SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK Movie Expected to Begin Filming This Summer, Guillermo del Toro on Board as Co-Writer & Producer

We've been keeping Daily Dead readers updated on a potential movie adaptation of the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark illustrated books since 2013, and now it looks like Alvin Schwartz’s creepy prose and Stephen Gammell’s haunting artwork are finally going to make it to the big screen, with Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro co-writing and producing.

Multiple sources, including Variety, report that the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark movie is expected to begin filming this summer in Toronto. Entertainment One and CBS Films are backing the project, with the former set to release it in Canada, U.K., Australia/New Zealand, Germany, Benelux, Spain, Austria, and Switzerland, and the latter lined up to release the film in the US through Lionsgate.

While Del Toro's involvement as a producer was previously reported, his co-writing credit on the movie confirms that he will have even more creative influences on the anticipated adaptation. Writing credits on the project will also go to Dan Hageman and Kevin Hageman, who previously worked with del Toro on the Trollhunters animated series and also have co-writing credits for Hotel Transylvania and The Lego Movie.

Trollhunter and The Autopsy of Jane Doe director André Øvredal will direct from the script by del Toro and the Hagemans, and while casting details have yet to be revealed, the film is expected to focus on "a group of young teens who must solve the mystery surrounding sudden and macabre deaths in their small town."

In addition to co-writing the film, del Toro is producing the movie along with Sean Daniel, Elizabeth Grave, Jason F. Brown and J. Miles Dale.

Alvin Schwartz’s words and Stephen Gammell’s eerie illustrations have haunted Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark readers for generations. For those unfamiliar with the books, the first was released in 1981, with two additional books released in 1984 and 1991, respectively. Each book featured a collection of creepy tales accompanied by even creepier images. Which tales would you like to see adapted on the big screen? Let us know and stay tuned to Daily Dead for more details!