The first trailer for the Guillermo del Toro-produced horror **Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark **is out and it's, well, dark. Dark and pretty darn creepy to boot. Close the curtains, lock the doors and watch from behind the nearest sofa.
The teaser trailer gives a first, fleeting glimpse of the strange beasties inhabiting the darker recesses of the creeky old mansion young Sally (Bailee Madison) shares with her father (Guy Pearce) and his girlfriend (Katie Holmes). As lodgers go, they're the sort you'd go out of your way to avoid on Gumtree: an evil presence whose sole focus seems to be on scaring the bejesus out of the owners. And us.
A remake of a 1973 TV movie of the same name, the haunted house horror is given a workover by first-time director Troy Nixey, with del Toro's effortless touch with the horror genre (see also: The Orphanage, Splice) almost guaranteed to make it worthy of its "R" rating.
For plenty more from del Toro on the movie check out Empire's report from its Comic-Con panel. **Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark **is out Stateside on January 21, 2011.