Tag: hammer films

Check Out The New Clip, Featurette and TV Spot For THE QUIET ONES

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Go behind the scenes in this latest sneak peek of Lionsgate’s horror film, THE QUIET ONES. In the brand new featurette, the stars of the film discuss how the supernatural and scientific blend together to create the unnerving story they brought to the big screen.

Find out why Sam Claflin believes this film will terrify people of every age, and what Jared Harris finds intriguing about doing a horror film through a scientific lens.

Inspired by true events, THE QUIET ONES focuses on a tortured young girl, Jane Harper, who seems to be full of dark secrets. Get ready to take an intense journey this APRIL 25th, and see forces more powerful than you ever thought possible!

A university student (Sam Claflin, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire) and some classmates are recruited to carry out a private experiment — to create a poltergeist. Their subject: an alluring, but dangerously disturbed young woman (Olivia Cooke of Bates Motel). Their quest: to explore the dark energy that her damaged psyche might manifest.

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As the experiment unravels along with their sanity, the rogue PHD students, led by their determined professor (Jared Harris of Mad Men), are soon confronted with a terrifying reality: they have triggered an unspeakable force with a power beyond all explanation.

Inspired by true events, The Quiet Ones is directed by John Pogue from a screenplay by Craig Rosenberg and Oren Moverman and John Pogue, and based on a screenplay by Tom de Ville.

The film stars Jared Harris (Mad Men and Sherlock Homes: A Game of Shadows), Sam Claflin (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire), Olivia Cooke (Bates Motel), and is directed by John Pogue from a screenplay by Craig Rosenberg and Oren Moverman and John Pogue, and based on a screenplay by Tom de Ville.

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The Quiet Ones - Teaser Poster

Hammer Bringing The Abominable Snowman To Theaters

The Abominable Snowman

President & CEO of Hammer and Vice-Chairman of Exclusive Media, Simon Oakes, announced today that Hammer, an Exclusive Media company, will produce a new version of The Abominable Snowman. The project is being developed by Hammer in association with Ben Holden (The Quiet Ones, The Woman in Black: Angel of Death).

In this modern take on the Yeti myth, a scientific expedition’s illegal ascent up an unclimbed peak of one of the World’s most formidable mountains accidentally awakens an ancient creature that could spell a certain end for them all.

Watch the trailer from the 1957 British horror film.

The original screenplay by Matthew Read (Pusher, Hammer of the Gods) and Jon Croker (The Woman In Black: Angel of Death, Desert Dancer) will put a modern twist on the 1957 iconic original film from Hammer’s extensive canon of work. The project marks a continuation of Hammer’s ongoing campaign to maintain their heritage of producing enduring British horror films which are original, current and relevant for modern audiences, following on from The Woman in Black which became the most successful British horror film of all time.

Simon Oakes said of the project: “The success of Let Me In and The Woman In Black has shown that there is an appetite for quality horror films so it is exciting to draw on Hammer’s unparalleled source material in this genre which can be reimagined and updated for a new audience”.

Ben Holden is currently collaborating with Hammer on The Woman in Black: Angel of Death, which is in production in the UK now.

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Originally founded in 1934, legendary British film studio Hammer has delivered a hugely successful run of films over the years including Dracula, Frankenstein Created Woman, One Million Years B.C. and The Vampire Lovers. Since 2008, the company has been part of Exclusive Media, which is reinvigorating this beloved global brand through investment across both traditional and new media.

Not in production since the 1980s, Hammer marked their return to features in 2010 with the release of the critically acclaimed Let Me In, an adaptation of the highly praised Swedish film Låt den rätte komma in. The film was written and directed by Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) and stars Chloe Moretz (Kick-Ass) and Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Road).

In 2011, Hammer released Antti Jokinen’s The Resident starring two-time Academy Award® winner Hilary Swank (Boys Don’t Cry, Million Dollar Baby), Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Hammer legend Sir Christopher Lee, as well as the critically lauded Wake Wood directed by David Keating and starring Aidan Gillen, Eva Birthistle and Timothy Spall.

