Rooster Teeth founders Matt Hullum and Burnie Burns have teamed up for a new Christmas horror comedy, “Bad Toys,” currently in development.
Hullum serves as writer-director, while Burns serves as executive producer. According to an official description, “Bad Toys” draws inspiration from “medieval Christmas elf folklore” and asks, “What if a mischievous Christmas elf brought you what you wanted when you were nice, but made you regret what you asked for if you were naughty?”
Pre-production is expected to begin in early 2027, and “Bad Toys” is currently scheduled to hit theaters around Christmas of that year. Suzanne Weinert of Flatiron Pictures is producing.
“During the holidays, my wife loves to prank us by hiding Christmas elf dolls in unexpected places – including in the knife drawer – and has given me quite a few scares over the years!” Hullum said. “I began researching the ancient traditions of elves, primarily Scandinavian, and discovered that there was a rich and bizarre history of mischievous, even deadly, elves dating back centuries. ‘Bad Toys’ is my take on transforming these spooky old fairy tales into a modern holiday adventure…and an excuse to catch up with some of my Rooster Teeth family and our millions of fans on YouTube and around the world.”
Rooster Teeth, launched in 2003, is an online entertainment label that quickly became a staple of early YouTube culture thanks to the success of its flagship web series “Red vs. Blue” and spin-off channels like Achievement Hunter. The company was acquired by Otter Media in 2015, which in turn was acquired by AT&T and then Warner Bros. Burns left Rooster Teeth in 2019, and the company closed in 2024. In 2025, Burns came out of retirement to repurchase Rooster Teeth from Warner Bros.
“The moment I heard Matt was starting a new project,” Burns added, “I jumped at the chance to collaborate again. It’s always an honor to work together, and I can’t wait to help him bring his creative vision for ‘Bad Toys’ to the screen.”
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