Film Based On Momo Viral Hoax In Development From 'It' Producer

Earlier this year, a 2016 sculpture by Japanese artist Keisuke Aiso took off as part of a bizarre viral hoax called the Momo Challenge. The challenge revolved around a so-called game that encouraged children to endanger or harm themselves. It has since died down on social media, but new reports state that the tale will soon infiltrate the box office.

According to Deadline, the original piece of art revolved around the urban legend of Ubume, which was a venomous bird in Japanese folklore that snatched children. However, as it transitioned from lore to the internet, the story morphed a bit to be more fitting for an electronic audience.

The statue, actually called "Mother Bird," was initially created as part of a 2016 art exhibit in Tokyo, reports Nerdist. Once it made its way to social media and messaging services like WhatsApp, it turned into a story about a woman with popped-out eyes and chicken feet "who appears at random and lures people into her mysterious web game." The shareable nature of the so-called game helped lead to its viral life.

The statue can be seen in the Instagram post below.

The upcoming project is said to unite Roy Lee and Taka Ichise, the same pairing behind "The Grudge" and "The Ring" franchises. Lee is also the producer behind New Line's "It," as well as the upcoming "It: Chapter 2."

There is no word on what the plot involves just yet, so it remains to be seen if it centers on the story that people are already familiar with or if it charts new territory. It has also yet to be determined if the original artist will be involved in any way in the film's production.