David Dastmalchian is expanding his footprint in the horror space. The actor and producer's banner, Good Fiend Films, is branching into publishing with the launch of a new genre literature division, the company revealed exclusively to Hollywood Buzz News.
The imprint will develop and release novels, novellas and short-form fiction rooted in horror, science fiction and dark fantasy - the same tonal territory Dastmalchian has mined on screen in projects like Late Night with the Devil, The Suicide Squad and Dune. Rather than licensing existing titles, Good Fiend's lit arm is expected to originate material in-house, with an eye toward stories that can eventually migrate to film and television.
For Dastmalchian, the move is less a pivot than a homecoming. Before his screen career took hold, he was a fixture in the Chicago theater scene and a lifelong consumer of pulp paperbacks and horror comics. The new division, according to those familiar with the plans, is designed to give genre writers a home that treats their work as literature rather than disposable tie-in product.
"Genre fiction has always been where the most daring storytelling lives," Dastmalchian said in a statement. "Good Fiend was built to champion the strange, the unsettling and the deeply human, and books are where so much of that tradition begins. I grew up on paperbacks that scared me half to death and never let go. We want to make more of those."
The division will be overseen by a small editorial team that the company is in the process of assembling, with announcements about acquisitions and partnerships expected in the coming months. Good Fiend is said to be weighing both traditional publishing relationships and direct-to-reader releases, a hybrid approach increasingly common among entertainment companies looking to retain control of their intellectual property.
A natural extension of the Good Fiend brand
The launch fits the identity Good Fiend Films has cultivated since its founding. The company has positioned itself as a haven for elevated genre material, and its name signals an affection for the macabre that predates any market trend. Dastmalchian has spoken often about the influence of horror hosts, anthology television and drive-in-era fright fare on his creative sensibility, and the lit division reads as a logical outgrowth of that sensibility rather than an opportunistic diversification.
It also reflects a broader shift in Hollywood, where talent-driven production companies increasingly view publishing as a low-cost, high-upside way to incubate stories before they reach a screen. Novels offer a built-in audience and a proof of concept; a well-received book can arrive at a studio with readers already attached. For a banner like Good Fiend, which operates independently and prizes creative control, that pipeline is especially attractive.
What the imprint is looking for
While specifics remain under wraps, the company has signaled that the new division will prioritize voice-driven work over franchise building. That means debut authors alongside established names, and a willingness to publish material that might be too unusual for mainstream genre imprints. The stated goal is to build a catalog, not a single hit.
Dastmalchian's own writing ambitions may also factor in. He has contributed to comics and anthology projects in the past, and his deep familiarity with the genre's literary roots gives the imprint a credible public face - a rarity in an era when many celebrity-backed publishing ventures amount to little more than a name on a spine.
Observers will be watching to see whether Good Fiend can translate its founder's reputation into a sustainable list. Publishing is a thin-margin business, and independent genre imprints face stiff competition for attention. But the company enters with something many new presses lack: an existing creative network and a clear point of view.
For now, the message from Good Fiend is straightforward. The strange stories are coming, and they will arrive first on the page.
Source: Hollywood Reporter