February 2012 saw the theatrical release of Hammer’s first ever feature ghost story The Woman In Black, directed by James Watkins, adapted by Jane Goldman from the book by Susan Hill, and starring Daniel Radcliffe. The film has taken over $130m worldwide making it one of the biggest indie horror films ever. The next instalment, The Woman in Black: Angel of Death, began filming in November, 2013 for a 13th February, 2015 release.

Hammer’s next film release will be The Quiet Ones starring Jared Harris and Sam Claflin.

In addition to its upcoming films, Hammer recently diversified into live theatre, launching Hammer Theatre of Horror. Hammer’s first theatre project was ‘The Turn of the Screw’ production, based on the classic ghost tale by Henry James, which ran at London’s Almeida Theatre until March 2013 starring Anna Madeley and Gemma Jones.

Hammer also launched a book publishing imprint, Arrow Books, in Spring 2011 with Random House. Recent titles include Jeanette Winterson’s ‘The Daylight Gate’, Sophie Hannah’s ‘The Orphan Choir’ and Julie Myerson’s ‘The Quickening’.

In late 2012, Hammer also signed a deal with Paragon Entertainment to develop, build and operate a series of UK based ‘Hammer House of Horror’ visitor attractions.

Lionsgate Picks Up UK Distribution Rights To Hammer Films’ THE QUIET ONES

THEQUIETONES

Alex Walton, Exclusive Media’s President of International Sales and Distribution, announced today that major sales have been completed on the recently wrapped Hammer supernatural thriller The Quiet Ones, starring Jared Harris (IN SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS, Mad Men) and Sam Claflin (HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE, SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN.)

Lionsgate has picked up UK distribution rights to the film. Exclusive has also signed deals with EEAP for Eastern Europe and CIS, Independent for Benelux, Ascot Elite for Switzerland, CDC for Latin America, CCC for Japan, Nu Metro for South Africa and Front Row for the Middle East.

In addition, other territory deals for the film include Deltamac for Hong Kong, Tanweer for India and Pakistan, , D Productions for Turkey, Village Roadshow for Greece, Sam Films for Iceland, United King for Israel, PT Amero for Indonesia, Lotus Five Star for Malaysia, M Pictures for Thailand, Pioneer for Philippines and Star TV for SE Asia.

The Quiet Ones is inspired by true events and tells the story of an unorthodox, but charismatic professor who uses controversial methods and leads his best students off the grid to take part in a dangerous experiment: to create a poltergeist from negative human energy. The film is written and directed by John Pogue (Quarantine 2) and produced by James Gay-Rees (Senna, Exit Through The Gift Shop), Exclusive Media’s Tobin Armbrust and Simon Oakes along with Steven Chester Prince and Ben Holden in association with The Travelling Picture Show Company (TPSC).

Alex Walton, President of International Sales and Distribution, said:

“Lionsgate has a phenomenalreputation for releasing quality supernatural and genre titles and we are thrilled to be working with them on The Quiet Ones. Buyers have been responding really well to this unique twist on a classic poltergeist story, and we anticipate closing the remaining deals on the film at the European Film Market in Berlin.”

Zygi Kamasa, Chief Executive of Lionsgate UK added:

“The Quiet Ones is a terrific film and we are very excited to be working with Exclusive Media to harness Hammer’s wide appeal amongst horror and supernatural film fans. Hammer’s recent success shows the appetite for smart, modern horror and thriller movies. We’re looking forward to working with Exclusive to release The Quiet Ones which we think will have broad appeal to UK audiences.”

Official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/thequietonesmovie

Hammer’s THE WOMAN IN BLACK Most Successful British Horror Film Of The Last 20 Years

Hammer’s hit film The Woman in Black has broken records again after becoming the UK’s highest grossing British horror film since records began 20 years ago*. The film has now made more than many Hollywood productions shot in the UK with British talent such as: The Others, Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Interview with a Vampire, as well as home-grown horrors such as Shaun Of The Dead and 28 Days Later.

