Alvin Schwartz‘s book trilogy, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, is getting ready to film, and headlining this work are Michael Garza (Wayward Pines, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1), Austin Abrams (Brad’s Status, The Americans), Gabriel Rush (Moonrise Kingdom, The Grand Budapest Hotel), Austin Zajur (Fist Fight, Kidding), and Natalie Ganzhorn (Make it Pop). Production started this week and the first movie is due to hit theatres hopefully in the 2019/20 season.
This film is being produced by Guillermo del Toro, Sean Daniel, Jason Brown, J. Miles Dale and Elizabeth Grave. It will be directed by André Øvredal (The Autopsy of Jane Doe, Trollhunter), and the adaptation will be handled by Kevin Hageman and Dan Hageman (Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia), del Toro, Patrick Melton &and Marcus Dunstan.
The film adaptation follows a group of teens who must solve the mystery surrounding a wave of spectacularly horrific deaths in their small town. For those fans looking for connections to the book, the fact the written works often portend the demise of someone suggests there may be a central figure causing it! Over 80 short stories have to be considered by this team of writers.
Key to the books is the art of Stephen Gammell. His work is not the type of image to first see upon waking up. This detail has to be factored into making the cinematic adaptation work. Also important is in the fact these tales are rooted in American folklore and urban legend. The Deep South and tales of New England might become the focus here. The Midwest does have its own uniqueness, and I feel to focus in on a particular region will make this work stand out better. To copy TheCW’s Supernatural formula where the Winchester brothers travel all over is a bad idea.
I have no problems with this film being similar to The Goonies. I’m sure some humour will be used to lighten the mood. The Hageman Brothers have a terrific handle in this department when considering their work in LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu. And enough time has passed to allow for a different version of a fond classic to land on cinema again.
“We spent months searching for and assembling the perfect group of actors to help us realize the most terrifying adaptation that we could conceive,” commented André Øvredal. Guillermo del Toro agreed, adding, “I am honored to support Andre’s vision and, with our partners, to bring the incredible world of Scary Stories to the screen.”
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