SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK Won’t Be an Anthology Movie

One of the most interesting details to emerge from yesterday’s press event for Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is that, despite being assembled from a series of standalones, this won’t be an anthology film. As producer Guillermo del Toro answered questions, someone in a suit (presumably from CBS Films of eOne) handed director André Øvredal a note; the filmmaker nodded that he understood.

Before the next question could be asked, Øvredal offered, “Just to be clear, this isn’t an anthology movie.” It was obviously an important point the studios wanted to be conveyed. It’s interesting, as the film is based on a series of unrelated books written by Alvin Schwartz. But Øvredal explained the movie has a singular plot, centering on teen Stella Nicholls (played by Zoe Margaret Colletti). Still, the movie pulls from five or six unique Stories.

Another notable reveal is that Øvredal (whose previous films include Trollhunter and The Autopsey of Jane Doe) was completely unfamiliar with the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark phenomenon, as the books were never published in the Norwegian native’s homeland. Still, he was immediately compelled by the screenplay, and del Toro stated emphatically that Øvredal was the one and only director they approached to helm the film.

Left to Right: André Øvredal, Zoe Margaret Colletti, Michael Garza, Austin Zajur, Austin Abrams, Gabriel Rush, Natalie Ganzhorn, and Guillermo del Toro

The two filmmakers established a working relationship (and a mutual respect) on Twitter.

If you missed the trailer yesterday, you can give it a spin below.

Synopsis:
It’s 1968 in America. Change is blowing in the wind…but seemingly far removed from the unrest in the cities is the small town of Mill Valley where for generations, the shadow of the Bellows family has loomed large. It is in their mansion on the edge of town that Sarah, a young girl with horrible secrets, turned her tortured life into a series of scary stories, written in a book that has transcended time—stories that have a way of becoming all too real for a group of teenagers who discover Sarah’s terrifying home.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark stars Zoe Colletti, Michael Garza, Gabriel Rush, Austin Abrams, Dean Norris, Gil Bellows, Lorraine Toussaint, Austin Zajur, and Natalie Ganzhorn.

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