R.L. Stine might be considered the Stephen King of Children’s Books, but that success hasn’t translated to the movie world at all. He’s had his books turned into television series, a few shorts, and some direct-to-dvd fare. That looks like it might change soon. Alongside the proposed Goosebumps movie, The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Stine’s latest book “It’s the First Day of School…Forever” will take it’s less-than-subtle used of ellipses to the big screen as Gotham Group has optioned it. Of course, optioning a book means very little. This project could be rolling within a month or languish on a shelf for years or for…forever. So take it with a grain of salt, but the concept seems pretty cool. The story focuses on a 12-year-old boy who finds himself reliving his first day of school, which is sadly also an incredibly terrible, no good, very bad day. He has to Phil Connors his way through to the second day, but it’s likely that the nightmarish deja vu will last a while. At any rate, it’s nice to see some horror for kiddies being attempted.

It’s been a while since the 90s started being officially mined for ideas, and yet for some reason, the book series from R.L. Stine that was required reading for anyone growing up in the decade hasn’t made it to the big screen until now. However, the news that Disturbia co-writer Carl Ellsworth has been hired to take a stab at the adaptation doesn’t prove it’s any closer to being a done deal, either. The book series was already put down on screenwriting paper by writing team Larry Karaszewski and Scott Alexander (The People vs Larry Flynt, 1408). This would be a completely fresh script and a renewed commitment by producer Neal Moritz to see the book series brought to life.

Columbia Pictures wants to move forward with an actual film version of the stories. Writers Larry Karaszewski and Scott Alexander (who also penned the screenplays for Ed Wood and 1408), will make the adaptation.

It would appear that Columbia Pictures pays attention to their daily Film School Rejects feed.

Aliana Lohan will co-star in a film adaptation of R.L. Stine’s series Mostly Ghostly. AOL News reports that Lohan will play a “popular high school student” in the story that revolves mostly around an 11 year-old boy who had two ghosts residing in his bedroom.