One of the simple truths of social media and internet culture is that someone is always trying to raise the bar. People will do anything to gain more fame and followers. And we do mean anything. With that in mind, io9 is excited to exclusively debut the trailer for the new horror film Followed. Followed unfolds entirely on a computer screen as a rising vlogger named “DropTheMike” decides to film inside a haunted hotel. He thinks it’s all a joke at first—but obviously, he quickly realizes it’s not. The film hits select theaters April 10 and you can check out the trailer above. Though the film is fictional, it’s loosely based on the real-life Cecil Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, California. Though that hotel isn’t “haunted’ per se, it has earned an infamous reputation because of the many violent crimes and suicides have unfortunately occurred there over the years; it was said to be a residence of serial killer Richard Ramirez, aka the Night Stalker, and it’s where the mysterious Elisa Lam case happened in 2013. And when that kind of thing becomes the standard, obviously, the mythology and stories grow. Connecting that with a story about the dangers of celebrity, YouTube, and all of the pitfalls of social media seems like a very intriguing cross-section. Followed is directed by Antoine Le, written by Todd Klick, and produced by Matthew Ryan Brewbaker, all of whom are making their feature film debuts. Matthew Solomon plays DropTheMike. It opens April 10 and more info is available on areyoufollowed.com. For more, make sure you’re following us on our Instagram @io9dotcom.
