Thoughts:Actor-producer-director Larry Fessenden has signed on to helm "The Orphanage," New Line's remake of the Guillermo del Toro-produced Spanish-language horror movie.
Fessenden also has written the script with del Toro, who is producing the new film with Beau Flynn and Tripp Vinson of Contrafilm.
The 2007 pic was directed by del Toro protege Juan Antonio Bayona and centered on a woman who, upon returning to the orphanage where she grew up, discovers that her son's imaginary friend is the same person who terrorized her when she was a child.
Del Toro and Fessenden know each other from the horror circuit, with del Toro's admiration of the triple-hyphenate's work leading him to handpick him for the directing gig; del Toro saw in him a filmmaker who understood the conventions of the horror genre and could execute a movie that would be as scary and disturbing as the original but in an American context.
I personally haven't seen The Orphanage (El orfanato), but I know some people who have and they simply loved it. I'm sure alot of people are pissed that they are remaking this for American audiences, especially considering the original came out in 2007. I honestly don't think this is that bad of a news. I mean they still have del Toro on board and hes basically over looking the project. Now if people know del Toro than they would know that hes not an idiot and he would not sign on to help produce this movie if he didn't believe it could be as good if not better than the original. I'm not sure if the director is particularly the right choice since I've never heard of him, but if del Toro believes in him than theirs nothing to worry about.
5 comments:
I caught this one at The Toronto Film Fest two years back, and can still remember how much it creeped me out.
My favorite memory from the screening was whispering "Hold me, I'm scared" to my lesbian friend sitting next to me (I'm still trying to live that one down).
An American version might not be such a bad thing, if the filmmakers can refrain from glossing it up and casting some wimpy starlet in the lead.
yeah, I never saw the original, but I heard good things about it. My friends did say the movie was pretty creepy so I'm going to have to see the original soon.
Though the story confused me a bit but I really like the creepy atmosphere in the film. Hope they will make a good remake for this one.
Don’t do it! the original was brilliant. As anyone who has read my blog (or comments I have made on other peoples) I have crappy American remakes of Asian/European films. It is very rare for them to be any good.
Farzan - get on it already and see the original. It's no masterpiece, but it's a damn good thriller/horror (coming from someone that doesn't much care for horror, though it barely qualifies).
I was not aware that del Toro was involved with the remake, but that's terrific news that fans of the orig will love.
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