Good Girl Productions frames this as a perfect creative match, highlighting Dorfman’s visionary direction and Josephs’ trust in the adaptation process.
Insiders are buzzing about the genre pivot for Dorfman, who is moving from acting to behind-the-camera control for a body horror story that sounds genuinely terrifying.
The book 'Carrying' releases Oct. 6 via Putnam/Penguin Random House. Josephs confirmed: 'I know my baby is safe in Tommy’s capable hands.' Dorfman launched Good Girl Productions in 2025.
Dorfman isn't just acting anymore; she's building a production house with teeth, and 'Carrying' proves she's not afraid of the weird.
Tommy Dorfman is making a serious power move in Hollywood, stepping behind the camera to direct and produce the feature adaptation of Samantha Josephs’ debut horror novel, “Carrying.” The project, which hails from Dorfman’s Good Girl Productions, marks a significant shift for the actress best known for her roles in “13 Reasons Why” and “Jane the Virgin.” Instead of just chasing roles, Dorfman is now curating a slate of intense, boundary-pushing narratives, and this body horror thriller fits the bill perfectly.
The announcement, exclusive to Variety, positions Dorfman as a director with a distinct, unflinching vision for the genre. The premise of “Carrying” is exactly the kind of high-concept nightmare fuel that horror fans crave. The official logline introduces Martha, a transgender woman living so stealthily that even her family is unaware of her truth.
The plot thickens when a mysterious chronic illness forces her into experimental treatments, leading to “surprising, unsettling cravings” and the shocking, impossible discovery that she is pregnant. It’s a premise that blends medical horror with identity politics in a way that feels both fresh and deeply unsettling. Josephs, a New York native now based in Los Angeles, is penning the screenplay herself, ensuring the source material’s twisted tone remains intact.
Josephs expressed immense confidence in Dorfman’s ability to handle the material, noting that the connection was immediate. “From our very first meeting, it wasn’t just Tommy’s love for ‘Carrying’ that got me, but that she completely understood it,” Josephs said in a statement. She went on to describe her reaction to the collaboration: “For a book that I know is extremely out there, it feels especially touching that she sees it and Martha so completely.
As we’ve started working together, Tommy’s vision for my twisted tale has me absolutely giddy for everyone to experience. I know my baby is safe in Tommy’s capable hands.” This level of authorial trust is rare in early-stage adaptations and signals a strong creative partnership. Good Girl Productions, launched by Dorfman in 2025 with Alyssa Raimann as vice president, is already building a reputation for adapting literary heavy hitters.
The banner’s slate includes a feature adaptation of Torrey Peters’ bestseller “Detransition, Baby” and a film based on Allie Rowbottom’s thriller “Aestetica.” Josephs herself brings a diverse background to the table, having graduated from USC’s Writing for the Screen and Television program and worked across podcasts, video games, and erotica. With “Carrying” set to hit shelves on Oct. 6 via Putnam/Penguin Random House, the book has already been shortlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, suggesting that the literary world is already paying attention before the cameras even roll.
