Recent UCLA film school graduate Tim Schechmeister has spent the last few months on the festival circuit with Viral, the horror short film he wrote with his brother Matt.  Schechmeister met Stephen Susco (writer of The Grudge and its sequel) at a screenwriting event in the summer, and handed him a business card with a link to the short.  Susco was impressed, and showed it to his Grudge producer Roy Lee.  Lee brought fellow producer Lawrence Grey in to pitch it to Screen Gems, who has now picked up the rights to adapt the short into a feature-length movie.  The system works!  The Schechmeister brothers will write the film, with Tim set to direct again.  Susco, Lee, and Grey will produce alongside John Middleton.

Viral is an 11-minute tale about a cyberbully that incorporates supernatural elements.  Hit the jump more info on the short, plus a trailer.