Most horror fanatics were innocent little kids at one point, getting their start by spooking their friends with urban legends and ghost stories. If you were one of those kids who thrived on spooky tales, chances are you probably grew up reading Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, a truly creepy series of short stories written by Alvin Schwartz and illustrated by Stephen Gammell.
Director André Øvredal and a team of writers, including horror aficionado Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth, The Shape of Water, and the upcoming live-action Pinocchio), adapted the book series into a movie, and CBS Films finally released a full trailer.
The film is throwing it back to 1968 in the small American town of Mill Valley, where a group of teenagers discovers a terrifying house (which, BTW, looks a whole lot like the Murder House from American Horror Story!!!!) and an even more terrifying book. The book is full of short stories written by the tortured young girl who lived in that mansion. As the sheriff in the trailer says, “The stories write themselves and they all come alive.”
Fans of the book will instantly recognize some of the stories brought to life, including the scarecrow (Harold!!), the man missing his big toe, the creepy lady walking down the hallway (“This is an evil place. Flee while you can.”), and THE GIRL WITH THE SPIDER EGGS IN HER FACE.
Check out the trailer below and remember, you don’t read the book. The book reads you.
Photo: CBS Films
