If you were a young whippersnapper in 1992, chances are the Goosebumps books were a lurid staple on your bedside table. My sister was an enormous fan, whereas I preferred, shockingly, Star Wars novelizations and sword-and-sorcery. I was just a little too old for their goofy twist endings -- although the single one I read gave me nightmares, I think because a dog was killed or something. (Let's ascribe it to a fragment of underdone potato, shall we?) In retrospect, you really are what you read as a kid -- my sister went on to a lifelong love of Stephen King and Edgar Allen Poe, whereas I memorized Beowulf.

Well, now they will get to terrorize and influence even more children, because Goosebumps is coming to the big screen. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Columbia bought the rights to R.L. Stine's endless series in May, and has now hired Larry Karaszewski and Scott Alexander to pen a script. Columbia is hoping to turn it into a franchise -- and since there are 62(!) books currently lining bookshelves round the world, they will have plenty of material to choose from. It's not clear which book they will adapt first, or if the film will be a hodgepodge of several. At this time, no director is attached, though producer Neal Moritz already has an eye for casting. He wants unknown children, and well-known adult actors in supporting roles.

Many of the books are homages to classic horror films, like Night of the Living Dead and Invasion of the Body Snatchers. If the books inspired a love of horror literature in my sister, perhaps the films will create a whole new generation of Scott Weinbergs. I know there's probably a number of Goosebumps readers out there so share your fond memories, nightmares and I-hope-they-film-this-one thoughts below ....

Prolific producer Neal H. Moritz knows a whole lot about making patently un-scary horror flicks (his resumé is littered with two Urban Legends, three Skulls, a Soul Survivors, three people who Know What You Did Last Summer, and one Prom Night -- so far. Therefore simple logic dictates that, now that the mega-successful Goosebumps books are about to leap into the multiplexes, Mr. Moritz should be in charge of the operation.

According to Variety, R.L. Stine's Goosebumps series is the second-best-selling pre-teen book series in the world, second only to the literary adventures of a certain young wizard. And while fans certainly have fond memories of the rather large book series (and a 1995 TV adaptation), this will mark the first time the Goosebumps will be doled out in cinemas. (Not surprisingly, there's also a video game on the way -- all from a company called "Scholastic.") Mr. Moritz will produce with his Sony-connected Original Films banner, and the team is presently on the hunt for stuff like actors, writers, and directors: "Moritz said they likely will cast unknown child actors and then pepper the film with well-known thesps in supporting roles, much like Warner did with the Harry Potter franchise."

Frankly I think this is a very cool idea. Horror should NOT be a grown-ups-only experience, and I'm really tired of my cheesy old favorites getting dusted off and promptly neutered for a new generation of pre-teens. The Goosebumps books were created with young audiences in mind, so this sounds like it could be the beginning of a very profitable relationship. (Yes, obviously Sony is thinking "franchise" here.)

I suppose you can call him the American version of J.K. Rowling, as R.L. Stine has already pushed out the very popular children's book series Goosebumps, as well as Fear Street and The Nightmare Hour. Now, 20th Century Fox has decided to pick up the film rights to Stine's latest series, The Rotten School.

With eight titles (damn, does this dude write fast or what?) currently available at your local book store, The Rotten School is gaining popularity and could be a huge franchise for Fox, if they decide to go that route. Story focuses on a character named Bernie Bridges and follows him on a ton of zany adventures as he constantly looks to disrupt everyday activity at his boarding school by scheming against teachers and rival students. Right now, there's no cast or director attached. The ninth book in the series is due out this November and, by the time I'm done writing this, I'm sure a tenth book will be finished as well.