The trailer for the Guillermo del Toro written horror film Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark has landed online and it looks genuinely scary. Co-writen by Matthew Robbins and directed by Troy Nixey, the film is a remake of the 1973 made-for-TV horror film of the same name.
In the new film, Bailee Madison plays a young girl who moves in with her father (Guy Pearce) and his girlfriend (Katie Holmes) and learns tiny little monsters are living in the house with them. The film is set for release on January 21, 2011.
The Buzz: The remake’s shift from the original’s housewife hero to a new young protagonist makes me think this film is shooting for a PG-13 rating and a marketing campaign targeted to teens. After watching the first teaser, though, I have no problem with that.
There are not enough scary movies for kids today. If Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark can pack as many creeps and crawls in its full running time as it did in this short teaser, I think we will finally have a way to have teenagers screaming in theaters instead of texting.
The original movie, while not a classic by any stretch of the imagination, was certainly innovative and had a good premise. I have no doubt that del Toro and his team can build a great movie out of its framework. Here’s looking at you, January 21, 2011 — don’t let me down.
