The viral YouTube hit “Open Door,” a three-minute short by Kevin Cate, will be adpated into a feature-length film by Rick Kearney and Cate’s Clinging Vine Films. The pair also recently adapted Cate’s “Unbearable Christmas.”
“Open Door,” which has amassed nearly 15 million views on social media so far, documents the elevator ride from hell that two people share.
“I literally can’t go a day without someone asking me what our characters saw down there,” Cate said in a statement shared by Variety. “And I really, really can’t wait to show everyone — and give some hints along the way … We are ride or die with our original cast and crew who made this all happen.”
“And we’ve written some of the most incredible roles to make this a next-level project,” Cate added. “Right now, it’s just a matter of showing the demand and finding our village.”
Sharing news of the feature adaptation himself on social media Friday, Cate said, “Only in my wildest dreams.”
The short is also available for streaming on its official site. The website notes the feature does not yet have a release date, but could be released as soon as 2027.
The movie will come after the success of “Backrooms” and “Obsession,” which were both hatched from popular YouTube videos. “Backrooms” director Kane Parsons has since become the youngest director to top the box office and “Obsession” has become the highest-grossing movie acquired out of a film festival.
If Cate’s name sounds familiar, it might be because he previously worked as a Democratic consultant and campaign spokesperson for then-candidate Barack Obama in 2008. His father is WFLA anchor Keith Cate.
