Movies
D.J. Caruso Directing ‘Are You Afraid of the Dark?’ [Exclusive]
One of the most anticipated films of 2019 is Paramount Pictures’ Are You Afraid of the Dark?, a feature film adaptation of Nickelodeon’s teen-friendly ’90s television series in which a group of kids get together in the woods to tell ghost stories.
Bloody Disgusting is hearing exclusively that D.J. Caruso is in talks to direct the feature that IT writer Gary Dauberman previously said will “honor the darker, scarier tone of the show.” THR confirmed our scoop and added that the most recent draft was written by BenDavid Grabinski.
Caruso is an interesting choice as his most recent directing gigs include The Disappointments Room and xXx: Return of Xander Cage, although he also helmed the fantastic teen thriller Disturbia back in 2007.
The show revolved around a group of teenagers who referred to themselves as The Midnight Society. Every week, at a secret location in the woods, one member would tell a scary story to the rest of the group, some of which were based on public domain fairy tales, short stories or urban legends. The new film will be a completely original story told by The Midnight Society.
Paramount is targeting an October 11, 2019, release, so getting a director locked in so they can begin casting is imperative.
READ ALSO: [Video] Top 10 Episodes of “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” for its 25th Anniversary
Star Kate Beckinsale and Director D.J. Caruso on the set of Relativity Studios’ THE DISAPPOINTMENTS ROOM. Photo Credit: Peter Iovino
Two things that have proven to be pretty dependable at the box office in recent years are horror movies and Christopher Nolan movies. With Nolan’s The Odyssey absolutely dominating the box office this past weekend, many fans of Nolan’s work have been left hungry for a Nolan-directed horror movie. After all, The Odyssey does whet the appetite for Nolan nightmare fuel.
Christopher Nolan has brushed up against the horror genre in the past with 2002 thriller Insomnia, but does he have any interest in someday making a full-on horror movie?
Nolan tells the Empire Podcast in a new chat, “I’ve always been interested in doing a horror film.”
“But horror is most successful when the conceptual framework of whatever the story is is just so undeniable. I think there are very few really great horror movies,” Nolan continues.
So why hasn’t Christopher Nolan directed a horror movie yet?
He explains to Empire, “I’ve never clicked with a particular idea or concept that worked for me. I love the genre. Of all genres, it’s the most visceral. Where the direct response to the audience is the most important. That is to say, you’re trying to make people literally feel something in their bones about what’s going on on-screen.”
Nolan calls horror “a genre in which experimentation is demanded.” He explains, “I go to see a lot of horror films with my kids these days, and you’ll see things in the first half an hour, 45 minutes of any horror film that you’d never see in another genre. Risks that are taken. Dangerous approaches to things. Admittedly, a lot of movies can’t sustain that to the end. But in the horror genre, that kind of innovation is not just respected – it’s really demanded.”
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is now playing in theaters.
Cillian Murphy as Scarecrow in Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)
You must be logged in to post a comment.