One of the most anticipated films of 2019 is Paramount Pictures’ Are You Afraid of the Dark?, a feature film adaptation of Nickelodeon’s teen-friendly ’90s television series in which a group of kids get together in the woods to tell ghost stories.

Bloody Disgusting is hearing exclusively that D.J. Caruso is in talks to direct the feature that IT writer Gary Dauberman previously said will “honor the darker, scarier tone of the show.” THR confirmed our scoop and added that the most recent draft was written by BenDavid Grabinski.

Caruso is an interesting choice as his most recent directing gigs include The Disappointments Room and xXx: Return of Xander Cage, although he also helmed the fantastic teen thriller Disturbia back in 2007.

The show 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. The new film will be a completely original story told by The Midnight Society.

Paramount is targeting an October 11, 2019, release, so getting a director locked in so they can begin casting is imperative.

READ ALSO: [Video] Top 10 Episodes of “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” for its 25th Anniversary