Young adult romance is getting a spooky spin this Halloween with the release of Girl Haunts Boy. Released today on Netflix and VOD platforms after initially targeting a Max release, the new film stars Michael Cimino as the lonely teenage Cole whose life is turned upside down after the death of his father. Forced to move with his mother to a new town and a new house, he has almost no one to turn to until he makes a shocking discovery in his bedroom. The ghost of a 17-year-old girl named Bea (Peyton List) has been trapped in the room since the 1920s through the power of a magic ring. Collider is excited to share a sneak peek that shows the exact moment Cole finds the ring and gets the scare of his life as Bea manifests before him.
In the footage, Cole appears to be getting ready for school with his backpack on until he steps on something painful on the floor. He looks down to find the ring with green jewels that sparkle in the sunlight and decides to put it on. Upon fitting it on his hand, Bea rises behind him and gets him to jump when she comments on the ring. He realizes that he can only hear and see her when putting her ring on, a fact that leaves her mildly annoyed when he keeps taking it off. His initial fright turns into complete terror when he pulls out an old photo album that was left in the house and finds a black and white photo of Bea from before she shuffled off this mortal coil. At first, trying to defend himself with a ruler, Cole ultimately decides to give Bea a chance and keep the ring on, which marks the official beginning of their new kinship.
As Cole and Bea get to know each other and share their love of music, Girl Haunts Boy will blossom from a ghost story into a love story between two lonely teens who have nobody left to turn to. Trapped by the cursed ring, Bea isn't going anywhere and Cole is still adjusting to life in a new home, so they couldn't have found each other at a better time. However, when Cole finds the key to finally releasing his ghostly girlfriend, he'll have to decide whether to keep Bea with him or release her to the afterlife at last. It sets up an emotional story all about loving and letting go, with comparisons to other beloved young adult tales like My Life with the Walter Boys and The Dead Romantics.
'Girl Haunts Boy' Is Getting a Novel That Expands on the Film
Production banners A Fifth Season and Wonder Worldwide teamed to produce Girl Haunts Boy, with Emily Ting directing the project. Ting is familiar with tackling YA projects, previously directing Netflix's Tall Girl 2 and the award-winning coming-of-age story Go Back to China. She gets to direct a YA favorite in List, who has School Spirits and Cobra Kai under her belt, among other roles. Girl Haunts Boy won't just be a movie, however. Cesar Vitale, who penned the screenplay, also wrote a tie-in novel set to release just before Halloween. Though it'll tell the same story, it also promises to flesh out the world of Bea and Cole beyond the screen.
Girl Haunts Boy is now streaming on Netflix and can be found through VOD. The tie-in novelization will hit Amazon on October 22. Check out our exclusive sneak peek by clicking the link above.
