‘The Last Kids on Earth’: A Live-Action Adaptation Is About to Shoot in Chicago
A new generation of monster hunters may soon be heading to Chicago. A live-action adaptation of The Last Kids on Earth is quietly gearing up for production in the city, with casting currently underway ahead of an expected summer shoot, according to Production List.
The franchise is based on Max Brallier‘s bestselling illustrated middle-grade book series, which has sold millions of copies worldwide and spawned graphic novel adaptations, video games, and a Netflix animated series. That animated version ran for three installments — released as Book 1, Book 2, and Book 3 — between 2019 and 2020, followed by the interactive special Happy Apocalypse to You in 2021.
While aimed at younger audiences, The Last Kids on Earth occupies a notable place in modern gateway horror, blending zombies, monsters, and apocalyptic survival with comedy and adventure in much the same way that Goosebumps introduced generations of young viewers and readers to horror storytelling. The books follow orphaned teen Jack Sullivan and his friends as they battle increasingly bizarre creatures after a monster-filled apocalypse transforms their suburban world, according to Wiki.
The live-action adaptation, which is currently listed as a pilot for Disney Channel, has not yet been formally announced, but its arrival would mark the latest screen incarnation of one of children’s publishing’s most successful horror-adventure franchises.