Lee Daniels to Direct DEMON HOUSE for Relativity

According to Deadline, Oscar nominee Lee Daniels has signed on to direct Relativity's upcoming possession thriller DEMON HOUSE.

Per the report, DEMON HOUSE tells the true story of Latoya Ammons and her family, who "claim to have been victims of a demonic possession that has spanned over two years and counting. Ammons and her family have received international media attention for their accounts, which have been witnessed and documented by the Department of Child Services (DCS), Gary (Indiana) Police Department and hospital staff.

....The events progressed to possessive incidents including her oldest daughter unconsciously levitating above her bed, medical staff witnessing her middle son gliding backward on the floor, wall and ceiling. According to Relativity, the DCS case manager witnessing her youngest son growling with his teeth showing and eyes rolled back, locking his hands around his older brother's throat with no recollection of the incident. Initial psychological exams and exorcism attempts failed to provide explanation or solution for the bizarre events."

Lee Daniels is an Academy Award-nominated filmmaker whose work is trademarked by authenticity and candor, providing audiences with a unique and refreshing experience and character insight with each of his projects. Most recently, he released the critically acclaimed box office smash "Lee Daniels' The Butler." The film held the No. 1 box office spot for three consecutive weeks, and has to date grossed more than $113 million worldwide.

Daniels is perhaps best known for his Academy Award-winning film "Precious," based on the novel "Push," by Sapphire (a.k.a. Ramona Lofton). "Precious" was nominated for six Academy Awards, including nominations for Daniels in the category of Achievement in Directing and Best Motion Picture of the Year, and wins in the categories of Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role and Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay.

For his work on "Precious," Daniels was the first African-American to be nominated for a Director's Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film. The film won both the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, only the third film in Festival history to do so. It was also nominated for three Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture - Drama, and was nominated for eight NAACP Image Awards, six of which it won, in categories including Outstanding Motion Picture and Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture, Theatrical or Television. The film also garnered a total of five 2010 Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Feature and Best Director.

"Shadowboxer" marked Daniels' directorial debut. Following the film's world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, Daniels was nominated for the New Directors Award at the 2006 San Sebastian Film Festival.

Daniels' production company, Lee Daniels Entertainment, made its feature film debut with "Monster's Ball," making Daniels the sole African-American producer of an Academy Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated film. Daniels also produced "The Woodsman," which was nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards, as well as the CICAE Arthouse Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, the Jury Prize at the Deauville International Film Festival and Special Mention for Excellence in Filmmaking from the National Board of Review.

In 2012, Daniels released "The Paperboy," which he wrote, directed and produced. Based on the 1995 novel by Pete Dexter, the film starred Matthew McConaughey, Zac Efron, John Cusack and Nicole Kidman.

In addition to EMPIRE, Daniels also is attached to direct an installment of the 10-part event series "The Ten Commandments" and an untitled Richard Pryor biographical film. He is also working on a biographical film of Janis Joplin, starring Amy Adams.

Born in Philadelphia, PA, Daniels currently lives in New York City.