Writing duo Larry Karaszewski and Scott Alexander are in negotiations to write the live-action film adaptation of the children’s book horror series Goosebumps for Columbia Pictures.
Neal Moritz’s production company, Original Film, is producing alongside Scholastic Entertainment’s Deborah Forte.
Karaszewski and Alexander are expected to seal the deal this week.
Although the book series, penned by R.L. Stine, has been made into a children’s television show in the past, the newly announced project will be the first feature adaptation of the series and could lead to a franchise for Columbia.
The Goosebumps series contains over 50 books and often reflect ideas and themes from classic horror movies such as Night of the Living Dead and House on Haunted Hill. The books have grossed hundreds of millions of dollars for Stine and Scholastic, second only to the Harry Potter series.
Stine just put out a new 12-book series, Goosebumps in HorrorLand, and Scholastic plans to launch a video game for the series this fall.
Moritz has said he likely will cast young actors for the lead roles and then include well-known actors in supporting roles.
Karaszewski and Alexander are best known for their penmanship on Ed Wood, Man on the Moon, 1408 and The People vs. Larry Flynt, the latter of which earned them a Golden Globe.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter