The cinematic adaptation of The House With A Clock In Its Walls has gotten an official 2018 release date. Based on the gothic horror novel of the same name, written by John Bellairs back in 1973 and illustrated by Edward Gorey, the film will be directed by horror master Eli Roth, with Jack Black and Cate Blanchett on board to star.
The House With A Clock In Its Walls is the first in a series of children’s books, and tells the story of 10-year-old Lewis (played by Owen Vaccaro) who moves in with his uncle to a creaky old house, where he discovers a world of magic, hidden passageways, and danger. While Roth and his production team keep assembling its cast, Universal has given an official release date to the project.
Related: Kyle MacLachlan Joins The House With a Clock in its Walls
According to Deadline, The House With A Clock In Its Walls will be released on September 21st, 2018, going against another horror film aimed at children: Goosebumps 2, which also stars Jack Black. The House With A Clock In Its Walls is being written by Supernatural creator Eric Kripke, with a production team formed by Brad Fischer (Shutter Island), James Vanderbilt (Zodiac), and Kripke.
Black will play Jonathan, Lewis’ enigmatic warlock uncle living in an old house in the fictional town of New Zebedee, Michigan. When Lewis moves in with him after his parents are killed in a car accident, he begins to explore the house’s secret passageways within the walls, where he discovers a hidden sinister clock. Said object was placed there by the home’s previous owners, a couple who practiced black magic and were plotting the end of the world. While Blanchett’s character hasn’t been confirmed, it’s likely that she will play Florence Zimmerman, Jonathan’s next door neighbor who happens to be a powerful (but good) witch.
Director Roth is no stranger to the horror genre, being the mind behind R-rated hits like Hostel and The Green Inferno, but The House With A clock In Its Walls will mark his first film out of the gore-field, going for a more family-friendly vibe. On the other hand, Black is no stranger to stories aimed at children – whether they are comedy, horror, or action – having recently worked on Goosebumps and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.
While The House With A Clock is horror for children, with Roth and Kripke we can be sure that the film will also be a good watch for an older audience. The horror genre is going through a good streak, thanks in big part to Andrés Muschietti’s IT, so it might be a good time to explore other sides of the genre and bring it to wider audiences.
Next: Eli Roth Plans History of Horror Doc For AMC
Source: Deadline
