Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Director Developing Horror Film Based on Tarot Cards

Back in 2019, filmmaker André Øvredal brought to life an adaptation of the beloved Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark book series, with Deadline confirming that his next project will also be adapting a well-known property, as he will be directing the film Tarot, inspired by the practice of divination. This won’t be the first film to draw direct inspiration from objects that are known to possess otherworldly abilities, having previously been given films like Witchboard and Ouija, with fans sure to be both curious and excited about how the centuries-old practice will be interpreted for the film. 

Details about the project have yet to be officially unveiled, though the outlet notes, “The project is a high-concept thriller based on Tarot cards.”

Using cards as a process of divination or fortune-telling, known as “cartomancy,” isn’t limited to tarot, though these cards are the most well-known items involved in the ritual in English-speaking countries. Given the various compelling illustrations that are traditionally depicted or interpreted on the set of 78 cards hint at a rich backstory, it’s unknown if the film will explore the origins of these figures and scenes or if the film will be inspired by the process of tarot reading.

Clearly Øvredal is no stranger to tackling beloved concepts, finding ways to honor their origins while also imbuing his own sensibilities, which we’ll see more of not only in Tarot but also in a sequel to Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.

One difference audiences can expect from the announced-Scary Stories sequel is that Øvredal will attempt to channel more of the book series’ illustrations from Stephen Gammell.

“I learned so much on Scary Stories, but also about Scary Stories and I do think that we’ll tap even more into Gammell’s visual world in the sequel than we did in the first movie,” Øvredal shared with Collider last year.

It’s unknown when the Scary Stories sequel could be moving forward, however, with Øvredal’s update last year being that it was in a holding pattern and no details since having been revealed. Back in 2020, he noted, “Production-wise we’re in a holding pattern, but not really because we’re just developing the story and the script, which is a time-consuming process because there’s no point in making a sequel to that movie unless it’s elevated and it’s great and it’s ideally better than the first movie.”

Stay tuned for updates on Tarot.

Are you looking forward to the new movie? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!