Popkin Productions Reunites Creative Team for Gruesome Body Horror Film 'Meatballs'

Popkin Productions is set to push the boundaries of independent horror with their upcoming feature film 'Meatballs', reuniting production designer Hojin Lee with founder Benjamin T. Popkin after their critically acclaimed work on 'The Monkey's Paw'.

The film promises a visceral exploration of body horror, tracking two roommates undergoing grotesque physical transformations after exposure to a bioweapon. Lee's role will be critical in translating the narrative's psychological decay through meticulously designed visual elements, transforming an ordinary apartment into a landscape of biological nightmare.

Lee's previous collaboration with Popkin on 'The Monkey's Paw' demonstrated her ability to create compelling horror environments with limited resources. The short film received an impressive 8.9/10 rating on IMDb and garnered recognition at multiple film festivals, including the Follywood Film Festival and Shockfest.

The production timeline is tightly structured, with pre-production scheduled from November 15 to December 31, 2025, followed by a production period from January 1 to February 10, 2026, and a brief post-production phase concluding on February 15, 2026.

Lee's approach to the project emphasizes the transformative potential of production design, viewing the decaying apartment as a character in its own right. Her creative strategy involves close collaboration with practical effects, makeup, and cinematography teams to ensure a cohesive and immersive horror experience.

By focusing on the subtle and progressive deterioration of both physical space and human form, 'Meatballs' appears poised to offer a unique and unsettling exploration of bodily transformation and psychological disintegration.