Guy Pearce and Bailee Madison are set to join Katie Holmes in Miramax's supernatural thriller Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, directed by Guillermo del Toro protege Troy Nixey. Del Toro is producing with Mark Johnson, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is based on a 1973 ABC telefilm about a young girl who moves in with her father and his girlfriend and discovers they are sharing the house with demonic creatures.

Madison will play the girl, who discovers the creatures and is fascinated by them -- until they prove dangerous. Pearce will play the father, an author frustrated by his daughter's tales of monsters, not believing her even when his girlfriend (Holmes) backs her.

Del Toro and Matthew Robbins wrote the script.

The movie will begin production next month in Melbourne, Australia.

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark was released August 26th, 2011 and stars Bruce Gleeson, Edwina Ritchard, Garry McDonald, Bailee Madison, Carolyn Shakespeare-Allen, Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce, Jack Thompson. The film is directed by Troy Nixey.