The collaborative effort behind the Mandela Catalogue film sees its original creator, Alex Kister, taking the director's chair. Kister also co-wrote the screenplay alongside Tyler Clifton. This major cinematic undertaking was the subject of a fierce bidding war, with the trio of studios — United Artists, Amazon MGM Studios, and Amblin — ultimately securing the rights over 11 other interested parties.

The Mandela Catalogue YouTube series has garnered immense popularity, amassing over 100 million views across its official episodes and establishing itself as a defining title within the analog horror genre, alongside other notable properties like Local 58 and The Backrooms. Launched in 2021, the series plunges viewers into the fictional Mandela County, Wisconsin, where the populace faces an existential threat from sinister, shape-shifting entities known as Alternates.

Producing the feature are Steven Spielberg and Holly Bario for Amblin Entertainment, Aaron B. Koontz for Paper Street Pictures, and Scott Stuber and Nick Nesbitt representing United Artists. Alex Kister and Tyler Clifton are also credited as producers. Oversight for the project will be managed by Annie McCreery for United Artists and Maria Fortese for Amblin.

The June 9, 2028 release date currently has Mandela Catalogue sharing the calendar with an untitled Universal event movie. This move by Hollywood reflects a growing trend, capitalizing on the recent box-office success of other YouTube-born genre titles. Films like Curry Barker’s Obsession ($512 million global) and Kane Parson’s Backrooms ($394.1 million global) have demonstrated significant appeal, particularly among Gen-Z audiences, fueling the industry's drive to bring such digital phenomena to the big screen.