This is pretty wild, so we'll get right into it.
First the easy part: Leigh Janiak (HONEYMOON) has evidently been hired by Fox to write and direct their first theatrical movie adaptation of R.L. Stine's beloved horror book series FEAR STREET. We've known for a while that the film has been in the works, and this is indeed the most significant step forward for FEAR STREET, which as a series has sold over 80 million copies and turned hundreds of thousands of kids into horror fanatics.
Here's where it gets interesting: According to THR, "the deal calls for her to write three different scripts that could be shot back-to-back-to-back. And released back-to-back-to-back, one month after another. The plan has been described by one insider as 'binge-ing movies.'"
It's hard to even wrap one's head around such a plan, as (to my knowledge) we've never seen anything quite like it. That said, a few months ago producer Peter Chernin told me that they had “the coolest idea ever” for their FEAR STREET movie, something that’s “never been done.” Maybe he was hinting at this breaking news?
It could be a dangerous proposition – what if the first film utterly flops? – or it could revolutionize how movies are released. In an age where the cinemas are trying like hell to catch up to Netflix, Hulu, DVRs and everything else, maybe this will pique the curiosities of potential moviegoers in a major way.
Janiak, for her part, has long been attached to a remake/reboot of THE CRAFT, but THR notes that is no longer the case. And if she's writing and directing three movies in a row, it's not hard to see why.
I'm sure much more will come of this developing story, so stay tuned, but in the meantime let us know what you think on Facebook, Twitter, and or Instagram