SDCC 2019: ‘Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark’ The Making of a Monster Masterclass with Guillermo del Toro
Published on July 20th, 2019 | Updated on July 20th, 2019 | By FanFest
Directed by André Øvredal and produced by Oscar winner Guillermo del Toro. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is coming to theaters August 9.
The official trailer along with four teaser trailers dropped earlier this year introducing the different monsters the main characters will face.
At San Diego Comic Con a masterclass with Guillermo del Toro on “The Making of a Monster” gave an inside look on the visionary process in bringing Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark illustrations to life. From Pan’s Labyrinth to his Oscar winning film The Shape of Water, del Toro always brings a unique vision into his monster creations.
Tweets were shared during the SDCC masterclass Q&A of del Toro and director André Øvredal’s responses for their inspiration behind the upcoming thriller.
Guillermo discovered the Scary Stories books in a used bookstore near him (and read them two times before he returned to by them.) The director was struck by the simplicity and power of the retellings #ScaryStoriesMovie pic.twitter.com/w45eWBS6TS
— Rosie "Striking is Cool" Knight (@RosieMarx) July 20, 2019
https://twitter.com/RosieMarx/status/1152718740867338240
Two Masters of Modern Horror, together talking about Amblin’s influence on SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK . #ScaryStoriesMovie #SDCC pic.twitter.com/Bv6vOcDlvM
— Heatherween III: Season of the Wixson (@thehorrorchick) July 20, 2019
Secret behind the scenes footage gave audience members an inside window of how the on screen monsters came to life.
#SDCC video showed how #ScaryStoriesMovie used practical costumes and molds to bring the iconic scarecrow, Big Toe, etc. to life. There’s someone in the costume, not CGI, “a terrifying mask rotting in the sun.”
+ the discussion of practical effects make @RealGDT grin ear to ear. pic.twitter.com/Pgxxh9aSOm
— Fandango (@Fandango) July 20, 2019
Audience get a sneak peak into a new character, Jangly Man revealed to be portrayed by a contortionist.
Huge crowd reactions to the BTS footage of the new character Jangly Man. Played by contortionist, Troy James the creature is an amalgamation of a few #ScaryStoriesMovie characters but the creators won't reveal them! ✨ pic.twitter.com/1wZnQqyP2t
— Rosie "Striking is Cool" Knight (@RosieMarx) July 20, 2019
https://twitter.com/Fandango/status/1152725629017530368
Along with del Toro’s many inspirations, EW reported setting the film in 1968 came with purpose as it was an impactful year for the United States that featured an escalation of the Vietnam War, the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, and the election of President Richard M. Nixon.
“It’s a coming-of-age story set in a crucial point in American history,” del Toro says. “This is the end of childhood for the kids, and a wakening time for the United States. The movie is not in any means a political statement, but the movie has that background that makes it really interesting and really compelling… I think they’ll find the characters are memorable.”
The book series published between 1981-1991 following different ghost stories and urban legends as a trilogy, known as Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (1981), More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (1984), and Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones (1991).
See the first adaptation in theaters August 9.