The film has scored a hat-trick at the top of the UK box office for distributor Momentum Pictures. Holding the number one slot in the UK for the last 3 weeks, it has taken a total of £14,598,813 from 457 screens (per screen average of £5,351).

The film’s UK success is echoed by a sensational North American performance for a British film, which now stands at more than $50 million after 25 days on release.

The Woman in Black, starring Daniel Radcliffe, is directed by James Watkins and adapted by Jane Goldman from the classic novel by Susan Hill. The film is a Hammer, Alliance Films, The UK Film Council presentation, in association with Cross Creek Pictures and is a Talisman production in association with Exclusive Media. Producers are Richard Jackson, Simon Oakes and Brian Oliver. Executive Producers are Guy East, Nigel Sinclair, Tobin Armbrust, Marc Schipper, Neil Dunn, Xavier Marchand, Roy Lee and Tyler Thompson.

Simon Oakes, President & CEO of Hammer and Vice Chairman of Exclusive Media commented: “The record-breaking success of The Woman in Black is an important achievement that affirms the re-birth of Hammer. We are continuing to develop exciting and intelligent genre films this year such as The Quiet Ones and Gaslight, both of which will shoot in the UK.”

Nigel Sinclair, CEO and Co-Chairman of Exclusive Media, Hammer’s parent company, added: “We are delighted that the film has performed so well in both the US and the UK. It is titles like The Woman in Black, as well as The ides of March and Rush, that highlight Exclusive’s commitment to making quality films with top tier talent and international appeal.”

Xavier Marchand, President of Worldwide Distribution, Alliance Films and Managing Director Momentum Pictures, said: “The Woman in Black has been the number one film in the UK for the last 3 weeks and with close to $100m already at the worldwide Box Office shows how great British films can resonate not only here in the UK but also abroad. Congratulations to James Watkins, Daniel Radcliffe, Jane Goldman and all involved in The Woman in Black.”

*The Woman in Black has now grossed more than all previous British horror films of the last 20 years (Rentrak). The previous top titles are:

  • 02/11/2001 The Others £11,880,848
  • 29/01/1993 Bram Stoker’s Dracula £11,548,429
  • 20/01/1995 Interview With the Vampire £10,674,956
  • 07/01/2000 Sleepy Hollow £10,047,381
  • 09/04/2004 Shaun Of The Dead £6,692,683
  • 01/11/2002 28 Days Later £6,296,734
  • 11/05/2007 28 Weeks Later £5,350,158

Originally founded in 1934, legendary British film studio Hammer has delivered a hugely successful run of films over the years including Dracula, Frankenstein Created Woman, One Million Years B.C. and The Vampire Lovers. Since 2008, the company has been part of Exclusive Media which is reinvigorating this beloved global brand through investment across both traditional and new media.

Not in production since the 1980s, Hammer marked their return to features in 2010 with the release of the critically acclaimed Let Me In, an adaptation of the highly praised Swedish film Låt den rätte komma in. The film was written and directed by Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) and stars Chloe Moretz (Kick-Ass) and Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Road). In 2011, Hammer released Antti Jokinen’s The Resident starring two-time Academy Award® winner Hilary Swank (Boys Don’t Cry, Million Dollar Baby), Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Hammer legend Sir Christopher Lee, as well as the critically lauded Wake Wood directed by David Keating and starring Aidan Gillen, Eva Birthistle and Timothy Spall.

February 2012 sees the theatrical release of Hammer’s first ever feature ghost story The Woman in Black, directed by James Watkins, adapted by Jane Goldman from the book by Susan Hill, and starring Daniel Radcliffe. Hammer recently launched a new publishing imprint through Random House which has already published eight books. In 2012 the imprint publishes its first original titles with “The Greatcoat” by Helen Dunmore, an original novel about the Pendle witches by Jeanette Winterson and “Coldbrook” by Tim Lebbon.

