Deadline is reporting that Momo, based on the bizarre sculpture by Japanese artist Keisuke Aisawa, will be adapted into a horror film by Orion Pictures. Momo became well-known after a viral hoax, called the Momo’s Challenge, was started last year by pranksters.
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Momo’s Challenge is apparently a game that encourages children to endanger or injure themselves. The sculpture itself was part of a gallery exhibit in Tokyo in 2016 and is titled Mother Bird. Kim Kardashian shared the image of Momo on her Instagram, warning parents that Momo messages are hidden within YouTube content.
Despite YouTube dismissing the reports, Momo quickly became an urban legend after local reports of potential Mom-related child-endangerment cases in Scotland and Argentina were made public.
Orion will partner with Roy Lee’s Vertigo Entertainment alongside producer Taka Ichise for the project. Lee and Ichise previously worked together on The Grudge and The Ring. Lee also serves as producer for IT and the upcoming IT: Chapter Two. The upcoming horror film Getaway starring Stef Beaton and Alex Brown is also inspired by the Momo Challenge.
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Momo is the latest internet hoax to be made into a film, following Screen Gems’ 2018 Slender Man, which earned nearly $52 million at the box office.
