In 2008, the film DEADGIRL stunned audiences with its audacity, becoming an instant cult classic. Directed by Marcel Sarmiento and Gadi Harel, from a script by Trent Haaga, DEADGIRL shocked festival audiences, outraged religious groups, and was almost deemed too controversial to release.
Now, nearly two decades later, DEADGIRL is being reimagined as a novel. Set to release on May 6, 2025, Award winning author Bridgett Nelson takes Haaga’s script and expands one key element of the script: The Deadgirl herself.
“The performances were top-notch, the storyline compelling.” Bridgett explains, “But it was the Deadgirl herself, this long-abandoned young woman in the dungeonlike sub-basement of a mental health facility, that crept into my brain and took up real estate. For years. Who was she? How did she get there? What was her story?”
When two high school misfits—bound by boredom and adolescent hunger—ditch class to slip beyond the rusted doors of an abandoned hospital, they stumble upon a gruesome secret that will shatter their innocence and test the limits of their sanity: a woman, stripped bare and chained to a table.
She’s abandoned. She’s beautiful. She’s dead… or is she?
Celebrated author Bridgett Nelson breathes new life into Trent Haaga’s infamous, unholy fever dream—a harrowing exploration of intimacy, morality, and the horrors of growing up. DEADGIRL is a grotesque coming-of-age nightmare that peels back the skin of innocence to expose the raw, throbbing horror beneath.
You can look away. You can tell yourself it’s only a story. You may deny what it reveals about you.
But DEADGIRL will still be there—waiting.
“This is fundamentally a morality play with some uncomfortable gender politics in it—the Deadgirl is a thing that comes out of nowhere and interrupts the dynamic and reveals hidden truths.” says Trent Haaga, “I already told my story, and the fact that someone else wants to play in that sandbox is a great indicator of its validity. I’m flattered and honored that my little screenplay that I thought no one would ever make has taken on a life outside of the cinema.”
“When Bridgett approached us about making this happen, I thought her approach was interesting and something worth exploring,” says Sean Duregger, Managing Editor of Encyclopocalypse, “Love it or hate it, DEADGIRL has never failed to spark conversation. I think Bridgett took Haaga’s wonderful script and brought it into the literary world expanding and enhancing the original story the way all the best novelizations do.”
The novelization also includes forewords by the main actors Shiloh Fernandez (Rickie) and Noah Segan (JT) and features an original short story by author Jeff Strand.
“What Bridgett has done is humanize a character whose humanity was stolen. In doing so, she added a new layer of horror, but also one of sympathy,” Noah Segan reflects after reading the novelization.
Actor Shiloh Fernandez had this to say about Bridgett’s adaptation of DEADGIRL, “I believe this novel will resonate more powerfully today as society grapples with increasingly polarized debates about ethics, consent, and the essence of human nature.”
Deadgirl: The Novelization will be available wherever books are sold on May 6, 2025, with pre-order links available now exclusively from Encyclopocalypse.com, International and third-party pre-order links will be available soon.
There are two versions available: a standard Trade size and a pocket-sized Mass-Market version reflecting the publisher’s love of novelizations from the 80s and early 90s.
eBook pre-orders are available for everyone via encyclopocalypse.com and will be populating major online booksellers, including Amazon and Barnes and Noble, within the next 2 weeks.
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Hey there, I’m Jim and I’m located in London, UK. I am a Writer and Managing Director here at Grimoire of Horror. A lifelong love of horror and writing has led me down this rabbit hole, allowing me to meet many amazing people and experience some truly original artwork. I specialise in world cinema, manga/graphic novels, and video games but will sometime traverse into the unknown in search of adventure.