‘Good Boy’ Filmmaker Ben Leonberg to Direct Movie Adaptation of Horror Novella ‘Look Out’ for Republic Pictures (EXCLUSIVE)

Ben Leonberg, in collaboration with Republic Pictures, is set to direct and co-write a film adaptation of “Look Out,” a horror novella from Artists Writers and Artisans and Vertigo Entertainment, Variety can reveal exclusively.

Leonberg will co-write the script with Alex Cannon, who previously worked on Leonberg’s breakout hit “Good Boy.” Roy Lee and Andrew Childs will produce for Vertigo Entertainment, and Zach Studin will produce for AWA.

“Look Out,” written by Dan Baillie and featuring artwork from Tim Bradstreet, was released in May 2025 as the first installment in Vertigo and AWA’s “Future of Fear” partnership. While plot details for the film remain under wraps, the novella, per an official logline, follows Oscar, who, while “recuperating from a divorce, takes a job as a fire lookout at a remote forest outpost, where he discovers a paper inscribed with a strange set of rules that promise to keep him safe during his watch.”

Leonberg recently made his feature directorial debut with “Good Boy” at SXSW 2025. The festival favorite horror film, which was acquired by IFC Films and Shudder, follows a dog’s mission to protect his sickly owner from a sinister supernatural force. Leonberg’s family dog, Indy, starred as the sole protagonist. Leonberg’s upcoming projects include “Ankle Snatcher” for Sony Pictures, adapting Grady Hendrix’s short story with writing partner Cannon. His second original horror feature, “Follow Mode,” which he wrote and directed with Temple Hill producing, is currently in post-production. The serial killer thriller follows a group of teens who knock down a drone from the sky, only to discover it contains footage of a psychopath on a killing spree.

Leonberg is represented by Verve, Untitled and attorney Ryan Nord at The Nord Group.