Danny and Michael Philippou are turning their breakout feature into a full-fledged franchise. The fraternal Australian duo behind the RackaRacka YouTube channel is teaming up with Meta to bring a Talk To Me spinoff series to Meta Quest VR headsets.
Talk To Me, a surprise horror hit from 2023, centers around a cursed, embalmed hand that allows living users to communicate with the dead. The untitled series, born out of a partnership between Meta, Talk To Me producer Causeway Films, and immersive studio XRTV, will take place on a European island. Across six half-hour episodes, a group of partygoers will discover the cursed hand, use it for the ultimate high, and suffer the consequences. As a press release puts it, it’s “Euphoria with possession.”
The series, shot entirely in 3D, looks to add an innovative original program to Meta’s VR library. The tech giant’s Reality Labs division, which houses its Quest headset line and other related projects, has fallen on hard times. As part of its Q3 2025 earnings report, Meta reported a $4.4 billion loss related to Reality Labs.
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Meta has attempted to use brick-and-mortar retail to sell more wearable tech. Now, it’s applying a familiar strategy to its VR wing: Through partnerships with creators, can Meta make Quest cool?
On one hand, premium pieces of exclusive content have long been must-haves for streaming services. That trend, however, has abated in recent years. Even so, Meta seems to think that big-name projects are the key to Reality Labs’ recovery. That’s why it joined forces with James Cameron last year and why it’s going into business with the Philippous now.
The Philippous don’t just offer name recognition — they’ve also shown an aptitude for innovative horror cinema. When Talk To Me was first announced, the project seemed like a long shot. Could brothers known for edgy pranks and backyard action films really helm a Hollywood movie? By blending simple, elemental horror concepts with a witty, updated screenplay that drew on the creators’ shared career, the Philippous delivered a refreshing flick that ended up as one of the top horror movies of its class.
As Danny and Michael prepare to expand the Talk To Me universe, they’re getting some help from some other individuals with accomplished pedigrees in the world of digital horror. XRTV is led by Darren Brandl and Jack Davis, the Co-Founders of Crypt TV. After selling their spooky media company, Brandl and Davis are breaking into the realm of VR production. To do so, they’re teaming up with their old friends at Meta; some of Crypt TV’s most successful originals premiered on Facebook.
With so many titans of internet terror involved in its production, the Talk To Me spinoff will give Meta high hopes for its Quest headset line. The company needs a win for its VR division, and two groundbreaking Australians are providing the necessary material. That sounds like a better deal than shaking hands with the dead, but I wasn’t cast in Talk To Me, so don’t quote me on that.
