Last year, we fondly waved a three-fingered salute of farewell to Katniss Everdeen and the "Hunger Games" franchise. The bow-wielding heroine had stepped satisfactorily into our hearts, filling the void left by everyone’s favorite wizard, Harry Potter (sorry Gandalf).

Now that the “Hunger Games” franchise is history, the film world looks for a new teen-targeted franchise. The Dystopian genre seems to have run its course, leaving filmmakers searching for a new genre. But this fall, the search may be over.

This September, “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” hits cinemas. The film is based on a young adult paranormal/horror novel by Ransom Riggs. It was released to a market drowned in "Hunger Games" wannabes and as a result of its fresh premise, it rocketed to the New York Times Bestseller list.

The story follows — with obvious echoes of both "Harry Potter" and "Percy Jackson" — a teen, Jacob Portman, who is suddenly haunted by grotesque monsters upon the death of his beloved grandfather. His family, refusing to believe him, sends Jacob on a vacation to an island near Wales as a diversion from his “psychological problems.” There, Jacob discovers not only the truth about the monsters who haunt him, but also the existence of a safe house of "peculiar" children headed by the powerful matriarch, Miss Peregrine.

The story is exciting and, most importantly, deliciously terrifying. In a world where moviegoers and readers are desensitized to the terror of monsters, the freighting “wights” and “hollows” that Riggs creates are refreshingly petrifying.

While the book boasts an intriguing story, its most marketable asset was in its imagery. It is a chapter book with pictures. And not just any pictures. Real vintage photographs.They were not taken for the story. They are, in a sense, the story.

Riggs looks to the photographs for inspiration for the story. Each image is either a character or scene from the story. Each image is in wonderful original black and white style, giving many of the already creepy images a surreal and whimsical air. These vintage photos define the books in such a way that it seems the filmmakers should take note of the peculiar quality they give to the story in creating the visual landscape for the film.

The first poster for the film was released and it was, unfortunately, disappointing. It made the peculiar world look glitzy and nearly cartoonish. It would have been much more advantageous if the poster had been a rendition of the iconic cover of the book. It features a vintage photograph of a young girl levitating above the ground.

There is hope, though!

The director for the film is Tim Burton. With Burton's background in creating whimsical and delectably creepy films, the director and book relationship seems like a match made in heaven.

The film’s trailer gave more insight into the visual landscape of the film. It combines both the wonder of witnessing the peculiar talents of each of Miss Peregrine’s wards, with a hint at the terrible creatures that lurk within the shadows of this peculiar world.

Though the visuals still look rather glossy for the whimsical world of the book. A gutsy, but possibly brilliant, move would have been to shoot the film in black and white.

But readers can only hope for the best. If the film proves successful, it could become the new teen franchise. As of now, there are two sequels to the original book. Neither book has the creative genius of the first installment, but they are still entertaining and fun.

Promotional marketing for the film has started with a a release of Funko Pop! figurines of some of the characters.

The release date is set strategically close to Halloween. If the film is good, it could turn out to be a monster success.