A film adaptation rarely holds up to the book itself.

And while the made-for-TV movie "Ghoul" strays slightly from the book it's named for and based on, Brian Keene, the Lower Windsor Township author of the novel, said he's very happy with the end result.

"I think they (film producers) stayed true to the book," he said. "I was really pleased."

"Ghoul" premiered at the Slamdance 2012 Film Festival, which ran concurrently with the Sundance Film Festival in Utah in January.

The film will premiere on the Chiller television network on Friday, April 13, a fitting day for a horror film's television debut.

But don't expect to be able to see it if you have cable. Chiller is available locally only through satellite television providers.

On location: Keene said he'll probably miss the showing as well. He'll likely be working on a prequel to the book, but said he'll check Twitter to see what people think of it.

"Ghoul" tells the story of a creature that feeds on human flesh and lives under a cemetery. The book, published in 2007, is set in the Spring Grove area.

While the film doesn't give much indication as to where it's set, it was filmed in Louisiana.

"It was amazing how much they were able to make backwoods Louisiana look like York County," Keene said.

Keene said he spent a couple of weeks on the set and got to hang out with the film's lead, Nolan Gould of the show "Modern Family," who reminded Keene of himself when he was a child.

Keene says he based Timmy, the character Gould plays, partially on himself when he was younger.

Found: "Ghoul" is the second story by Keene to be adopted into a film. His short story "The Ties that Bind" was made into a short film three years ago.

And with the latest piece of Keene's work turned into a film, more is on the way, he said.

"Darkness on Edge of Town" and "Dark Hallow" are both in various stages of pre-production.

A producer of "Dark Hallow" was in the area scouting locations in the fall, Keene said.

"That has really strong York County ties," he said.

Andrew Van Den Houten, one of the executive producers of "Ghoul," said he discovered the book after reading "The Rising," which won Keene the Bram Stoker Award in 2003.

"For me, the idea of a coming-of-age story, tied together with a unique suspense social horror yarn, all wrapped up in a horror-themed adaptation to film was incredibly appealing," Van Den Houten said in an email.

-- Reach Greg Gross at 505-5434, ggross@yorkdispatch.com, or follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ greggrss.