Josh Ruben to Direct Survival Horror Wilderness Reform for Paramount

Ruben takes on a brutal new chapter in teen survival horror with Wilderness Reform. (IMDB)

Josh Ruben Trades Slasher Romance for Survival Terror in Paramount’s Wilderness Reform

Josh Ruben isn’t slowing down. Fresh off the breakout success of Heart Eyes—a romantic slasher that somehow became one of 2025’s early-year critical wins—the filmmaker has already lined up his next descent into genre madness. Deadline reports that Ruben will direct Wilderness Reform for Paramount Pictures, a project that sounds like the older, meaner cousin of Marshmallow and a spiritual successor to the “troubled teen” horror cycle of the early 2000s.

The film adapts the 2024 novel by Harrison Query and Matt Query (Old Country), a story rooted in the world of wilderness camps that promise discipline and rehabilitation but frequently mask disturbing power structures beneath the surface. In Wilderness Reform, a remote camp for troubled teens becomes ground zero for unexplained disappearances and violent phenomena—pushing survival, punishment, and paranoia to terrifying extremes.

Ruben will oversee the newest script draft from Steve Desmond and Michael Sherman, the writing duo behind M. Night Shyamalan’s Knock at the Cabin. That already sets the tone: tense, contained, and ripe for psychological breakdowns. The project is being produced by Lindsey Beer’s Lab Brew—currently in a first-look deal with Paramount—alongside Scott Glassgold’s 12:01 Films. Given Beer’s track record, from Pet Sematary: Bloodlines (a massive debut for Paramount+) to upcoming studio tentpoles like American Girl, Hello Kitty, and Sleepy Hollow, this pairing signals that Paramount sees Wilderness Reform as a major genre play.

This is a compelling pivot for Ruben. The filmmaker has carved out a clear lane for himself with tightly sculpted horror-comedies (Werewolves Within, Scare Me) and stylish slashers (Heart Eyes, starring Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding, which grossed over $33 million and is currently lighting up Netflix). His direction thrives in character-driven tension with a comedic bite—perfect for a story about teens trapped between authority and annihilation.

On the producing side, Glassgold’s 12:01 Films continues its brutal takeover of the development space. Since launching in late 2024, his company has lined up high-profile projects at Lionsgate, 20th, Amazon, Skydance/Paramount, Sony, and Apple. His involvement typically signals two things: tight genre execution, and heat.

Between the subject matter, the creative talent, and Ruben’s increasingly reliable horror voice, Wilderness Reform already feels like one of Paramount’s most intriguing genre plays for the coming cycle. If the film captures even half the dread implied in the source material—a camp cut off from safety, feral power dynamics, and disappearances piling up—the result could be Ruben’s darkest film yet.