TikTok’s Savannah Moss Is Developing a ‘Jeff the Killer’ Movie

Internet horror lore has spent nearly two decades feeding some of the most unsettling corners of online storytelling, and creepypasta characters like Jeff the Killer have remained a fixture of that genre since their earliest days.

First introduced online back in 2008, Jeff the Killer became one of the internet’s most recognizable horror icons, depicted as a heavily disfigured teenage serial killer with pale skin, hollow black eyes, and a permanent smile carved into his face.

That kind of internet-born mythology has increasingly found its way onto the big screen in recent years, following a broader trend of studios adapting viral horror stories into feature films, a pattern accelerated by A24’s success bringing “Backrooms” to theaters. Now, Jeff the Killer appears to be next in line for that same treatment.

According to TheWrap, a movie based on Jeff the Killer is officially in development, with creator-led studio Tongal partnering directly with TikTok filmmaker Savanah Moss to bring the character to the screen. Moss, who boasts 11.4 million followers on the platform, will serve as a producer on the project, helping shape its creative direction while working with Tongal to involve emerging filmmakers and her own online community throughout the development process.

Moss brings a distinctive creative background to the project, best known for blending horror and comedy in her viral “fever dream” videos built around unexpected twists and inventive camerawork. She’s also written, co-directed, and starred in the short film “Funny Bunny,” which screened at several notable genre festivals, including the International Horror & Sci-Fi Film Festival and HollyShorts Film Festival.

For Moss, adapting Jeff the Killer carries genuine nostalgic weight. She shared that she grew up reading Jeff the Killer alongside other creepypasta horror stories, giving her a personal connection to the material that goes beyond simply capitalizing on its internet notoriety, according to TheWrap.

That personal investment in the character’s lore could prove significant given how much Jeff the Killer’s backstory has shifted and evolved across different retellings since its original publication as a fan-made creepypasta in 2011. Rather than sticking rigidly to one version of the mythology, Moss’s involvement suggests the adaptation may lean into reinterpreting the character in a way that reflects her own creative sensibilities.

Unlike a traditional studio-driven adaptation, Tongal’s collaborative model means the project is actively inviting outside creative input from the start. The first open project tied to the film is already live, allowing creatives from around the world to pitch character concepts through Tongal’s platform, giving fans of the original creepypasta a genuine opportunity to shape how the film ultimately takes form.

That approach fits neatly with the character’s own decentralized, internet-born origins, given that Jeff the Killer’s mythology has always been shaped collectively by countless fan contributions rather than a single defined creator. With Moss now leading the project’s creative direction and the community-driven pitching process already underway, the adaptation appears positioned to honor that grassroots history rather than smoothing it into a more conventional studio horror film.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!