Pellington directs Orphanage remake

Director Mark Pellington has been hired by producer Guillermo Del Toro to direct the US remake of The Orphanage .

Del Toro, who produced the original Spanish chiller, has written the new script alongside Larry Fassenden. No doubt the Spanish filmmaker was drawn to Pellington because of the director’s former experience working with 3D, now all the rage again - especially in the wake of Avatar 's success.

The original film, not to be confused with last year’s Orphan , follows the story of a woman who opens an orphanage for handicapped children in her old family home. But when her son suddenly acquires an imaginary friend, could something sinister be at hand?

No casting news yet, but expect this one to snowball now a director’s attached.

The Orphanage is set for release in 2011.

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Josh Winning has worn a lot of hats over the years. Contributing Editor at Total Film, writer for SFX, and senior film writer at the Radio Times. Josh has also penned a novel about mysteries and monsters, is the co-host of a movie podcast, and has a library of pretty phenomenal stories from visiting some of the biggest TV and film sets in the world. He would also like you to know that he "lives for cat videos..." Don't we all, Josh. Don't we all.