Deadline has confirmed the next planned project for one of the busiest men working in Hollywood today, Guillermo del Toro. While his latest projects have been action, sci-fi and drama oriented, the director’s next project will be a bit more terrifying.
Guillermo del Toro’s next project will be Crimson Peak, an “old school” ghost story expected to begin shooting in early 2014. While that may seem an unacceptable distance away, it’s important to remember the director is still working relentlessly on Pacific Rim, a Halo-like sci-fi epic. When that wraps up, the director will also direct the pilot for The Strain, a new television series based on a book he co-wrote with Chuck Hogan.
Deadline cited Guillermo del Toro as describing Crimson Peak to be “very set-oriented, classical but at the same time modern take on the ghost story. It will allow me to play with the conventions of the genre I know and love, and at the same time subvert the old rules.”
The director also claims that he will honor what he claims are the “grand dames” of the haunted house genre. This aspect will play a crucial role in del Toro’s upcoming film, citing some formidable films as chief influences.
“To me, that is Robert Wise’s The Haunting, which was a big movie, beautifully directed, with the house built magnificently. And the other grand daddy is Jack Clayton’s The Innocents. I’ve always tried to make big-sized horror movies like the ones I grew up watching. Films like The Omen, The Exorcist and The Shining, the latter of which is another Mount Everest of the haunted house movie. I loved the way that Kubrick had such control over the big eta he used, and how much big production value there was. I think people are getting used to horror subjects done as found footage or B-value budgets. I wanted this to feel like a throwback.”
Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim will hit theaters on July 12. The viral marketing campaign for the film is already in full swing, and you probably won’t have to look far for promotional material. Hopefully, the famed director will do the same with Crimson Peak in the near future rather than the distant.
