Production begins on ‘Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark’ from André Øvredal and Academy Award winner Guillermo del Toro
CBS Films and eOne announced today that Michael Garza (Wayward Pines, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1), Austin Abrams (Brad’s Status, The Americans), Gabriel Rush (Moonrise Kingdom, The Grand Budapest Hotel), Austin Zajur (Fist Fight, Kidding), and Natalie Ganzhorn (Make it Pop, Wet Bum) have joined the cast of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.
The film is set to be directed by André Øvredal (The Autopsy of Jane Doe, Trollhunter). Kevin Hageman and Dan Hageman (The LEGO Movie, Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia) co-wrote the screenplay with Academy Award®-winner Guillermo del Toro and Patrick Melton & Marcus Dunstan from the bestselling trilogy of books by Alvin Schwartz. The film is being produced by Guillermo del Toro as well as Sean Daniel and Jason Brown of Hivemind along with Academy Award®-winner J. Miles Dale and Elizabeth Grave.
Inspired by one of the most terrifying book series of all time, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark follows a group of teens who must solve the mystery surrounding a wave of spectacularly horrific deaths in their small town. The five new cast members join the previously announced Zoe Colletti in the ensemble at the heart of the film.
“We spent months searching for and assembling the perfect group of actors to help us realize the most terrifying adaptation that we could conceive,” commented André Øvredal. Guillermo del Toro agreed, adding, “I am honored to support Andre’s vision and, with our partners, to bring the incredible world of SCARY STORIES to the screen.”
Michael Garza is represented by Matt Fletcher at KMR Talent and Derek Kroeger at Myman Greenspan Fox Rosenberg Mobasser Younger Light LLP. Austin Abrams is represented by WME Entertainment, Derek Kroeger at Myman Greenspan Fox Rosenberg Mobasser Younger Light LLP and is managed by Industry Entertainment. Gabriel Rush is represented by Paradigm, John Shea at Frontier Booking International, Strong Management and Ryan Goodell at Morris Yorn Barnes Levine Krintzman Rubenstein Kohner & Gellman. Austin Zajur is represented by CESD and is managed by Bercy Talent Management. Natalie Ganzhorn is represented by Daniel Abrams at Oscars, Abrams, Zimel + Associates.
Production on Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark will begin this week. Mark Ross and Alex Ginno are overseeing the project for CBS Films which will distribute the film in the US as part of their ongoing partnership with global content leader Lionsgate.
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Critics Choice Association (CCA), San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
- Association of Motion Picture Sound (AMPS) Television and Nonfiction Nominations Announced: ‘Adolescence,’ ‘Black Mirror,’ ‘Slow Horses’ and More - March 20, 2026
- Trailer Watch: ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day,’ ‘Dune: Part Three,’ Disclosure Day,’ ‘Wild Horse Nine’ - March 20, 2026
- Six Join 51st Residence of the Festival de Cannes, including Harry Lighton, Mansi Maheshwari, Oliver McGoldrick - March 20, 2026
Director Watch Podcast Ep. 144 – ‘A Matter of Life and Death (Powell and Pressburger, 1946) with Special Guest Jesse Nussman 
Association of Motion Picture Sound (AMPS) Television and Nonfiction Nominations Announced: ‘Adolescence,’ ‘Black Mirror,’ ‘Slow Horses’ and More 
Trailer Watch: ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day,’ ‘Dune: Part Three,’ Disclosure Day,’ ‘Wild Horse Nine’ 
‘Anima’ Review: Sydney Chandler and Takehiro Hira Ground Brian Tetsuro Ivie’s Low-Fi Sci-Fi Road Movie [B+] SXSW