Rooster Teeth founders reunite for Christmas horror-comedy Bad Toys

Rooster Teeth founders Matt Hullum and Burnie Burns are reuniting for "Bad Toys," a Christmas horror-comedy now in development, Variety reported on 8 October 2026.

Hullum will write and direct. Burns will serve as executive producer, a senior role that usually involves guiding and backing a project rather than running the daily shoot. Suzanne Weinert of Flatiron Pictures will produce.

The story draws on medieval Christmas elf folklore. That means the older, wilder legends behind the modern idea of Santa's helpers. Pre-production, the phase when casting, crew, sets and schedules are organised, is expected to begin in early 2027. The plan is a cinema release around Christmastime in 2027.

For fans, this means a familiar partnership back at work. Hullum and Burns launched Rooster Teeth together in 2003, according to Variety. Its flagship web series was "Red vs. Blue," a low-budget comedy made with video game footage that built a large online audience.

The company changed hands after that early run. Otter Media acquired Rooster Teeth in 2015. Burns exited in 2019. Rooster Teeth closed in 2024.

The brand then returned. In 2025, Burns bought Rooster Teeth back from Warner Bros. and revived it, Variety reported.

What makes this stand out is the timing. The pair are developing an original holiday film for theatres, with more than a year of preparation built into the calendar before its planned 2027 opening.