Larry Fessenden has signed on to direct the New Line's remake of The Orphanage, the Guillermo del Toro-produced Spanish horror that scared the bejeezus out of us in 2007.
Fessenden has made a name for himself turning out effective low-budget horrors like **Wendigo **and The Last Winter- effective enough to catch the eye of del Toro, who returns to produce the remake and who will co-write the script with his director.
The Spanish-language version of The Orphanage was a truly effective frightener telling the tale of a woman who returns with her family to the now derelict institution where she was raised to find it stalked by a terrifying figure from her past.
In case you're dreading another sub-par English-language remake, del Toro's involvement should alleviate some of your worries. After all, his selection of the then little-known Juan Antonio Bayona for the original paid rich dividends with a beautiful-looking and, at times, terrifying horror. Here's hoping he finds time to oversee production while he's beavering away on The Hobbit.
With a half-decent script and a bit of visual flair from Fessenden, this could be a more-than-serviceable remake and transplant the original's shocks into an American context? What do you think? Will it come close to matching the original? Post your thoughts below...