A24 horror film ‘Talk to Me’ takes over a metaverse zombie game in Fortnite

The metaverse is often billed as a happy place—that is, until a paranormal severed hand sends players into a haunted house teeming with bloodthirsty zombies.

This is the premise behind a campaign for the upcoming horror movie “Talk to Me,” which brings the film’s storyline into a pre-existing Fortnite game called “Deadpines: Zombie Survival.” In the movie, for which A24 has U.S. distribution rights, characters interact with a severed hand that can speak to the dead, resulting in some terrifying consequences. Likewise, in the “Deadpines” takeover, players will communicate with the severed hand, and then attempt to ward off hordes of deadly zombies.

Gameplay will feature sets from the film, including a séance room, and hinge on players completing missions inside a haunted house and defeating zombies to score points. Outside the house, a final boss fight will pit players against the hand itself.

The effort is a collaboration between Altitude, another film distributor for “Talk to Me,” and metaverse game developer Gamefam, which launched “Deadpines” last October. Havas Entertainment and Livewire Group also helped with the campaign.

There is reason to believe the metaverse could be a prime environment for promoting “Talk to Me.” Roughly 45% percent of horror fans ages 18-29 have a strong interest in gaming, as do 36% of horror fans 30-40, according to TGI Research data compiled during campaign planning.

Metaverse gameplay, which hinges on challenges and activities, is also a conducive match for engaging with the characters and narratives of a film, said Ricardo Briceno, Gamefam’s chief business officer. In addition to the play itself, “Deadpines” will feature in-game billboards for the movie. A traditional advertising campaign based in the U.K. and Ireland will coincide with the activation.

The film’s takeover will run from July 17 to mid-August. “Talk to Me” premieres globally on July 28.