Andy and Barbara Muschietti, Emily V. Gordon, Kumail Nanjiani Team for Edward Gorey’s ‘The Doubtful Guest’

Andy and Barbara Muschietti and Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani have teamed up to tackle an adaptation of the Edward Gorey book, The Doubtful Guest.

Amblin Partners picked up the project in a competitive situation.

Andy Muschietti, currently shooting The Flash in London, is attached to direct with Nanjiani attached to star. Nanjiani and Gordon, who were nominated for an Oscar for penning 2017’s The Big Sick, will write the script.

Andy and Barbara Muschietti will produce via their newly launched production banner, Double Dream, along with Dani Bernfeld. Gordon and Nanjiani will exec produce.

Guest was published in 1957 and was the third book by Gorey, a writer and artist who rose to prominence in the mid-20th century for his vaguely creepy stories that had Victorian and Edwardian settings. Gorey reportedly intended the book to be for children, but his publisher released it for adults.

The short, 14-page story tells of a penguin-like creature whose unannounced and unwelcome arrival at a family’s manor brings trouble and chaos. It is unclear how the filmmakers plan on expanding the book or closing the tome’s open ending.

Eric D. Sherman and R. Andrew Boose, who run the Edward Gorey Charitable Trust, will be executive producers on the film.

Jeb Brody and John Buderwitz will oversee for Amblin.

Andy Muschietti previously directed the horror hits It and It: Chapter Two, with Barbara Muschietti producing the New Line movies that together grossed over $1.17 billion worldwide.

Nanjiani next stars in Marvel’s The Eternals, directed by Oscar-winner  Chloé Zhao and being released Nov. 5. He is gearing up to shoot the Star Wars series Obi-Wan Kenobi.

The Muschiettis are repped by WME and Ziffren Brittenham. Nanjiani and Gordon are repped by UTA, Mosaic and Schreck Rose.