One of the most popular games on the Roblox platform — 99 Nights in the Forest — is set to be adapted into a feature film. 20th Century Studios has greenlit a film adaptation of the game, with the screenplay to be written by Oscar-winner Josh Cooley, best known as the director of *Toy Story 4* and *Transformers: The Beginning*. Sam Raimi, the creator of *The Evil Dead*, has also joined the project, though not as a screenwriter — he will serve as a producer alongside Rob Tapert.
- '99 Nights in the Forest' is to be made into a film.
- The screenplay will be written by Josh Cooley.
- Sam Raimi is to become a producer.
- The film will feature live-action actors.
- The release date has not yet been announced.
20th Century Studios is adapting the Roblox hit for the big screen
Film adaptation rights 99 Nights in the Forest 20th Century Studios acquired the project back in the spring of 2026 following a competitive bidding process. At that time, neither the screenwriter nor the director had yet been appointed. It has now emerged that the studio has invited Josh Cooley to write the screenplay for the forthcoming film.
Cully won an Oscar for *Toy Story 4*, and his last major directorial project was an animated film «Transformers: The Beginning».
The project is planned to be filmed in the format live-action, that is, with live-action actors, rather than as an animated film. It has not yet been announced who will take the director’s chair.
Sam Raimi is to produce the film
One of the most prominent names in the team has become Sam Raimi — director of the original trilogy «Spider-Man» and the cult horror series *The Evil Dead*.
Reimi, together with her long-standing partner Rob Taper will produce the film through Ghost House Pictures. The creators of the game itself — Alec Kift, Matthew Hafton and Cameron Angland from Grandma’s Favourite Games — will also serve as executive producers. Meanwhile, Sam Raimi has not yet been announced as the film’s director.
What is 99 Nights in the Forest about?
99 Nights in the Forest was released on Roblox in March 2025 and combines elements of survival, horror and co-operative gameplay.
Players find themselves in a spooky forest, where they must hold out for 99 nights, set up camp, gather resources and rescue four missing children. However, as night falls, the forest becomes much more dangerous. Players face off against aggressive creatures, cultists and a mysterious monster deer. It is this blend of survival and horror that has made the game extremely popular amongst Roblox users.
The game has attracted nearly 26 billion visits
The popularity of 99 Nights in the Forest has been one of the main reasons for Hollywood’s interest. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the game has already attracted almost 26 billion visits and is one of the most popular projects in Roblox’s history — it ranks seventh in terms of the total number of sessions played. At one point, the peak number of concurrent players reached approximately 14.2 million players, which was also one of the highest figures on the platform.
For 20th Century Studios, this will be the first feature-length film adaptation of a video game, which is being developed directly by the department.
When will the film be released?
The project is at an early stage of development. The start date for filming, the cast and the release date have not yet been announced. It is also unclear to what extent the forthcoming film will follow the game’s plot. All that is known is that it will be set in the game’s world — a dangerous forest, where the aim is to survive for 99 nights and search for the missing children.
Given Sam Raimi’s involvement and the live-action format, the film adaptation may place greater emphasis on the horror element of the original game; however, the studio has not yet revealed any specific creative decisions.
