DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK, says del Toro!!!

By Matt Holmes / June 25, 2011

The ever busy Guillermo del Toro has struck a deal with Miramax to produce but not direct a remake of the made for t.v. cult horror film Don't Be Afraid of the Dark which ran on ABC in 1973. del Toro would have been 9 back then, it's not a stretch to believe he saw this movie not too long after that date and it's stuck with him ever since. Directing the picture will be comic book artist/writer Troy Nixey who will be making his feature film debut.

del Toro himself will somehow find the time to co-adapt the original Nigel McKeand teleplay with Matthew Robbins, his writing partner on Mimic.

Sally and her husband Alex inherit a Victorian mansion from Sally's recently deceased grandmother. Despite cloudy warnings from the estate's handyman, Mr. Harris, Sally opens a sealed fireplace that holds a hideous secret.

I've never heard of the made for t.v. feature but it's labelled as a cult classic, going by the title of NightmareNewland in Europe. It was directed by John (he previously helmed the great Star Trek episode Errand of Mercy) and was very low budge feature with no stars which has amazingly become a movie to remember for those around the right age in the 70's.

The adaptation is in the early research and development stages but we can expect lots of monsters and distinctive characters, apparently. del Toro hopes to do for this comic book guy what he did for Juan Antonio Bayona who directed The Orphanage for the director, and is now an emerging talent in the industry.

"It has always been a dream of mine to work on a project with Guillermo, my favorite filmmaker," Nixey said. "I had no idea it would be on my first one out. Miramax's faith in me is everything a first-time director could ask for."

Anyone remember this film? source - the hollywood reporter