Guillermo del Toro has come on to produce a movie version of “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” with an eye to directing the CBS Films project.
The project is based on the trilogy of books by Alvin Schwartz, which includes illustrations by Stephen Gammell and sold more than 7 million copies worldwide. John August has written the screenplay but plot details are being kept under wraps.
Sean Daniel, Jason Brown and Elizabeth Grave are also producing.
The trilogy includes “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” (1981), “More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” (1984) and “Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones” (1991). Schwartz drew from folklore and and urban legends for content.
The collection has appeared on the American Library Association’s top 10 frequently challenged books lists due to being considered too scary for children — particularly the nightmarish illustrations.
Del Toro is repped by WME and Exile Entertainment.
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Del Toro has been in talks with Fox and James Cameron to develop and direct a remake of “Fantastic Voyage.”
He most recently directed, produced and wrote Legendary’s “Crimson Peak,” which grossed a disappointing $74 million worldwide for Universal. He had been planning to make “Pacific Rim 2” but Universal removed the sequel from its release schedule in September and has not yet set a new release date.
The news about “Scary Stories” was first reported by Deadline Hollywood.
