When Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth) set out to update the scariest movie he'd ever seen as a child -- the 1973 made-for-television movie Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, about inhabitants of a house who discover sinister creatures living in the basement -- he intended to frighten and thrill a new generation of youngsters. Even co-star Katie Holmes, who makes a rare genre appearance in the Del Toro-produced and co-scripted horror pic, found the script to so terrifying that she knew she had to do it. But is Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, as the MPAA deemed, too scary for kids?
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Where have America's sweethearts gone? Seventeen-year-old Dakota Fanning is charging hard towards adulthood, with Abigail Breslin (15), Chloe Moretz (14), and sister Elle (13) hot on her heels. Enter 11-year-old Bailee Madison (Bridge to Terabithia, Conviction, Just Go With It), a young actress who's already been acting for half of her life and shows it by holding her own opposite Guy Pearce and Katie Holmes in the Guillermo del Toro-produced horror thriller Don't Be Afraid of the Dark.
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Troy Nixey's upcoming film Don't Be Afraid of the Dark shares elements in common with producer Guillermo del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth -- the little girl heroine, the gothic old mansion, a world of fantastical creatures with sinister secrets -- but its supernatural antagonists are tinier, scarier, and way more desperate for you to come "play" with them. Find out more about the goblin-like "homunculi" that live in the basement in two new clips from the upcoming horror-fantasy.
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Breaking Dawn highlighted yesterday's announcement of the Day One schedule for Comic-Con, but today's unveiling of Day Two's line-up promises even more star wattage in Hall H. Among the talent making appearances in support of upcoming projects: John Cusack, Steven Soderbergh, Jeff Bridges, Alex Proyas, Guillermo del Toro, Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Nicolas Cage, and Andrew Garfield. Hit the jump to see how many award nominees and Oscar winners will come through the geek event on Friday alone!
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Legendary Pictures -- the production company behind Batman Begins, Watchmen, Clash of the Titans, and all the movies you can't wait to see in 2012 and beyond -- will host its first Comic-Con panel later this month, and while footage will likely be scarce, expect a parade of talent to come through Hall H for upcoming films Pacific Rim, Seventh Son, Paradise Lost, and the Mass Effect video game adaptation. Hit the jump for Legendary's roster of talent!
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It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Or, rather: First came the agony -- the surprise shut-down of production on his ambitious At the Mountains of Madness -- but now filmmaker Guillermo del Toro is having a ball prepping his next directorial effort, the futuristic alien invasion action movie Pacific Rim. He spoke with Movieline about the two projects while making the press rounds for Don't Be Afraid of the Dark.
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The summer of 2013 just got a little more exciting: Warner Bros. has announced that they'll release Guillermo del Toro's sci-fi action pic Pacific Rim on July 12, 2013. The alien invasion film is set to star Idris Elba, Charlie Hunnam, and Charlie Day, and begins filming this November. Del Toro has described the Travis Beacham-penned project as his biggest film to date, so expect a summer monsterpalooza, del Toro-style. Warner Bros. also moved up the release date of Steven Soderbergh's Contagion to Sept. 9. [Deadline]
Before Sunday night's L.A. Film Fest premiere of the August horror pic Don't Be Afraid of the Dark succumbed to an unfortunate series of annoyances -- a fire alarm temporarily evacuated the theater midway through, while chaos reigned at the post-screening cell phone check -- producer and co-writer Guillermo del Toro emphasized what, hopefully, will make Don't Be Afraid of the Dark memorable: Its "pervasive scariness," so terrifying that the MPAA deemed it too frightening for its intended rating.
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Attention, Los Angelenos! Film Independent's 2011 LA Film Fest kicks off this week, offering a variety of new films, festival darlings, retrospectives, and special events from June 16-26. After the jump, scroll through 18 of the must-see films, Q&As, and events to catch during the fest, from guest director Guillermo del Toro's many planned appearances to Ryan Gosling's Drive, Green Lantern, and the historic (and insanely unpredictable) combination of Erykah Badu and Ricky Gervais.
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Cannes has the glamour of the Croisette, Sundance boasts the first discoveries of the year, and Toronto and Venice have awards season buzz in their corner. Even Tribeca, finally, has its own distinct identity. But the Los Angeles Film Festival has often been too many things to people, and being smack dab in the middle of the entertainment industry has contributed in the past to that identity crisis. This year's edition may change that.
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In the latest development for Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim (i.e. The One That's Not At the Mountains of Madness), Sons of Anarchy actor Charlie Hunnam is in negotiations to fight alien invaders in the futuristic tent pole. The legacy of Judd Apatow's Undeclared continues!
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The filmmaking process and a particular studio head's cojones were among the topics of discussion Friday night when director Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth) held a Q&A with Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight, Inception) to celebrate the 10th anniversary Blu-ray release of Nolan's breakout film, the neo-noir psychological mystery Memento. But while the sold-out crowd at L.A.'s Egyptian Theatre got to witness the playful Del Toro warming up straight-laced Nolan like a looser, geekier James Lipton, a few topics were strictly off-limits.
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