Johanna Watts Named Director of House of Night Film

Johanna Watts is the new director of the House of Night film, Deadline reported on 22 October 2026. It is the first big-screen adaptation of the young adult fantasy romance series written by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast. For Watts, it is her feature film directing debut.

Watts has directed one short before, Career Girl. She is also in post-production on the feature documentary The Gathering, the stage where footage is edited and finished after filming wraps.

The books have a large readership. Deadline reports that the series has sold more than 31 million copies in more than 40 countries, in 30 languages. The books have spent 153 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List and 424 weeks on USA Today's best-selling books list. Four titles, Awakened, Hunted, Burned and Tempted, reached No. 1.

Victor Hadida is producing for Davis Films, and Molly Hassell is producing for Hassell Free Productions. P.C. Cast is executive producer. The film's behind-the-camera team is taking shape. Denise Chamian is casting director, Clint Wallace is production designer, Mona May is costume designer, Joshua R. Turner is cinematographer and Brett Hodgkinson is first assistant director.

Casting is still in process. Filming is lined up for early 2027.

Sales are also moving. Highland Film Group handles international sales and will continue pre-sales at the American Film Market, known as AFM, the Santa Monica deal market where distributors buy rights to films before they are shot. Pre-sales let a producer raise money by selling a film's rights in individual countries in advance.

The project has changed hands before. Deadline reports it previously went to market with Rain Li attached as director, so the appointment of Watts marks a new creative lead for the production.

The first film is planned as the opening chapter of a franchise, according to The Hollywood Reporter's February 2025 coverage. In a TikTok video from October 2025, P.C. Cast said the film will focus on the books Marked and Betrayed.

What comes next is the casting announcements and the start of shooting in early 2027, which will show how the film takes shape on screen.