The US remake of Spanish language thriller The Orphanage has just found a director, in the strapping form of Mark Pellington. According to Variety, the film has been in development since before the release of the original version in 2007.
The original, Guillermo del Toro produced film, focused on a woman who took over the orphanage where she was raised. But fairly sharpish, her son starts seeing the same supernatural "imaginary friend" that caused her to soil herself as a youngster. It's a thoroughly enjoyable thriller, and I highly recommend you give it a gander when next frequenting your local Xtravision.
Pellington is a director I've always had time for, after he made an unsettling and underrated debut a few years back with Arlington Road. Since then he's also directed the atmospheric Mothman Prophecies, as well as some brilliant music videos (the Foo Fighters Best of You amongst them.) With the right script I think he could very well be a director catapulted to the A-list; let's hope this remake provides him with it. De Toro produces again - a very good sign.
