Who Wrote The Lights Out Screenplay And What Else Did They Write?

Huge fan of the Lights Out horror short and film adaptation. Curious about other creepy screenplays the same writer or director has done.
2025-08-31 01:26:31
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ConnorRed
ConnorRed
Sharp Observer Librarian
That would be Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. They wrote the initial 'Lights Out' short film script, then expanded it into the feature with director David F. Sandberg. Both have worked on other horror projects like 'A Quiet Place' and 'Haunt'. For a real deep dive into a writer's process, I got hooked on 'Naked Scripts', a web novel about a ghostwriter in Hollywood who begins finding eerie, unfinished screenplays that start predicting real-life tragedies. It's less about jump scares and more about the creeping dread of the creative process itself.
2026-08-06 07:59:25
72
Reagan
Reagan
Ending Guesser Receptionist
Quick and casual: the screenplay for the 2016 movie 'Lights Out' was written by Eric Heisserer — he adapted the short by David F. Sandberg. Heisserer went on to write 'Arrival' (the Ted Chiang adaptation that got Oscar love) and Netflix’s 'Bird Box', and he also has credits on films like 'Final Destination 5'. David F. Sandberg, who made the original short, later directed larger studio films like 'Annabelle: Creation' and 'Shazam!'. If you liked the scares, check out Heisserer’s other work for similar vibes.
2025-09-01 15:42:11
14
Xena
Xena
Bookworm Data Analyst
I was watching a horror movie marathon last month and got curious: the feature screenplay for 'Lights Out' (2016) is by Eric Heisserer. He took David F. Sandberg’s short and expanded it into a full-length scary movie, keeping that flicker-of-light tension that made the short go viral.

Heisserer isn’t just a one-trick horror writer — he adapted 'Arrival', which is way more cerebral and got him an Oscar nod, and he also wrote the screenplay for 'Bird Box', which blew up on Netflix. He’s pulled off both tight, jump-scare horror and big, emotional sci-fi, and you can see those instincts in how 'Lights Out' balances family drama with supernatural chills. Fun to trace his touch across different genres.
2025-09-03 17:18:22
3
Emily
Emily
Active Reader UX Designer
I'm a big fan of horror shorts turned into features, so this one sticks out: the screenplay for the 2016 film 'Lights Out' was written by Eric Heisserer, adapted from a creepy short by David F. Sandberg. Sandberg created the original 2013 short also called 'Lights Out' and his simple-but-effective concept is what launched the whole thing, but the actual feature screenplay credit goes to Heisserer.

Eric Heisserer has done more than just that one horror script. He adapted the heart-wrenching sci-fi film 'Arrival' (based on Ted Chiang’s 'Story of Your Life'), which got him an Academy Award nomination, and he wrote the Netflix thriller 'Bird Box' (adapted from Josh Malerman’s novel). Earlier in his career he also worked on the horror franchise side, like 'Final Destination 5'. Meanwhile, Sandberg moved into directing bigger studio films — he directed 'Annabelle: Creation' and later 'Shazam!'. If you love seeing where a tiny idea can grow into a major movie, the pair of Sandberg’s concept and Heisserer’s script is a cool case study.
2025-09-04 02:26:53
21
Olive
Olive
Ending Guesser Translator
Sometimes I enjoy tracing a movie back to its writer to see what patterns show up. The person credited with the screenplay for the theatrical 'Lights Out' is Eric Heisserer. Heisserer took the viral short by David F. Sandberg and developed it into a full script for the 2016 film; Sandberg himself is the short’s creator and directed the feature, but Heisserer shaped the longer narrative.

Heisserer’s other notable projects reveal why studios tapped him: he adapted the nuanced, non-linear short story into the film 'Arrival', earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. He also adapted Josh Malerman’s novel into 'Bird Box' for Netflix, and earlier on he wrote for franchise horror, including 'Final Destination 5'. If you like comparing a writer’s thematic fingerprints, Heisserer often gravitates toward tense human stories filtered through high-concept situations — monsters, invisible threats, or time-bending communication — which is why he’s a go-to for both horror and thoughtful sci-fi.
2025-09-05 06:45:09
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