File this one under good news covered in a creamy bad news dressing.
Mirmax has officially announced a release date of January 21 for Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, the long shelved Guillermo del Toro produced remake of the 1973 ABC made-for-TV film.
In the original movie, Kim Darby stars as a house wife who suspects a race of evil little demons are haunting her new home. Of course, her husband (played by Jim Hutton) doesn’t believe her.
In the new film, Bailee Madison stars a young girl who moves in with her father (Guy Pearce) and his new girlfriend (Katie Holmes). It’s the girl, this time, who discovers the evil critters that are dedicated to causing the family so much grief.
The remake is directed by Troy Nixey from a screenplay by Matthew Robbins and del Toro.
Since the dissolution of Mirmax last year, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark has sat on the shelf awaiting a release date. It’s unfortunate the film is being dumped into the cesspool that is January — a month known for housing the majority of films studios think will bomb. At least it’s being released — and theatrically, at that.
While the original does offer some solid scares, the effects have not aged well since the ’70s. With del Toro acting as a godfather to the film, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark has the potential to be a real improvement over its source material. Only time will tell, though.
