The Caretaker, Universal's adaptation of Marcus Kliewer's novel of the same name, is set to be written and directed by David Bruckner, known for The Night House. Sydney Sweeney will headline the upcoming film.

A distressed young woman takes up a caretaking job at a remote house in a coastal area in The Caretaker. There, she is told to follow a number of rules to contain a reality-warping force, which becomes increasingly disturbing. Trouble begins when the force starts slipping beyond her control.

The Caretaker will be produced by Michael Bay and Brad Fuller for Platinum Dunes along with Scott Glassgold for 12:01 Films and Sweeney herself. The former banner has a first-look deal with Universal. Previous drafts of the adaptation were written by Karl Gajdusek and Drew Crevello.

Back in 2022, when Universal won the rights to the property in a bidding war, Sydney became attached to the project. Initially starting out as a short story, Kliewer eventually fleshed it out in his second novel, which is scheduled to be published on April 21. Kliewer made his debut as a novelist with We Used To Live Here in 2024, which was a bestseller that year.

Sweeney recently returned in the third season of HBO’s Euphoria. She has a packed slate that includes film adaptations of the video game OutRun and the iconic anime franchise Gundam. She was recently cast in Edith Wharton’s The Custom of the Country and was confirmed to reprise her role in Paul Feig's The Housemaid's Secret after her role in The Housemaid received acclaim.

Bruckner, a genre filmmaker, is known for The Ritual and multiple instalments of the V/H/S franchise, including 2023’s V/H/S/85. He recently helmed Hulu's reboot of Clive Barker's Hellraiser. He previously directed the psychological thriller The Night House starring Rebecca Hall.