If you were an kid in the ’80s or ’90s with a really liberal school library policy and didn’t need a parent-signed note to check something out from the restricted section, you probably stumbled across the total horror show that was the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark book series. More so than the terrifying folk tales and urban legends adapted into short stories by Alvin Schwartz (sample titles include “The Hook,” “Something Was Wrong,” “Somebody Fell From Aloft,” “Cat in a Shopping Bag,” “Thumpity-Thump,” and the totally unforgettable “Harold”) was the 100% disturbing artwork done by Stephen Gammel. (Sorry, Ryan Murphy, but this was the original collection of American horror stories.) It was only fairly recently that an adult with a conscience decided to address Gammel’s art (and, it must be noted, kind of ruin the whole point), but now we’re hearing word that all the things we tried to repress, like spiders erupting from a boil in your face and what happens when you untie a ribbon from around someone’s neck and definitely why you should never open an old trunk in the attic, will be making it to the big screen.
It says a lot that the guys from Saw decided this wasn’t for them, as Deadline reports they have been replaced by talented Big Fish screenwriter John August to adapt the source material for CBS Films, which begs the question: could August’s frequent collaborator Tim Burton be an option for director? Seems up his alley. And if there’s a pair to make this:
a little less from the nightmare zone, and a little more of a beautiful and tragic tale, it’s August and Burton.
(via The AV Club)
