CBS Films and eOne have startled up several new cast members for director André Øvredal's highly-anticipated film adaptation of SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK. Based on the trilogy of children's books written by Alvin Schwartz with terrifying illustrations by Stephen Gammell, the Guillermo del Toro produced project will now see Dean Norris (BREAKING BAD, UNDER THE DOME), Gil Bellows (THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION), and Lorraine Toussaint (INTO THE BADLANDS, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK) joining the cast.
Upon boarding the spooktacular production, the aforementioned actors will share in acting out a series of bone-chilling tales alongside previously announced castmembers: Zoe Margaret Colletti (RUBICON, WILDLIFE), Michael Garxa (WAYWARD PINES, TIMELESS), Javier Botet (REC, THE CONJURING 2), Mark Steger (I AM LEGEND, THE PACT), Austin Abrams (THE KINGS OF SUMMER, PAPER TOWNS), Gabriel Rush (MOORISE KINGDOM, THE BUDAPEST HOTEL), Austin Zajur (KIDDING, FIST FIGHT) and Natalie Ganzhorn (MAKE IT POP, WET BUM).
Co-writing the script with Guillermo del Toro, Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan for SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK are Kevin Hageman and Dan Hageman (TROLLHUNTERS: TALES OF ARCADIA). Together, each scribe will attempt to overcome the monumental task of adapting the series' spine-tingling tales into one overarching frightfest. The project is currently in production and has been slated for a 2019 release.
While there's a part of me that can't believe that this project is up and running, I can still hear excited whispers inside my head about some of my favorite scary stories coming to life on the big screen. More than anything, I'd love to see Øvredal and his talented team weave in elements from Schwartz's High Beams, The Haunted House, Cemetery Soup, Sam's New Pet, and Something Was Wrong short stories. Perhaps they can even find a way of including "The Hearse Song", somewhere along the way. There are so many twisted yarns from Schwartz's collection to choose from, and I simply cannot wait to see how it all comes together.