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Director Larry Fessenden Off the Remake of The Orphanage

by Ethan Anderton
November 19, 2009
Source: Arrow in the Head

As angry as I am about the swift moves to remake the spectacularly reviewed Let the Right One In, it wasn't the first time I had felt similar emotions in an all too familiar scenario. Back in 2007, El Orfanato (aka The Orphanage) hit theaters and gained considerable buzz and attention thanks to not only Guillermo del Toro's endorsement as producer, but also because it was a satisfyingly chilling tale. And like any foreign film that gains the smallest amount of attention in Hollywood, a remake was ordered with Larry Fessenden attached to direct. That is, until Arrow in the Head found out from Fessenden that he's off the project.

Fessenden laid it out bluntly:

"The Orphanage was two years of waiting. Working on the script with Guillermo was a very exciting experience, but then I got into a casting miasma and that's where the thing is; I think they're gonna do it another way, actually. So I think I'm out of it. Hopefully they'll still use my script, but I'm not sure I'm directing it anymore. That's Hollywood for ya."

Too true, Larry, too true. Unfortunately he doesn't mention exactly what character was the source of all the casting frustration, but I'm sure it has something to do with the casting of the lead female role. Now the concern will be finding a new director, but how much time is del Toro going to have to dedicate to keeping The Orphanage on track with his spending the next decade of his life dedicated to The Hobbit? We'll listen up for any further developments and let you know when/if they find a new director anytime soon. It'll be a considerable tough task to find someone else good enough. Who do you think should take over this?

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Matte Blac

WHY WHY WHY!!!! This film was perfect the first time around!!! Dont let Hollywood FUCK another classic foreign film.
http://www.thespeculative.com Marty Martin

There's no reason to remake this movie, period.
Said

Remake? this movie needs no remake
zeldaprimed

In agreement...No Remake Please!!!!
Evo

I strongly agree with #1-4. Hollywood needs to pull it's thumb out. And North America needs to learn how to read (subtitles). The days of dumbing down classic films and Hollywood treating it's audience like idiots needs to come to an end. ...But sadly, it won't if there's a dollar to be made.
Madnezz344

would u people just make a sub-titled version or a voice over to the original orphanage to satisfy the reading impaired, the movie does not need a remake it is very well done and a remake would just suck balls and if you haven't seen it please do it is very sad P_P but good
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/2408/blackbabyjesus.gif Crapola

'The remake was ordered...' From the depths of hell I bet. There must just be a big button that gets pressed once a film has enough hype surrounding it enough to alert the Hollywood douchebags and then it's 'Hit the remake button Jimmy! It's time to idiot up that euro crap no-one understands..."
d1rEct

An American remake wont come close to how chilling and tense that film got.
Trip

Why don't they realize that foreign films have a certain style that cannot be imitated. It's like the difference between real Chinese food from China, and the Americanized Chinese food. You can only get the true experience when it is created by the originators. (I prefer Thai food anyway...)
tobi,leader of the akatsuki

the original is very spooky in places,i loved it.
loci

"Remake? this movie needs no remake" Well the fact that most people are dumb and refuse to watch films with subtitles, there is a market for remakes. No need to cry about it. It does not effect the original, it is not replaced by the remake and you do not have to watch it.
Brian Ricci

im hit or miss on remakes. i actually liked the ring better than ringu.
xerxex

Really? Really? REALLY!? just put the damn film in subtitles, like Pans Labyrinth!
http://www.myspace.com/oct8pusmusic Google the Oct8pus

Why Hollywood? Whyyyyyyyy?
http://www.sowyau.blogspot.com SowYau

hey folks, vote with your movie tickets, don't watch remakes if u don't want to. The movie studios will stop making it if it all fail at box office. Having say that, I am going for the remake of Nightmare on Elm Street!
Jackal

Now I'm full of hatred! What do scared enough the public to make the directors adapting some movies? Is it the subtitles?!!! I dare them, I dare these motherf.ckers to do a movie as great as the original. They already f.cked Rec, they screwed, the ring saga, now this movie. It seems like nothing can stop them.
http://www.twitter.com/barnabybarrilla Barnaby Barrilla

WOW... Why does Hollywood think they can remake all these foreign film and ruin them? NO FREAKING REMAKE. This film was brilliant because of the style it is.
Will

I am Jack's complete lack of surprise. Par for the course these days.
someone

number 11 said it perfectly.. i like to watch the movie... not read the whole time. If i liked that i would read the books instead (not saying this movie was a book.. im not sure). The fact is that you don't have to watch it but i would like to see it in english. period
Said

#19 typical american.... you just gotta take a good (foriegn) film and turn it into your own all because you dont understand and dont want to read the subtitles... my mom doesnt speak perfect english so when we rent a movie thats not in spanish nor has spanish subtitles, she just puts english subtitles... and she doesnt complain!!!! And for people who dont get on this site dont know that movies like Quarantine, The Ring, or Dark Water were origanally foriegn films and just like morons they believe that america came up with everything they dont give any other country credit