WHEN Chilean-born director Alejandro Amenabar wrote the goose-pimply fright flick, “The Others,” he envisioned it as a low-budget, Spanish-language film set in South America.
Then along came Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.
Cruise had fallen for Amenabar’s 1997 reality-bending thriller “Open Your Eyes” and decided to produce, as well as star in, an English-language remake.
The Hollywood hotshot was equally impressed with the script for “The Others,” Amenabar’s follow-up movie, and came on board as executive producer. He showed it to Kidman and Miramax honchos Harvey and Bob Weinstein, who also loved it.
Fast-forward to this week, and the 29-year-old Spanish-Chilean director found himself at a star-studded Hollywood premiere for his first English-language studio film, set on the English Isle of Jersey and starring one of the most high-profile A-list actresses in the world.
“It’s something I never expected when I was writing the script,” Amenabar told The Post. “I never thought of any specific actress to play the lead role. But Nicole is magic.”
Kidman plays a highly strung mother living alone with her two sickly children in a remote mansion during WWII. She preaches religion to the children while trying to protect them from the spooks she fears are invading their home.
While the film’s budget swelled to $20 million, Amenabar stayed true to his belief that suspense and the suggestion of malevolent forces are more chilling than all the special effects money can buy.
“It’s not explicit. It refers to darkness and ghosts, which were the kind of things I used to be scared of as a child,” he said.
“I was scared of long corridors, everything that was hidden or could be hiding.”
Amenabar has yet to see any of Cameron Crowe’s “Open Your Eyes” remake, which has been renamed “Vanilla Sky” and stars Cruise’s new gal pal, Penelope Cruz, reprising her role from the original.
“I haven’t been involved at all, but I feel very flattered and honored,” he says. “I’m also curious and excited about it. Tom tells me it’s like a cover of a song, that they’re doing it with respect.”