As is the case with most of the more popular foreign horror films that come around (The Ring, The Grudge, Quarantine, Let Me In), an American remake is never a big shock. One of these foreign horror films is the Guillermo del Toro produced The Orphanage [El Orfanato], which is now well on its way to our eyes with the hiring of Mark Pellington to direct the remake.
The original Orphanage is directed by Juan Antonio Bayona and stars Belén Rueda. It tells the story of a woman who goes back to the orphanage that she grew up in with plans of transforming it into a home for children with disabilities. Things go south when the woman’s sick adopted child informs her of his invisible friends, which includes the masked Tomás. She naturally doesn’t believe this at first, even with the the reminder of her own childhood that it brings up, but when she actually sees a boy wearing a mask and then her son disappears, she is forced to find out what exactly is going on at her orphanage.
Pellington has a few well-known titles under his belt, including Arlington Road, The Mothman Prophecies, and Henry Poole is Here. The script for this remake is written by Larry Fassbender, and del Toro will be attached as a producer once again.
No word yet on an official release date for The Orphanage.
[Source: Variety]
