Filmmaker Chris Columbus (pictured), who launched his career three decades ago with the script for GREMLINS, is getting back into the genre in a big way. His 1492 Pictures has pacted with Korea’s CJ Entertainment for a trio of fright features.

Variety reports that one of their co-productions will be a resurrection of THE GRAVEYARD BOOK, a Neil Jordan-written/directed adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s youth-oriented novel that was previously set up at Miramax, but fell apart there early this year. The story begins with the murder of a family, and the only survivor, a toddler, making his way to a cemetery, where he is protected and raised by the resident ghosts. Gaiman will also be one of the producers on the film.

The other two movies also have literary origins. Columbus himself will script CARPE DEMON, based on Julie Kenner’s CARPE DEMON: ADVENTURES OF A DEMON-HUNTING SOCCER MOM, whose title pretty much tells the story. This project has also been in development for a while, with previous drafts written by Keven and Dan Hageman and X2/SUPERMAN RETURNS’ Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris. Also on tap of 1492/CJ is a film version of Greg Taylor’s novel KILLER PIZZA, to be scripted by HATCHET man Adam Green, in which the titular eatery is a front for a monster-hunting organization. It hasn’t been announced whether Green will also helm this one, nor has a director been announced for CARPE DEMON. CJ will release these movies in South Korea, Japan and China, but a U.S. distribution deal has yet to be firmed up. “The projects we are developing together meet our shared goal of producing movies for the global marketplace,” Columbus tells the trade. “We see this as just the beginning of many terrific movies together.”

 

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