Tales of terror come to life with Guillermo del Toro produced movie 'Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark'

HOLLYWOOD (KABC) -- "Scary Stories to Tell in The Dark" began as a collection of short horror stories for children. These "Scary Stories" involve high school students, a long vacant and possibly haunted mansion, a shameful family secret, and an old book with new stories suddenly being mysteriously written and played out for real... sometimes with deadly consequences.

Two-time Oscar winner Guillermo del Toro is the film's producer and Andre Ovredal is the director. The two teamed up to bring these creepy tales to life on the big screen.

"The books were young adult and we want to re-create that, you know? Andre was calling it a gateway to horror film, you know?" said del Toro. "So this is a perfect introduction to scary movies. It is spooky, it's creepy, eerie, but it's a really good-hearted young adult movie."

But to be clear, this haunted house is no home sweet home.

"I think we have a primal need to be scared, don't you think?" said del Toro. "And it's a safe way to do it."

"Yeah. And a haunted house -- I think there's something about our home being invaded by some force of something that is really scary to everybody," said Ovredal.

"It's sort of like dolls, scarecrows, empty houses," added del Toro. "They symbolize something that was, at one point, innocent."

So what frightens del Toro?

"The scariest thing is dieting, isn't it?" laughed del Toro.

"Scary Stories to Tell in The Dark" is rated PG-13 for terror/violence, disturbing images, thematic elements, language, and brief sexual references and is in theaters now.