Originally scheduled for release this October, Paramount’s feature film Are You Afraid of the Dark? was bumped off the release schedule completely early this year, leading us to wonder what the hell was going on with the project. In a chat with Slash Film this week, writer Gary Dauberman (It, The Nun) reveals that it hasn’t filmed, and he’s no longer even attached.
“No, that actually hasn’t shot yet,” Dauberman told the site. “That’s one of those things I’m no longer a part of. I just had a different vision to make it and thought it best to part ways.”
He added, “It’s unfortunate but as you said, that’s sometimes how it goes.”
Dauberman explained his vision to Slash Film in late September of last year, “It is a completely original story I came up with, but it still has the Midnight Society and it still has the campfire. That show is so important to me. I didn’t want to age it down too much because for it’s time, it had some really disturbing episodes and some really dark episodes. Not every story the Midnight Society told ended with happily ever after or a person learning their lesson and it will never happen again. I really embraced that side of things and I think it’s been a long time. I think fear is healthy for kids. I don’t think we have to always sand down the edges of things and that’s something I really wanted to do with Are You Afraid of the Dark. I think it is scary and I think kids will be scared watching it at times, and also they’ll laugh at times. I think it’s got a great message. I think it’s got a great heart to it but it is still scary. I think that’s great. I think it’s going to open it up to a wider audience.”
He had also told THR when the project was originally announced, “We’re going to celebrate [the spirit of the show] with this movie and honor the darker, scarier tone of the show.”
Last we heard, D.J. Caruso was directing the film. At this time we have no idea if he’s still attached, or what kind of direction Paramount is going with the film – if it’s happening at all.
The ’90s television show of the same name 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.
