New 'Don't Be Afraid of the Dark' Trailer

The original Don't Be Afraid of the Dark was a pretty good made-for-TV movie in 1973, and when I say "made-for-TV," that means made for regular, network, broadcast TV. No cable, no TiVo, no nothing. It had commercials, and everyone who wanted to see it had to turn on their TVs at a certain time. Pretty cool. Now Guillermo Del Toro is producing this remake, and even went so far as to work on the screenplay, though he has left the directing duties up to Troy Nixey, a first-timer with only a short film under his belt. The original plot concerned a not-exactly-happily married couple who moved into a new house; the wife becomes obsessed with a secret little room. The original had a hell of an ending, so it will be tough for the new film to top it.

The new movie has an August 28 opening, which is a bad sign, and my hopes aren't too high. Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce star.