The busiest man in genre has found his next directorial effort, one that harks back to classic haunted houses.

Deadline is reporting del Toro is teaming with PACIFIC RIM backers Legendary Pictures on CRIMSON PEAK, a film he calls “a 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.”

With a career that’s seen the filmmaker alternate between grand efforts and more intimate subjects, injecting the same heart and ambition into all, CRIMSON PEAK and his immediate references should generate plenty of excitement. And it sounds like no small affair. The DEVIL’S BACKBONE director speaks of Legendary providing the resources needed to honor films like THE HAUNTING and THE INNOCENTS. Sounds like a lush, stylistic scare story is in order and the house design/construction is of utmost importance.

“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 sets 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.”

Its title even sounds classical, possibly referring to the house, or estate, in question, recalling the likes of Hill House, Belasco House, Manderlay (I know REBECCA isn't a ghost story, but it has a haunting estate) and Bly. 

I’ve been curious about the double lasting effect of something like PARANORMAL ACTIVITY. While in its immediate wake there’s been a glut of found footage, there’s also the success of INSIDIOUS, another haunted throwback leaning heavily on style. That film’s director, James Wan, is bringing us two more haunted house tales just next summer with THE CONJURING and INSIDIOUS CHAPTER TWO, while Mac Carter’s HAUNT is slated for October 2013 and Vincenzo Natali is currently working on HAUNTER.

Of course, the haunted house is tried and true (and never really dead), and regardless if reignited interest does have anything to do with horror’s current franchise du jour, we can’t wait to see what del Toro plans to do with such.

The announcement also came with a brief update on the long-gestating AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS. del Toro reveals he still hopes to do it, and with Legendary Pictures who loves it, but is waiting for PACIFIC RIM to hit. 

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