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NIGHT OF THE LIVING DECORATIONS

When a disgruntled spirit brings all the neighborhood decorations to life on Halloween, a timid fifth grader must devise a plan to capture it by midnight in order to save her family and friends from becoming decorations themselves forever.

Halloween is eleven-year-old Ronnie's most dreaded day of the year. Ever since she got so scared she peed her pants in the haunted house at school in the first grade, and teased for it every year after, Ronnie avoids having anything to do with the holiday. Arriving at school that morning, she tells herself all she has to do is make it through sixteen more hours, and she's in the clear. But when the school bully swipes a demonic-looking idol from the haunted house and puts it in Ronnie's backpack, all that is about to change.

The terrifying idol isn't just a prop, but rather a centuries old burial doll that holds a very unhappy spirit. When the idol is accidentally cracked open, the spirit is set free to air its grievances about not being properly buried and haunt the living by bringing all the frightening neighborhood decorations to life. If anyone is touched by a living decoration, they themselves are turned into a decoration, frozen in time until the spirit is contained again, which will release the spell. However, if the spirit can't be captured by midnight, the spell will be permanent.

The spirit is released just as the super-smart new kid in town, Nevil, stops by Ronnie's house to trick-or-treat. Chased by a group of living decorations led by a twelve-foot skeleton, Ronnie and Nevil, along with Ronnie's dog Hercules, escape to Nevil's house to figure out just what the idol is and how to stop it. With the assistance of Nevil's caretaker, Lawrence, they learn the idol was stolen from a traveling exhibit along with other pieces of art - one which happens to also be in the haunted house and contains a benevolent spirit that can help them.

Ronnie, with Nevil's support, must overcome her fears and brave the haunted house to locate the good spirit, Lucia, who can bring all the friendly Halloween decorations to life. With the good decorations keeping the bad ones distracted, Ronnie and Nevil's plan is to disguise themselves in zombie costumes to get close enough to the bad spirit to capture it and save their family and friends. The only problem is the friendly Halloween decorations are outnumbered by a hundred to one!

With Lawrence now frozen too, and just a few more minutes to midnight to go, it seems all hope is lost. Ronnie is about to give up when she realizes decorations aren't just for Halloween. With the help of some Santas, Easter Bunnies, and Thanksgiving turkeys, Ronnie and Nevil suck up the vapor with a bounce house blower just in the nick of time and give it a proper burial to appease it once and for all. In the process, Ronnie and Nevil become unlikely heroes and fast friends, and Halloween in their town will never look the same again.

Written by:
Format:
Screenplay
Budget:
Modest
In the Vein Of:
Night at the Museum
Jumanji
Ghostbusters Afterlife
Posted:
03/22/2026
Updated:
03/22/2026
Author Bio:
Steffany Sommers is a So Cal native with a diverse personal history - autism mom, social worker, actor, domestic abuse survivor - that has shaped her brand as a writer. Steffany likes to write genre films with humanity and humor that examine themes of family and connection. She is devoted to creating choice roles for women, particularly those 40+, and spotlighting characters with physical and mental health challenges.

Steffany has studied her craft with Tab Murphy, Stowe Story Lab, and the Jacob Krueger Studio, placing in screenwriting competitions, such as the Austin Film Festival and PAGE International, and currently has two projects in option.

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Contest Results:
TITAN Awards (First Place, Category Winner Family Feature) [2024]
StoryPros Awards (Second Place) [2024]
Emerging Screenwriters Sci-Fi & Fantasy (Finalist) [2024]
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