Ex-MarbleMedia staffers Sean Connolly (pictured right) and Donnie MacIntyre (pictured left) are launching a new Canadian studio called Limestone Animation, and it’s already developing the first-ever animated adaptation of American novelist R.L. Stine’s work. 

This 2D-animated retelling of his Stinetingler horror anthology series (published by Feiwel and Friends/Macmillan) skews to younger teens—the same age as the characters who keep getting preyed upon by strange and scary forces in the episodes. But Limestone wants to also attract parents who grew up watching spooky shows like Are You Afraid of the Dark? and Goosebumps.

Connolly and MacIntyre recently leased studio space in Kingston, Ontario, and they’re open to working on content across all demos. But the co-CEOs have significant experience in the kids market: MacIntyre worked in sales roles at Portfolio Entertainment (VP of distribution and business development) and MarbleMedia, where Connolly was a VP of development and steered the family game show Just Like Mom and Dad. He also worked as an SVP of development at BGM and executive produced TVOKids series Riley Rocket. 

The pair are heading to MIPCOM, which starts in a few days, to meet with potential Stinetinglers partners including co-producers and distributors. They are also looking to acquire additional IPs, and plan to open the studio’s doors early next year.

Securing the rights to R.L. Stine’s stories is a strong start for Limestone. Stine is a household name worldwide, having sold more than 400 million books in 35 languages. One of the most recent Stine adaptations is Sony Pictures Television’s live-action Disney+ series Goosebumps— which ran for two seasons and racked up more than 75 million hours of watch time in the US.