Blumhouse and IDW Announce New Horror Comics Based on M3GAN, THE PURGE, and HAPPY DEATH DAY

Blumhouse is bringing some of its biggest horror franchises into the comic book world! The studio has teamed up with IDW Publishing for a new lineup of horror comics based on The Purge, M3GAN, and Happy Death Day, giving fans more stories featuring the characters from these fun horror stories.

The new comics will be released under the IDW Dark imprint, and according to Entertainment Weekly, the partnership has been in development for more than a year.

IDW Dark lead editor Heather Antos explained why the collaboration makes so much sense for both companies. “They have so many great franchises and titles and filmmakers and characters of which there is so much room to tell additional stories,” she says.

The first comic out of the gate will be The Purge, with Eisner Award-winning writer Dan Watters (Batman: Dark Patterns, TMNT: Shredder) teaming up with artist Juan José Ryp (Wolverine: Blood Hunt, Ghost Rider: Vengeance Forever).

The franchise, which began in 2013, takes place in a version of America where all crime, including murder, becomes legal for one night each year. The original film spawned four sequels and a television series, leaving plenty of room for more twisted stories.

Watters, who is a massive horror fan, was particularly excited about getting his hands on the franchise: “I’m a really big horror nerd. It was my entry point into comics and geeky stuff to begin with.

“I can’t tell you anything about Star Trek, can’t tell you anything about Star Wars, but I can tell you about every Friday the 13th movie and I can rank them for you. So once we started talking about the fact that there was this Blumhouse stuff in the works, I immediately went, ‘Well, what about Purge?’”

The creative team isn't revealing much about the story just yet, but Antos confirmed that readers will be visiting an entirely new location.

“What we’re doing is an entirely new place and a new town, new environment than we’ve gotten to see explored in the Purge universe so far.”

One thing the team wants to preserve is the franchise's moral perspective. The people participating in Purge Night aren't supposed to be celebrated, even if they believe their actions are justified.

“They are the bad guys,” Antos says, “and they need to remain the bad guys in the story. That’s one of the things that excited both Dan and myself in exploring this world: finding different angles of the types of people who would engage in Purge Night and how they might not view themselves as the villains.”

Watters also sees comics as an opportunity to explore the psychological side of Purge Night, giving readers access to characters' thoughts in ways the films haven't.

“It’s something that is affecting everyone in the country at the same time, one night a year,” he says of Purge Night. “There’s so many things to deal with, so many things you have to do.”

Next up is Happy Death Day, which will get a new comic written by New York Times bestselling author Tim Seeley (Hack/Slash, Venom War: Deadpool).

Antos actually met with director Christopher Landon to discuss the future of the franchise, including his ideas for a potential third movie.

“He got to tell me exactly what his plan is for Happy Death Day 3, should they ever get to do it,” Antos shares. “Are there ways in the comics that we can lean into that while also leaving room for them to tell the story that they want to tell should they get to?”

The comic could explore new stories while making sure it doesn't interfere with Landon's plans if that third film ever happens.

Then there's M3GAN, Blumhouse's dancing killer android, who could be heading into some hilarious new territory.

Antos describes the character as “a comic book superstar,” and it's easy to see why. While the original M3GAN was a box office hit, M3GAN 2.0 struggled in theaters in 2025, and the planned film spin-off SOULM8TE was shifted to a digital home release.

But Blumhouse clearly sees more potential in the character, and Antos has some fun ideas about where to take her next.

“The world needs more M3GAN stories,” Antos says. “She can do anything and go anywhere that we want her to. She has that uncanny valley appeal to her that works really, really well in the horror franchise.

“She is Katie’s companion. As Katie continues to get older, M3GAN is going to have to go with her to different things. So that means high school, that means all the things that go along with high school.”

Yes, we could eventually see M3GAN dealing with high school drama, which sounds like a perfect opportunity for the killer doll to cause some serious trouble.

Antos even has one particular event in mind, sharing: “I really want M3GAN at prom,” Antos replies. “I don’t know if we’ll get to do that, but I just personally want that. We’re talking with a writer that I think folks are gonna be really excited to see their name appear alongside M3GAN.”

M3GAN at prom? I'd absolutely read that comic! Just imagine her dealing with jealous classmates, awkward dates, and all the ridiculous teenage drama. Someone would probably end up having a very bad night.

The partnership also extends beyond adapting Blumhouse movies into comics. The studio is developing a live-action film based on Hannah Rose May's IDW Dark comic The Exorcism at 1600 Penn.

Blumhouse is also working on both a live-action movie and an adult animated series based on BOOM! Studios' Something Is Killing the Children. Meanwhile, IDW has already explored movie-inspired horror comics with franchises like A Quiet Place and Smile.

IDW CEO Davidi Jonas shared his excitement about the new collaboration: “Quality storytelling experiences are always our top priority at IDW, so partnering with Blumhouse to expand our horror imprint was truly a no-brainer decision.

“Working with Blumhouse to continue exploring the compelling potential of their modern classics within the pages of the comics is a tremendous honor and the creative conversations have been exciting. I can’t wait for fans to feast their eyes on these stories.”

Additional creative teams and release dates haven't been announced yet, but this sounds like a fun way to keep these horror franchises alive while exploring stories that might never make it to the big screen.