As anyone that read my most recent installment of What I Watched, What You Watched already knows, I recently took in my first viewing of the great Spanish horror flick [REC] and enjoyed every minute of it. As a result, at a recent film screening I got to talking to a few people about the remake, Quarantine, and now I’m not so sure I want to watch it, although I am interested in seeing Doug Jones work his magic at the end (that guy is incredible). We also got to talking about other horror remakes and how Hollywood is just cashing in on these things with films such as The Ring, The Grudge, Dark Water and not to mention the rash of classic horrors being remade. Most recently is the upcoming remake of Let the Right One In from Cloverfield director Matt Reeves, which is currently titled Let Me In and expected to hit theaters some time in 2010.
I mention all of this because someone asked me what recent horror films I hoped wouldn’t get the remake treatment and the first one that came to mind was Juan Antonio Bayona’s haunting 2007 effort The Orphanage. It’s been almost two years and I thought it may have slipped by their radar. “They can’t remake that one can they?” I asked. “Let’s hope not,” was the reply.
Save “hope” for your political speeches folks as Borys Kit and Steven Zeitchik at The Hollywood Reporter tell us New Line has signed Larry Fessenden to direct an English language adaptation. Oh no, how could they? you ask. Well, ask Guillermo del Toro who produced the Spanish installment and will produce the follow-up from a script he co-wrote with Fessenden. Does that ease the pain a little? Do you even care at this point?
For those that didn’t see the original, first off, shame on you. Run out and rent it now and learn the story of 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. Of course, that makes it sound for more horrific than it truly is. The Orphanage is actually more of a thrilling drama that has its share of creepy, skin-crawling moments, but in the end it’s a very sweet story that manages to work on damn near every level.
The funniest thing about this move is perhaps Kit and Zeitchik’s comment that says, “Fessenden’s selection signals the out-of-the-box approach that del Toro and the studio are taking on the remake. They are eschewing another Spanish director to fill Bayona’s shoes, and they are not putting the project in the hands of a commercial/music video helmer.” How you like them apples Platinum Dunes?
Del Toro hand-picked Fessenden for the gig after admiring his work with the THR article saying 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.
They are currently casting the role of the lead actress which was played Belén Rueda in the original. I have attached the trailer for Bayona’s film above for those that may be interested.
As for you out there, does the fact del Toro is involved make this sound like more of a worthwhile endeavor or would you prefer they just leave it alone and go make something original?
