This article is part of a directory: Game Rant's Ultimate Guide To Horror Movies
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Kid's animated shows and movies are some of the highest quality entertainment that can be found on screen. With all societal judgments about whether it's only made for kids or not set aside, with studios like Pixar and Dreamworks, kid's animation is home to some of the most creative and well-crafted stories told. Animation has spanned so many genres, themes, and stories that it's hard to find a topic that hasn't been done dozens of times before. But one genre that doesn't get explored enough is horror.

Although many cartoons have been scary and eerie, not many have gone to the level that live-action horror has gone to, and that's a shame as there are a few cartoons that given that extra edge, could be truly terrifying, some of which are these five cartoons that already tip-toe the edge of horror, possibly bringing the best parts of the cartoons and bringing that viscerally real terror to bring it over the edge in a live-action rendition.

Related: 14 Greatest Horror Anime Of All Time

Courage the Cowardly Dog

courage the cowardly dog Cropped

This one is probably the most obvious choice for many who grew up with the Cartoon Network series. For some horror fans, this was perhaps the gateway to horror for them, and it's obvious why. No other scary kid's show has gone as deep into horror for kids as much as Courage the Cowardly Dog has, with an inherently unsettling setting in the middle of nowhere and a fantastic animation style that lends itself to eerieness very well. But perhaps what lends itself to a live-action remake more than anything is what many states are the best part of the series, and that is its amazingly deep list of eerie and creative characters. The show already has made a horrifying name for itself with the likes of King Ramses, Freaky Fred, Black Puddle Queen, and so many more characters that could freak out even the most explorative and hardcore of horror fans.

Every episode features a new challenge for Courage to face his fears in his house in the middle of nowhere, from a mattress that holds a demonic presence to a zombie filmmaker very similar to another famous horror icon. The show truly respects and loves horror classics, often paying homage, all the while making a name for itself in the world of terror easily making it the perfect subject for a live-action horror film.

Monster House

Monster house poster

Horror and comedy have proven themselves to be one of the best genre combinations in film with the likes of Shaun of the Dead and An American Werewolf in London, and this one deserves to be in the same category, but it doesn't even come close to the recognition that those have. Perhaps it could be because it is made for children, although some scenes probably lean themselves more towards a slightly older audience.

The film has a classic horror plot of the haunted house that has been used quite often, but Monster House smartly flips that on its head and creates an actual house that is haunted. For many horror films, it is the location that creates the atmosphere of horror, and it is shown no better than with Monster House as it is the house and the history of it where all the horror stems from.

As previously stated, some scenes in Monster House really stretch what can be put into a children's movie and are really worth a jump, especially with the scene where the house haunts the dreams of DJ while it crawls into his bedroom and stalks over his sleeping body. The movie has so many examples of it going so close to going over the edge, that making a live-action remake would lend perfectly for the film to go where it teeters so closely.

Coraline

Coraline

The team-up of Neil Gaiman and Laika Studios already seems to be a winning combination, but Coraline exceeded expectations and has catapulted itself into pop culture stardom. The engaging story from legendary writer Neil Gaiman, and the expertly done stop-motion of Laika have created such a perfect blend of childhood fantasy and eerie uneasiness, especially from Coraline's alternate version of her mother called other mother. Her buttons for eyes are nightmare fuel as they resemble a demon or a shark's eyes in a horror movie.

But the strength of the film is easily the visuals, from the drab real world to the exciting and vibrant other world, this film would easily lend itself to a live-action film-that is if it were done by someone who had the ability to translate it well into live-action. The concern of a live-action remake however is losing the wonder, especially with the stop-motion being so impactful in the horror and fantastical elements of the film.

Gravity Falls

Gravity Falls Mabel and Dipper Pines

Perhaps the most lighthearted of the bunch being a Disney series and all, Gravity Falls like those listed before is an homage to many horror and monster flicks from the past century. Taking place during the summer and primarily in the woods at Dipper and Mabel's uncle's Mystery Shake, the location alone is reminiscent of countless horror fans. But the highlight of the show are the fun characters and the vast list of monsters that are within the show alone would make for a fun horror movie, especially the big bad villain of the show, Bill Cipher. From shapeshifters to cursed wax figures, this show has no shortage of awesome monsters that with a little higher rating and the right team behind it, could really become a great horror film.

But what would probably present itself to an interesting horror film the most is the unraveling story of the Journals. With twist and turn after twist and turn, the long story of the show truly found itself being deeper and more complex than perhaps many fans had expected with a lighthearted Disney show.

The Black Cauldron

the black cauldron Cropped

Yet another Disney production, The Black Cauldron is possibly one of the darkest films in Disney animation history. With the film diving headfirst into fantasy elements featuring very dark imagery, blood, violence, and even mentions of killing, fans of the studio wouldn't recognize it as a Disney film compared to the pristine image they've made for themselves now. But what gives the film the grim tone is the Horned King, shown as a cloaked skeleton looking for the Black Cauldron to raise an army to rule the world.

The film would make a great live-action fantasy horror film, like a film in the same vein as The Green Knight made by a director like Robert Eggers or even Guillermo Del Toro at the helm, creating a great balance of fantasy and gothic horror. The film has amazing imagery that would perfectly translate to horror with a little more mood and tension. The Black Cauldron possibly would be the one on this list that would be the most interesting to see just as it deals with subject matter that is darker than the other entries.

And to say the least, it would be a lot of fun just to see a live-action Gurgi.

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