With Charlie Bartlett star Anton Yelchin and Phil Collins’ suddenly popular daughter Lily already on board for the Dean Koontz adaptation Odd Thomas, the project is hardly lacking in name recognition, but it may be about to pick up some serious artistic credibility as well. Academy Award winner Tim Robbins hasn’t committed yet, but he’s reportedly very interested in the project. A deal could be closed shortly.

The novel and its subsequent sequels follow a short order cook named Odd who sees and regularly communicates with the dead. Along with his partner Stormy, he uses this otherworldly link to solve murders, prevent disasters and hang out with Elvis and other deceased celebrities. I’d probably do the same thing. According to Bloody Disgusting, there’s no word on who Robbins might play, but Yelchin will tackle the lead and Collins his sidekick.

Horror films run the gamut between almost intentionally bad to brilliant. Much of it depends on the screenplay, but the importance of the cast cannot be downplayed. The better the cast, the bigger the budget, the more likely a director will be hired who will treat the subject matter with respect. Mummy director Stephen Summers has already been tapped to helm Odd Thomas. He was in charge of Van Helsing; so, he’s already got a bit of experience with creatures that go bump in the night. Let’s hope this hits theaters with more than just a shriek.