“Journey to the Center of the Earth” director Eric Brevig has been hired to helm the action-adventure “School of Fear,” Variety has learned exclusively.

The project is based on the book series by Gitty Daneshvari, published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. WME is packaging the film.

Daniel Mackey adapted the first book in the trilogy, published in 2010. That story follows four children, all suffering from phobias, who are sent to an exclusive yet secretive school where they’re intent on conquering their fears and surviving a perilous final test.

Brevig directed 2008’s “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” which was made for $60 million and grossed more than $240 million worldwide. Brevig was part of the Oscar-winning visual effects team on “Total Recall” and received Academy Award nominations for “Hook” and “Pearl Harbor.”

He’s overseen the VFX on “Men in Black,” “Signs” and “Maze Runner.”

McG and Mary Viola from Wonderland Sound & Vision will produce with Daniela Taplin Lundberg, Riva Marker, Daniel Crown and Scott Fischer. Mike Saunders and Daneshvari will exec produce.

Taplin Lundberg, Marker and Crown most recently produced and financed Netflix’s “Beasts of No Nation” and Roadside Attraction’s “Hello, My Name Is Doris.” Mackey was recently hired to adapt the YA novel “Blackbird” for Lionsgate.

Wonderland just finished producing “The Babysitter” for New Line, and previously produced “The Duff” for CBS Films.

Brevig is repped by Gersh.