Terrified Remake: New Direction Under Noah Hawley After Del Toro's Departure
Matthew Cannon
Updated on May 17, 2026
By Published Apr 7, 2026, 3:13 PM EDT Sarah is a writer and journalist who has been writing for ScreenRant since 2026. She holds an advanced diploma in journalism from Humber Polytechnic. Specializing in entertainment news, Sarah also brings extensive experience in radio, TV production, editing, and investigative journalism. She contributed to the Climate Disaster Project, gaining valuable expertise in impactful storytelling. follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap
The long-gestating American remake of the horror film Terrified (Aterrados) may finally come out of hiding.
The remake of the 2017 Argentine horror film has been in development for years, originally set up with Guillermo del Toro producing for Fox and the original writer and director, Demián Rugna, returning. First announced in 2018, the project quickly became one of several high-profile horror remakes stuck in development limbo, with little progress made despite the involvement of a major filmmaker.
According to , Noah Hawley has been tapped to write, direct, and produce the new version of Terrified for Warner Bros. However, the report doesn't indicate what happened with del Toro’s involvement in the project, which he had been attached to since 2018. That version was under Fox Searchlight. Meanwhile, Hawley is developing the film alongside Rugna.
Hawley is best known for creating and running the Emmy-winning series Fargo, as well as . The original Terrified, directed by Rugna, earned widespread acclaim among horror audiences for its unsettling atmosphere and a story centered on paranormal events in Buenos Aires.
Hawley’s Terrified will be a reimagining of the 2017 film, which centers on a police officer and a series of paranormal researchers and investigators who attempt to get to the bottom of supernatural occurrences that are centered in one specific neighborhood in Buenos Aires.
The film’s reputation as one of the scariest modern international horror films helped spark Hollywood’s interest in an , with del Toro’s involvement as producer initially lending the project significant credibility within the genre. In his version, Rugna would’ve stepped into the directing shoes again, bringing his original perspective to a Western audience.
With the project now moving forward with Hawley and Warner Bros., it appears that Terrified will now be prioritizing a fresh start rather than reviving the earlier iteration. While specific plot details for the remake remain under wraps, Hawley’s involvement suggests the new version could lean more heavily into psychological and character-driven horror, similar to his previous work.
Based on , it's possible that the remake fell victim to prolonged delays. Since 2018, the award-winning filmmaker has been attached to numerous projects that struggled to move forward, often due to scheduling conflicts, shifting studio priorities, or the filmmaker’s own focus on passion projects like the Oscar-winning Frankenstein.
At the same time, replacing del Toro marks a notable shift in tone and expectation for the film. Known for his gothic sensibilities and deeply emotional approach to monster stories, his role as producer would have likely brought a more visually stylized and thematically rich interpretation of Terrified, alongside Rugna’s vision as director.
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Now, with del Toro seemingly out of the picture and Rugna being replaced as director by Hawley, it is safe to guess that the Terrified remake will now focus more on the narrative experimentation and slow-burn tension that’s signature to Hawley’s work.
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