Also publishing in 2012 are further new novelisations of classic Hammer films. Hammer is also broadening its reach, with plans for a Hammer Theatre of Horror and a Hammer visitor attraction, as well as continuing to honour the company’s legacy with re-releases of classic films, official histories, merchandise, screenings and social media engagement. For further information about Hammer and its parent company Exclusive Media, please visit www.hammerfilms.com and www.exclusivemedia.com

Momentum Pictures Takes Hammer’s THE WOMEN IN BLACK To Number 1 At UK Box Office

Hammer’s chilling ghost story The Woman in Black shattered UK box office expectations during its three day opening weekend (Fri-Sun), grossing an estimated £3.1million with a per screen average of £7500 for distributor Momentum Pictures.

This weekend’s three day gross makes The Woman in Black the highest opening ever for a Hammer film in the UK and the biggest British Independent opening of 2012 for Momenutm Pictures. Momentum also released The King’s Speech, the highest grossing British Independent film of 2011. The Woman in Black was released in 412 cinemas across the UK and Ireland on February 10.

The film’s UK success follows last weekend’s sensational US release, which opened at an outstanding $21 million.

The Woman in Black, starring Daniel Radcliffe, is directed by James Watkins and adapted by Jane Goldman from the classic novel by Susan Hill. Radcliffe has been a huge draw for audiences everywhere and delighted fans on Saturday by introducing public screenings at The Empire Leicester Square and Vue Westfield.

The film is a Hammer, Alliance Films, The UK Film Council presentation, in association with Cross Creek Pictures and is a Talisman production in association with Exclusive Media. Producers are Richard Jackson, Simon Oakes and Brian Oliver. Executive Producers are Guy East, Nigel Sinclair, Tobin Armbrust, Marc Schipper, Neil Dunn, Xavier Marchand, Roy Lee and Tyler Thompson.

Daniel Radcliffe who plays Arthur Kipps in The Woman in Black said: “The whole experience of working on The Woman in Black has been truly magical, eerie and amazing.  It’s been an honour to work with Hammer and continue to contribute to British film after ‘Harry Potter’.  I found Hammer’s legacy fascinating and it was great to be able to draw upon such a rich heritage as the influence for my role as Arthur Kipps.”

Commenting on the success of The Woman in Black, Simon Oakes, President & CEO of Hammer and Vice Chairman of Exclusive Media added: “We are delighted The Woman in Black has performed so well here and in the US.  This is Hammer’s first ghost story and we’re delighted UK audiences have embraced it with so much enthusiasm and shows that British audiences enjoy intelligent genre which are the types of films Hammer is known for.”

“This is a fantastic result. The buzz in cinemas and online suggests great word of mouth which bodes well for the half term week ahead.  Our congratulations  to James Watkins, Jane  Goldman, Daniel Radcliffe, and all those at Hammer,” said Xavier Marchand, Managing Director Momentum Pictures.

Nigel Sinclair, CEO and Co-Chairman of Exclusive Media, which is Hammer’s parent company, added: “This is a great result for Hammer in the UK and follows on from the film’s strong performance at the US box office. This project, like The Ides of March and Rush, further underlies Exclusive’s commitment to making great mainstream movies with top tier talent, and I’d like to congratulate our partners Momentum and of course Cross Creek Pictures on this success.”

Tobin Armbrust, President of Worldwide Production & Acquisitions of Exclusive Media added: “We are thrilled to share in the success of The Woman in Black with our close family, Daniel Radcliffe, Jane Goldman, James Watkins and the entire cast and crew who all worked incredibly hard on this great project. Hammer is one of our key production brands and to see it embraced in the US is a great show of support for its production philosophy.”

The Woman in Black director James Watkins said: “I’m thrilled that a British ghost story, made with a British cast, crew and investment, is playing so well with British audiences.”

Alliance Films, Inc. is one of the top five international independent filmed entertainment companies in the world. A leading multinational distributor, co-financier and producer of filmed entertainment, its member companies, Alliance Films and Alliance VivaFilm (Canada); Momentum Pictures (UK) and Aurum Productions (Spain), offer integrated delivery of content in all media.

