The horror boom is already proving to have some crazy strength in 2019, with titles like Us, Pet Sematary, and Happy Death Day 2U getting some nice buzz and heat - but these scary treats aren't going to be limited to the first half of the year. Instead, there is some haunting material set to come out in basically every quarter of this year, and now, thanks to the new teaser trailer for Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark, we have a much clearer idea of what's going to be haunting our nightmares come August. Check it out!
We got a nice taste of what to expect from Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark when little online teaser and artwork were released promoting the title last month, but this is our first real look at the upcoming film. Produced by Guillermo del Toro, it's the latest movie from Trollhunter and The Autopsy of Jane Doe director André Øvredal, and it looks like we're going to be getting a feast of horrific images on the big screen later this year.
There's been some question in regards to exactly how this movie would be able to string a narrative together, given that Alvin Schwartz's original books didn't really have any kind of consistent continuity or larger story to speak of. However, this trailer for Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark seems to suggest that the project has taken a Goosebumps-esque path, only instead of the works of R.L. Stine coming to life, it's the writings of a fictional author named Sarah Burrows.
Obviously that doesn't make the film seem all that original, but if it can make up for in scares what it lacks in narrative creativity, it may still work out for the best.
One can imagine that some of the material featured in this footage would give anyone nightmares, but it weirdly is extra special for those overly familiar with the source material - which I definitely am. It was scary enough reading stories like The Big Toe, The Red Spot, and "Aaaaaaaaaaah!" as a kid and simply imagining Stephen Gammell's brilliant artwork coming to life, but now actually seeing these terrible nightmares in realistic forms is next level freaky.
The cast of Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark is mostly made up of young newcomers, including Zoe Margaret Colletti, Michael Garza, Austin Zajur, and Gabriel Rush, but there are some familiar veteran character actors as well, including Lorraine Toussaint and Breaking Bad's Dean Norris - who doesn't appear to be in a great emotional state when he briefly appears in this trailer. Clearly there is a lot of responsibility being put on a lot of young performers here, but one also has to wonder how it will affect the atmosphere of the finished film. In a weird way, seeing big time movie stars offers a bit of comfort for audiences, as there are certain expectations for their safety, but that's not really something in play here.
CBS Films is all set to release the film later this summer, letting it invade theaters on August 9th. Are you excited yet? Hit the comments section below with your thoughts, and stay tuned for more updates about Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark here on CinemaBlend.
