From 1990 to 2000,Are You Afraid of the Dark?haunted Canadian kids on YTV and American audiences on Saturday night’s programming lineup, SNICK. These were the best of times. For many, the Members of the Midnight Society and their spooky campfire stories were the first foray into horror, a foot in the door that opened into the madness ofH.P. Lovecraft, the saints and sinners ofStephen King, and the pantheon of horror gurus on the big and small screen. Next year, the horror anthology TV series will get a chance to jump into the feature film market with Nickelodeon and Paramount Pictures production by the same name.
Now, asBloody Disgustingreports,Are You Afraid of the Dark?is one step closer to starting production now thatD.J. Carusois in talks to direct. There’s no meat on the bones of this story just yet since no official announcement has been made and, presumably, the casting process hasn’t started. However, as we’ve previously reported,ITscreenwriterGary Daubermanis penning the script for this adaptation, something that should have horror fans very excited. Dauberman’s previous efforts also include theAnnabellefranchise films andThe Nun, so he’s not exactly a one-shot wonder. Caruso on the other hand …
Caruso’s an interesting choice for a director of this particular film. If you go back to his 2007 featureDisturbia, he’s actually a good fit. But if you also note every film he’s directed since then–Eagle Eye,I Am Number Four,Standing Up,The Disappointments Room, andxXx: The Return of Xander Cage–things get muddy quickly. His shot at horror inThe Disappointments Roomwassavaged by critics and general audiences alike, his brush with the YA boom inI Am Number Fourwas forgettable on all fronts, and his entry in the high-octanexXxfranchise anchored byVin Dieselearned a lukewarm reception at best.
But Caruso’s 2013 effortStanding Upoffers an interesting peek into what his take onAre You Afraid of the Dark?might look like. Granted, it’s up to Dauberman’s story for the most part, but Caruso’s adaptation of theBrock Colenovel that told the story of two kids who fought back against bullying at a summer camp and found mutual support in each other serves as something to build from. That picture, too, was met with ambivalence from critics and audience-goers, so we’ll see if something special can come together for this new project.
Are You Afraid of the Dark?is currently slated for an August 25, 2025 release by Paramount. For more on the Nickelodeon series-inspired feature film, be sure to get caught up with our recent, relevant write-ups linked below:
