Bill Hader's self-directed horror film They Know wrapped production this May and is currently undergoing sound mixing. The film will subsequently be screened for potential distributors, but the distribution company and release date have not yet been determined. This marks Hader's feature directorial debut, with Linda Cardellini also starring in the film.
The current plot synopsis reveals that Hader plays a divorced father who gradually begins to suspect that a mysterious man secretly dating his ex-wife is exerting some kind of abnormal influence on their children. The concept for the film originated from discussions between Hader and his long-time collaborator Duffy Boudreau about their experiences with divorce, leading them to imagine the worst-case scenarios for divorced families.
Hader stated that they wrote multiple versions, but early drafts often fell into typical horror tropes after the opening, causing the project to be shelved for a time. Later, inspired by Ari Aster's Eddington and Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Clouds, he completed the screenplay anew.
During filming, a scene originally planned to be shot with four or five cuts was changed to a single long take due to Cadellini's performance during rehearsals. The film also held several private screenings for friends and family, including one for Zach Cregger. Alfonso Cuarón offered encouragement to Hader, who also communicated with Steven Spielberg before production began. The film is currently in post-production and seeking a distributor.