EXCLUSIVE: Sonja O’Hara has emerged as the inaugural grand prize winner of a new writing competition, aimed at discovering commercially viable short stories for feature adaptation, from Roadmap Writers, a program founded by Joey Tuccio and Dorian Connelley that connects emerging writers with industry professionals, and Ben Everard’s Everard Entertainment (Netflix’s Yes Day and Family Switch).

Selected from thousands of submissions, O’Hara’s short story “Slay” will be optioned by Everard Entertainment for development. She developed the title alongside Scott Glassgold of 12:01 Films, who in recent years has emerged as a major force in selling short stories for feature adaptations, and will serve as a producer on the project.

In “Slay,” a successful lawyer’s dream protégé becomes her worst nightmare when the woman she hires begins copying her life — and won’t stop until she replaces her completely. Inspired by O’Hara’s real-life experience, the story blends psychological thriller with body horror in the vein of Single White Female meets Gone Girl. Drawing from a stranger-than-fiction personal history, O’Hara —an Emmy-nominated, queer, Canadian filmmaker — explores the psychological and physical violation of seeing herself replicated after a real-life girlfriend underwent plastic surgery to mirror her exact likeness.

O;Hara, who just finished co-directing her sophomore feature Snare this month, shared that her agent, David Boxerbaum of Verve encouraged her to write “Slay” after hearing about her experience.

In a statement on the option, Ben Everard said, “Sonja’s genre instincts in both concept and execution jumped off the page – her short story Slay has all the ingredients necessary for adaptation into a successful feature film. I’m thrilled to help bring it to life with her.”

In addition to Verve, the writer is repped by Anonymous Content and Fox Rothschild.

Founded in 2023, Everard Entertainment’s upcoming slate includes Apple/Skydance’s Way of the Warrior Kid starring Chris Pratt, as well as Amazon MGM’s The Man with the Bag, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Alan Ritchson, and Awkwafina.

Notable recent projects set up by Glassgold include Long Lost at Universal with Steven Spielberg, The Dwelling at Amazon with Michael B Jordan, Ripped at 20th Century with The Rock, After Shock at Lionsgate with Brand Sklenar, The Occupant at New Line Cinema with Zach Cregger, Code Black at Amazon with Jake Gyllenhaal, and The Caretaker with Sydney Sweeney, to name just a few. Up next for him is Drew Hancock’s Amazon MGM film My Wife and I Bought a Ranch, based on the acclaimed short story and subsequent novel by Harrison & Matt Query. Glassgold is repped by Verve and Jeff Frankel.