Strategic partnerships includes exclusive distribution rights with Relativity Media in Canada and UK, Focus Features, The Weinstein Company, CBS Films and Newmarket Films in Canada, as well as ongoing relationships with Summit, FilmNation, Newmarket, Exclusive Media, IM Global, Mandate, Wild Bunch, Constantin Films, EuropaCorp and Nu Image in all 3 territories.

On the production front, strategic partnerships include: a feature film co-production and acquisitions deal with Italy’s Medusa Film; a first-look deal with Iain Canning and Emile Sherman’s See-Saw Films, which yielded the critically acclaimed THE KING’S SPEECH and SHAME by Steve McQueen; the production joint venture with IM Global, Automatik run by Brian Kavanaugh-Jones which is responsible for the upcoming WELCOME TO THE PUNCH; and a five-picture deal with PARANORMAL ACTIVITY producers Oren Peli, Jason Blum and Steven Schneider with titles that include the recent James Wan release INSIDIOUS and Barry Levinson’s upcoming THE BAY.

Exclusive Media To Launch International Sales On Hammer’s THE QUIET ONES At Berlin’s European Film Market

Guy East and Nigel Sinclair, Co-Chairmen of Exclusive Media and Simon Oakes, Vice-Chairman of Exclusive Media and President & CEO of Hammer announced today that Hammer’s latest supernatural thriller/horror, The Quiet Ones, will be presented for the first time at the upcoming European Film Market (EFM).

Written and to be directed by John Pogue (Quarantine 2) and produced by James Gay-Rees (Senna, Exit Through The Gift Shop) The Quiet Ones marks Hammer’s follow up to Daniel Radcliffe starrer The Woman in Black, which was released last weekend in the US on 3,000 screens grossing an outstanding $21M.

Inspired by true events, The Quiet Ones tells the story of an unorthodox professor who uses controversial methods and leads his best students off the grid to take part in a dangerous experiment: to create a poltergeist. Based on the theory that paranormal activity is caused by human negative energy, the rogue scientists perform a series of tests on a young patient, pushing her to the edge of sanity. As frightening occurrences begin to take place with shocking and gruesome consequences, the group quickly realizes they have triggered a force more terrifying and evil than they ever could have imagined.

Exclusive Media’s President of Worldwide Production & Acquisitions, Tobin Armbrust, will oversee production alongside Director of Development, Shira Rockowitz. Nancy Nayor has commenced casting on the film which is currently in pre-production and will start shooting in May 2012 inSouth Africa.

Alex Walton, President of International Sales and Distribution, will handle the international sales at EFM.

John Pogue said: “The Quiet Ones will take its audience on a thrilling ride of jumps, scares and eerie tingles which combined with set-pieces of unbearable tension will propel them through the shadowy chambers that imprison the tortured mind.  It’s a dark and claustrophobic picture which will portray how human desire can become trapped in an insidious world of its own creation and how you should always…be careful what you wish for.”

Simon Oakes, President & CEO of Hammer and Vice Chairman of Exclusive Media said: “We can’t wait to showcase The Quiet Ones at EFM. It’s an incredibly chilling and sinister picture that we are proud to be a part of.”

Exclusive Media is a major force in the production and international distribution arena. Other recent production titles include George Clooney’s THE IDES OF MARCH produced by Smokehouse Pictures and co-produced by Exclusive Media with Cross Creek Pictures, the newly announced CAN A SONG SAVE YOUR LIFE? starring Scarlett Johansson  and Mark Ruffalo, Ron Howard’s epic RUSH starring Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl and produced with production partners Cross Creek Pictures, Revolution Films, Imagine and Working Title; END OF WATCH starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Peña, Anna Kendrick and America Ferrera; SO UNDERCOVER starring Miley Cyrus; SNITCH starring Dwayne Johnson and Susan Sarandon in post production; and BONESHAKER to be produced with Cross Creek Pictures.

