Walden Media is fast becoming the company that families can turn to for churning out adaptations of beloved children’s tales (yer Narnias or Bridge To Terabithia). But now the company looks like it will be making other things churn – notably, stomachs.
Because Walden is hooking up with horror god Clive Barker to create a thriller for young adults focuses on the ghost of Edgar Allen Poe. The story will follow a group of teens who try to find out what happened during the final two weeks of Poe’s life. And – because there wouldn’t be much of a film without it – they accidentally unlock a curse that traps them in the writer’s nightmares.
"This project is an opportunity for us to re-imagine a genre that is generally associated with an older audience," Walden vice president Alex Schwartz told Variety. "By focusing on mood and atmosphere rather than blood and guts, Clive Barker brings a smart, literate take on the horror genre that will expose young audiences to its great literary underpinnings. It is only appropriate that the grandfather of modern horror fiction, Edgar Allan Poe, provides the fulcrum for the story."
"I think we might have a chance with this project to bring the character of Poe alive for a new audience and weave his shadowy existence into the dark enchantments of his stories so that for our protagonist, and for our audience, it will be difficult to be sure where one finishes and the other takes flight," Barker added.
He’ll work on developing the story and produce the film, while also helping to create a remake of Hellraiser for Dimension.