New Line is set to produce an English language remake of this fall’s Spanish horror film, The Orphanage. Guillermo del Toro, who produced the original by newbie director Juan Antonio Bayona, will resume producing duty.
The original Spanish production, in U.S. theaters this December, stars Belen Rueda as a mother who buys the orphanage where she grew up but becomes frightened by the imaginary friend that her young son begins to play with. As director Bayona’s feature length debut, The Orphanage (El Orfanato) impressed del Toro, who has seemingly adopted a mentor-protege relationship with the up-and-coming filmmaker.
“Bayona has captured some very moody and terrifying footage that just blew me away,” he said when Picturehouse snapped up U.S. rights back in February. Comparisons are already being drawn to del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth, which arguably paved the way for Spanish language horror-fantasy last year.
The Orphanage debuted to wild acclaim at Cannes earlier this year (see our mini review here) and is on the program for this week’s Toronto Film Festival. It currently has a 100 percent Tomatometer with six reviews in.
Source: Variety
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