Exclusive Media’s HAMMER Acquires GASLIGHT Screenplay

EXCLUSIVE MEDIA’S HAMMER PRODUCTION LABEL ACQUIRES RIGHTS TO BLACKLIST SCREENPLAY ‘GASLIGHT’

HAMMER TO DEVELOP AND PRODUCE THE HORROR FEATURE FILM

Iconic production company Hammer, an Exclusive Media company, has acquired the rights to GASLIGHT, an original screenplay written by newcomer Ian Fried, it was announced today by Simon Oakes, Vice-Chairman of Exclusive Media and President & CEO of Hammer, and Guy East and Nigel Sinclair, Co-Chairmen of Exclusive Media.  Hammer will develop and produce GASLIGHT for the big screen.

The screenplay landed on Hollywood’s Blacklist of the best unproduced scripts in 2011 and is an atmospheric thriller in the vein of FROM HELL meets THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. Secretly imprisoned in a London insane asylum, the infamous Jack the Ripper helps Scotland Yard investigators solve a series of grisly murders whose victims all share the iconic death brand: dual puncture wounds to the neck.

Tobin Armbrust, President of Worldwide Production & Acquisitions of Exclusive Media, Hammer’s parent company, will oversee the project for Hammer.

Armbrust commented, “Ian’s script is an atmospheric thriller that reads like a Gothic SILENCE OF THE LAMBS.  He does a fantastic job of weaving iconic characters into a plausible and entertaining story.”

The project was brought to Exclusive Media, by the company’s Creative Executive, Jennifer Ruper.

Ian Fried is currently writing an original supernatural action project called SPECTRAL for Legendary Pictures. His previous script, THE EVER AFTER MURDERS, featuring fairy tale characters investigating murder scenes, also landed on Hollywood’s Black List in 2010.

Fried is repped by Daniel Cohan and Mike Esola at WME, Prolific Entertainment and attorney Eric Suddleson.

Hammer most recently produced the chilling ghost story THE WOMAN IN BLACK starring Daniel Radcliffe that opened this weekend in the US taking over $21m at the US box office.

Hammer’s adaptation of Susan Hill’s classic novel, starring Daniel Radcliffe, opened on almost 3000 screens through CBS Films with a per screen average of approximately $7,400, and also took the number one position in the Canadian box office.

This weekend’s three day gross makes The Woman in Black the highest opening ever for a Hammer film in the US and one of the very few British films that has broken the $20m opening weekend threshold.

Directed by James Watkins and adapted by Jane Goldman from the book by Susan Hill, THE WOMAN IN BLACK is a Hammer, Alliance Films, The UK Film Council presentation, in association with Cross Creek Pictures. A Talisman production in association with Exclusive Media, producers are Richard Jackson, Simon Oakes and Brian Oliver. Executive Producers are Guy East, Nigel Sinclair, Tobin Armbrust, Marc Schipper, Neil Dunn, Xavier Marchand, Roy Lee and Tyler Thompson.

Exclusive Media is a major force in the production and international distribution arena. Other recent production titles include George Clooney’s THE IDES OF MARCH produced by Smokehouse Pictures and co-produced by Exclusive Media with Cross Creek Pictures, the newly announced CAN A SONG SAVE YOUR LIFE? starring Mark Ruffalo and Scarlett Johansson, Ron Howard’s epic RUSH starring Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl and produced with production partners Cross Creek Pictures, Revolution Films, Imagine and Working Title; END OF WATCH starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Peña, Anna Kendrick and America Ferrera; SO UNDERCOVER starring Miley Cyrus; SNITCH starring Dwayne Johnson and Susan Sarandon in post production; and BONESHAKER to be produced with Cross Creek Pictures.

Recent titles from Exclusive Media’s documentary film division, Spitfire Pictures, include the Academy Award Nominated UNDEFEATED set for release through The Weinstein Company on February 17th and Martin Scorsese’s award winning GEORGE HARRISON: LIVING IN THE MATERIAL WORLD produced by Martin Scorsese, Nigel Sinclair and Olivia Harrison.

