Video:Director Troy Nixey Interview - Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

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Transcript:Director Troy Nixey Interview - Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

Rebecca Murray from About.com Hollywood Movies at the 2010 San Diego Comic Con.

Troy Nixey - Director of Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

This is your directorial debut, right?

Troy Nixey: "Yes, absolutely."

How was it tackling that?

Troy Nixey: "It was fantastic."

Really? Everything you expected it to be?

Troy Nixey: "And more. No, I mean, it was great. Movies are something that I've always wanted to do and so working in comics and then transitioning to movies...I mean working on the page and then being able to take that and be able to communicate to a group of 100 or more - it was really great. I mean, I really did truly love the collaborative nature of what movies are. It was fantastic."

And you couldn't have a better mentor than Guillermo del Toro.

Troy Nixey: "I say this and I know he's standing beside me but I unabashedly love him, even before I met him. Huge fans of his movies and to have someone like that who you look up to so much see your short and then ask you to direct a movie that he's co-written is like a dream come true."

In the original it was the mother who saw the monsters. Why did you switch it to the kid?

Troy Nixey: "It was...and I don't want to disrespect the original movie at all which is very, very great, but it is a little dated in that I think it would have been difficult in this day and age to have an adult say there's monsters running around and not have someone believe them. Or at least look into it a little more. When it's a little girl, because we introduce her and she's a little disconnected to her father anyways, and so we set up the story that when she comes in, of course she's going to be trying to get attention and whatnot. So you understand that it might be the kid making up a story. So that's essentially the crux of why we made Sally eight."

How do these monsters compare to the ones in the [original] show?

Troy Nixey: "You know what? It's great because we were very careful to definitely give a nod to the original but they are creepy, scary little...they're awful."

The original scared me, but if you think about it now, it's campy. This one is not like that at all, is it?

Troy Nixey: "No. It's definitely that they're out for blood. They're horrible little malicious, white, bug-eyed, gross, disgusting things."

Is that the type of movie you like? If you weren't directing it and weren't involved in it, is this what you'd be paying money to go see?

Troy Nixey: "Oh yeah. I'd go see anything that his name's on for sure. But it is sort of a throwback to the older horror movies. It's not a slasher movie, it's not a blood and guts movie. I love those movies, so definitely I'd go and see it."

More on Don't Be Afraid of the Dark:

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark Interviews, Trailer and Photos