99 Nights in the Forest film: Josh Cooley may write script for 20th Century Studios
In brief
- 20th Century Studios is developing a film adaptation of the Roblox survival horror 99 Nights in the Forest, with Josh Cooley reportedly attached.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Josh Cooley, known for Toy Story 4 and Transformers One, has been approached to write the script.
The Grandma's Favourite Games title is set in a haunted forest and had nearly 150,000 players around the time of the report.
What happened
20th Century Studios is developing a feature film based on 99 Nights in the Forest, the Roblox survival horror game from Grandma's Favourite Games. The film rights were reportedly acquired earlier in 2026 after a competitive bidding process, although that has not been confirmed by the studio itself in the reporting provided. The coverage also notes that the film is being developed within the wider Disney studio family, since 20th Century Studios is part of Disney.
The biggest new development is that Josh Cooley has reportedly been brought in to write the script, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Cooley previously directed Toy Story 4 and Transformers One; Toy Story 4 won an Academy Award, and Cooley was also nominated for an Oscar for Inside Out. That gives the adaptation a writer with experience on major studio films and animation projects, though his involvement is still being presented in the supplied source as reporting rather than a studio announcement.
The game itself takes place in a cursed forest where players must survive 99 nights, fend off monsters, and search for missing children. In GameSpot's report, the title was described as one of the most popular Roblox games, with nearly 150,000 players at the time. The adaptation is also said to be executive produced by developers Alec Kieft, Matthew Hufton, and Cameron Angland.
Timeline
2026: 20th Century Studios reportedly acquires the film rights to 99 Nights in the Forest after a competitive bidding process; no exact date is given.
2026: The adaptation is reportedly executive produced by Alec Kieft, Matthew Hufton, and Cameron Angland, the game's developers.
2026-09-17: GameSpot reports that Josh Cooley has been approached to write the film's script.
2026-09-17: The game is described in the same report as a Roblox hit with nearly 150,000 players.
2026-09-17: The Hollywood Reporter is cited as the source for the script development around Cooley.
Background
99 Nights in the Forest was developed by Grandma's Favourite Games and blends Roblox with survival horror. The core premise is simple but effective: survive 99 nights in a haunted forest while fighting monsters and tracking down missing children. That setup makes it a natural fit for a film adaptation built around tension, survival, and a mysterious woodland setting, although nothing official has been revealed yet about the movie's exact tone or story.
The adaptation also fits into the broader film history of 20th Century Studios, which has previously made video game films based on properties including Hitman and Assassin's Creed. No release date, cast, or production start has been officially announced. The supplied reporting does say the film rights were secured earlier in 2026, but offers no further details on a script, shooting schedule, or distribution plan.
GameSpot also notes that Grow a Garden and Steal a Brainrot have previously been linked to Hollywood development, though those claims are not further confirmed in the supplied sources. For now, 99 Nights in the Forest stands out as a Roblox title that is genuinely moving toward a feature film, while the other mentioned Roblox projects remain less firmly established.
Sources
- GameSpot, based on reporting from The Hollywood Reporter
- The Hollywood Reporter