ABOUT HAMMER

Originally founded in 1934, legendary British film studio Hammer has delivered a hugely successful run of films over the years including Dracula, Frankenstein Created Woman, One Million Years B.C. and The Vampire Lovers. Since 2008, the company has been part of Exclusive Media which is reinvigorating this beloved global brand through investment across both traditional and new media.

Not in production since the 1980s, Hammer marked their return to features in 2010 with the release of the critically acclaimed Let Me In, an adaptation of the highly praised Swedish film Låt den rätte komma in. The film was written and directed by Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) and stars Chloe Moretz (Kick-Ass) and Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Road).

In 2011, Hammer released Antti Jokinen’s The Resident starring two-time Academy Award® winner Hilary Swank (Boys Don’t Cry, Million Dollar Baby), Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Hammer legend Sir Christopher Lee, as well as the critically lauded Wake Wood directed by David Keating and starring Aidan Gillen, Eva Birthistle and Timothy Spall.

February 2012 sees the theatrical release of Hammer’s first ever feature ghost story The Woman in Black, directed by James Watkins, adapted by Jane Goldman from the book by Susan Hill, and starring Daniel Radcliffe.

Hammer recently launched a new publishing imprint through Random House which has already published eight books. In 2012 the imprint publishes its first original titles with “The Greatcoat” by Helen Dunmore, an original novel about the Pendle witches by Jeanette Winterson and “Coldbrook” by Tim Lebbon. Also publishing in 2012 are further new novelisations of classic Hammer films.

Hammer is also broadening its reach, with plans for a Hammer Theatre of Horror and a Hammer visitor attraction, as well as continuing to honour the company’s legacy with re-releases of classic films, official histories, merchandise, screenings and social media engagement.

For further information about Hammer and its parent company Exclusive Media, please visit www.hammerfilms.com and www.exclusivemedia.com

ABOUT EXCLUSIVE MEDIA

Exclusive Media is a vertically integrated global filmed entertainment company, founded in May 2008 with the backing of the strategic investment group Cyrte Investments.  Exclusive Media develops, finances, produces, markets and distributes prestige and talent driven commercial and documentary feature films on a global basis.

Exclusive Media is run by a five member Executive Board with Nigel Sinclair as Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Guy East as Co-Chairman, Simon Oakes as Vice Chairman and President of Hammer, Marc Schipper as Chief Operating Officer, and Randy Hermann as Chief Financial Officer.  Supporting the Executive Board in both the operational management and strategic expansion of the business is a strong team of highly skilled professionals who have a broad range of complementary experience.

Exclusive Media’s development and production activities operate through three specialist labels: UK based Hammer for genre titles, Spitfire Pictures for documentary features and the flagship label Exclusive Media for all other feature film production.

Exclusive Media’s international sales & distribution division maintains a strong marketing presence and represents the group’s in-house productions plus its growing library of over 550 titles, as well as actively acquiring third party feature films to further strengthen its international distribution slate.

For further information about the company, our slate of films, library and our experienced management team please visit www.exclusivemedia.com

Daniel Radcliffe In The WOMAN IN BLACK Delivers Highest Ever Hammer Films Opening

Hammer’s chilling ghost story THE WOMAN IN BLACK exceeded box office expectations to open in the no.2 spot in its three day opening weekend (Fri-Sun) in the US, grossing just over $21m.

This is more than Paranormal Activity’s opening weekend which grossed $19,617,650 in 2009 and The Grudge 2 which grossed $20,825,300 in 2006.

Hammer’s adaptation of Susan Hill’s classic novel, starring Daniel Radcliffe, opened on almost  2855 screens with a per screen average of $7,356.

This weekend’s three day gross makes THE WOMAN IN BLACK the highest opening ever for a Hammer film in the US.

THE WOMAN IN BLACK, starring Daniel Radcliffe, is the iconic production company’s first ever feature ghost story. It is directed by James Watkins and adapted by Jane Goldman from the book by Susan Hill.

