Up And Coming Horror Director, Leigh Janiak, To Helm New R.L. Stine Franchise

By Becky Scott July 14, 2017

Until Betsy Devos eventually succeeds in ending American literacy, children of every generation will continue to lose themselves in R.L. Stine’s forever classic “Goosebumps” books — and filmmakers will continue to bring Stine’s creations to life.

Leigh Janiak, an emerging horror director, will be developing Stine’s “Fear Street” for Fox. Stine wrote the “Fear Street” series in the 80s, before he started on “Goosebumps”, and the books are aimed at a more mature market — older teens and adults who can stomach a little more violence.

Janiak, who majored in Jewish studies at New York University, doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page but it’s only a matter of time before she’s kicking butt and taking names all over Hollywood. She gained recognition for her 2014 directorial debut “Honeymoon”, the story of two newlyweds whose honeymoon is devastated by a series of supernatural events. There’s a scene in the film where one half of the couple is found stabbing herself in the genitals, in case you were wondering whether or not Janiak’s womanhood translates to less blood and gore in her art.

So what can we expect from the “Fear Street” series? The Hollywood Reporter reports that “the deal calls for her to write or rewrite three different scripts that could be shot back-to-back-to-back — and released back-to-back-to-back, one month after another.”

Janiak has also been tapped to direct a remake of “The Craft”, the 90s cult hit about four teenage witches.

Becky Scott is the editor of The Schmooze. Follow her on Twitter, @arr_scott

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