of flirting and texting, a young guy finally gets the message he's been waiting for: the girl of his dreams invites him over. Her parents are gone for the weekend and she’s down for a good film on Netflix. As the night progresses, one guy hoping to get lucky finds out that luck is having a day off.

Along with their press release, Umami and Cinecrowd also released the teaser trailer above and the poster for the movie below:

Netflix and Chill - poster

It's doubtful that Netflix & Chill will make it to theaters, as short films tend to circle the film festival circuit until they wind up on Vimeo, Youtube, Hulu or Netflix. However, besides repurposing the name of a popular internet meme, the movie (so far) doesn't appear to offer more than a guy looking for sex when a girl is alone - except with blood and comedy. Judgment should be withheld until the final product has been revealed but there's one thing that has to be on the minds of the filmmakers - relevance.

Choosing to title a movie, even a short one, after a fad is almost always a wobbly bridge to cross, because as most fads are wont to do, they quickly come and go. Look no further than Lifetime's 2014 movie Grumpy Cat's Worst Christmas Ever (the first true movie based on an internet meme), starring the voice of Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation). The family-friendly movie came and went without so much of a meow from viewers, while the Grumpy Cat meme has all but been sent to the litterbox. That may not happen with Netflix & Chill, but it's definitely something to consider.

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Netflix & Chill is set to release in 2017.

Source: Umami Media