Along with del Toro, who might also produce the film, Sean Daniel, Jason Brown, and Elizabeth Grave have also signed on to produce the movie for CBS Films. The script is already finished, penned by John August, writer of Big Fish, Corpse Bride, and Frankenweenie.
So far, no details on the plot are available. There is also no timeline for the film’s production, though with del Toro’s busy schedule, it may be some time before Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark makes its way to theaters.
I start development on a film based on a favorite book of youth: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark! pic.twitter.com/yu31FkCz4K
— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) January 14, 2016
The first book in the series was published in 1981, written by Alvin Schwartz. A sequel, More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, was published in 1984, and the third volume in the trilogy, Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones, was published in 1991.
Schwartz might have been the author, but illustrator Stephen Gammell was also key to the series’ popularity. Gammell’s creepy illustrations alongside stories like Harold, Old Woman All Skin and Bone, and The Wendigo scared children (and parents) enough that the American Library Association lists it as one of the most banned children’s books.
Taking to Twitter yesterday, del Toro shared his excitement to be a part of the project, calling the book a favorite of his youth. The Pan’s Labyrinth and Pacific Rim director’s most previous work, Crimson Peak, was fairly well received by critics, but didn’t perform as well as hoped at the box office, grossing $74 million worldwide.
