TriStar Pictures acquires feature film rights to Trevor Henderson’s viral “Cartoon Cat”

TriStar Pictures has acquired feature film rights to Trevor Henderson’s viral internet IP “Cartoon Cat,” in a deal announced Tuesday by Deadline. The studio optioned the project through what the trade describes as a pre-emptive agreement, positioning the property for development as a feature film under TriStar’s banner.

Deadline reported that the Cartoon Cat acquisition comes after Henderson’s “Siren Head” was sold to Warner Bros. “in a massive bidding war,” according to the same report. Together, the two deals point to a rapid shift of Henderson’s creature-and-horror-themed online artwork into mainstream feature packaging, with major studios competing for film-ready brand recognition.

The announcement frames Cartoon Cat as Henderson’s latest IP to convert from viral internet circulation to studio development. Henderson, whose work has circulated widely online, has built a portfolio of fictional entities that have drawn attention for their distinct visual style and the lore that creators and audiences have extended through discussion and fan-made content.

While Deadline did not specify creative details such as who will direct or which writer(s) will adapt the material, the report characterizes the TriStar transaction as the feature-film “rights” acquisition rather than a limited release or a short-form commitment. That distinction matters for investors and production planning because feature rights typically determine who controls adaptation, development, and downstream theatrical distribution (subject to separate terms such as financing and casting).

TriStar’s move also reflects the studio’s interest in building genre slates with recognizable digital-origin properties. Digital-native IP can carry built-in audience awareness, but studios also face the operational questions that come with adaptation, including how to translate existing visual trademarks into a script, how to establish continuity with any established fan lore, and how to manage the rights and responsibilities that accompany a creator-led brand ecosystem.

Deadline’s report also indicates the Cartoon Cat deal is Henderson’s second feature film transaction, with the Siren Head sale to Warner Bros serving as the immediate precedent. That sequence suggests studios are treating Henderson’s catalog as a pipeline of development opportunities rather than a one-off licensing event.

A TriStar spokesperson was not quoted in the Deadline report, and no timetable for production was included. For now, the next step for the project is development under TriStar’s control, including selection of production leadership, securing any additional rights needed for ancillary elements, and drafting a feature script that aligns with the property’s established audience expectations while meeting studio production standards.