The Blumhouse formula is incredibly simple on paper, and it’s proven to be just as straightforward in practice. The horror hit factory takes an unproven, unknown or relatively untested director, hands them a small budget and gives them the creative freedom to tell a story however they see fit.
The approach has yielded billions of box office dollars, several major franchises and even some awards season recognition, with Jordan Peele’s Get Out responsible for the latter. The filmmaker was best known as one half of a sketch comedy duo when he moved behind the camera, but delivered one of the most memorable genre films in recent memory.
Psychological, sociopolitical, scary and often funny, Get Out won rave reviews from critics and audiences alike, earning $255 million at the box office on a budget under $5 million. The movie also nabbed Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor, with Peele claiming the Best Original Screenplay trophy.
In a new interview with Collider, Jason Blum explained why Get Out is the perfect representation of what he wants his production company to accomplish.
“At best, it’s the ultimate of what I’m trying to do. It’s low budget. It’s a director, who at the time, nobody believed in. It’s scary, it’s entertaining, it’s well acted. And it has something to say. I mean, it’s like the perfect Blumhouse movie in every way.”
Any budding filmmaker would look at the success of Get Out and jump at the opportunity to helm a Blumhouse feature, which is part of the reason why Blum has gained a well-earned reputation as one of the 21st Century’s most influential and easy to work with producers.