The film is a Hammer, Alliance Films, The UK Film Council presentation, in association with Cross Creek Pictures. A Talisman production in association with Exclusive Media. Producers are Richard Jackson, Simon Oakes and Brian Oliver. Executive Producers are Guy East, Nigel Sinclair, Tobin Armbrust, Marc Schipper, Neil Dunn, Xavier Marchand, Roy Lee and Tyler Thompson.

Commenting on the success of THE WOMAN IN BLACK, Simon Oakes, President & CEO of Hammer and Vice Chairman of Exclusive Media said: “We are delighted that The Woman in Black has performed so well. The fact that a gothic horror has attracted such a large audience on opening weekend shows the demand for elevated and intelligent genre films which Hammer aims to produce.”

Nigel Sinclair, CEO of Exclusive Media added: “This follows on a strong performance for Ides of March and reflects our commitment to great artists and great movies; I congratulate our partners CBS Alliance and of course Cross Creek pictures.”

Tobin Armbrust, President of Worldwide Production & Acquisitions of Exclusive Media, which is Hammer’s parent company, added: “We are thrilled to share in the success of The Woman in Black with our close family, Daniel Radcliffe, Jane Goldman, James Watkins and the entire cast and crew who all worked incredibly hard on this great project. Hammer is one of our key production brands and to see it embraced in the US is a great show of support for its production philosophy.”

THE WOMAN IN BLACK director James Watkins said: ‘I’m thrilled that a British ghost story, made with a British cast, crew and investment, is playing so well with American audiences.’

THE WOMAN IN BLACK will open in the UK on February 10.

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HAMMER Announces Global Film Restoration Project


© Hammer

In a landmark collaboration, Hammer today announced that STUDIOCANAL, Anolis Entertainment (Germany), Pinewood, illuminate Hollywood fka HTV and others are coming together to undertake a major restoration of the iconic Hammer film library. The project will bring over 30 movies into HD format for Blu-ray and new media exploitation in the 21st Century. This represents substantial investment by Hammer and its key partner STUDIOCANAL, and is testimony to the extraordinary regard with which the Hammer legacy is held internationally, with some materials for the project being provided by Hammer’s original US production partners Twentieth Century Fox, Warner Bros. and Paramount Pictures.

Dracula Prince of Darkness is the first title scheduled for release in the global restoration project and will be released in the UK in conjunction with STUDIOCANAL in March 2012. The partnership continues throughout the spring for the releases of The Reptile and The Plague of The Zombies, and will also include The Devil Rides Out, Rasputin the Mad Monk and The Mummy’s Shroud during the course of the year.

Hammer will also release definitive versions of its three hugely-influential original Gothic classics in the UK: The Curse of Frankenstein, Dracula and The Mummy.

As well as featuring a fully-restored HD picture and restored sound, the remastered films will boast a host of newly-filmed extras, including interviews with cast members. These documentary extras are being produced by Hammer expert and historian, Marcus Hearn – author of the recent “The Hammer Vault”.


© Hammer

Pinewood Studios carried out the restoration of the first three Studiocanal titles after housing the original negatives for the films, restoring the original UK title sequence to The Plague of The Zombies as well as the UK title cards to Dracula Prince of Darkness.

Recently-discovered footage that was originally cut from the British version of Dracula has been restored by Molinare to the BFI’s 2007 restoration courtesy of The National Film Center at The Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. The Japanese footage features an extended and particularly gruesome death scene for Dracula, as well as a moment considered too erotic by the censors of the day.

Following the discovery and restoration of the Japanese footage to Dracula, Hammer is keen to unearth further “lost” scenes and on-set footage from The Curse of Frankenstein, The Mummy and other titles in their library, and hope that any private collectors with viable unseen elements will contact the company.

In addition, Hammer will regularly be posting to a “Restoration Blog”, which will give a unique insider’s view on the entire process, from material selection right the way through to release. The blog can be followed at: http://blog.hammerfilms.com

Other companies involved in the restoration project include Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging and Thought Equity Motion in the US and Cineimage and Deluxe 142 in the UK.

Simon Oakes, President and CEO of Hammer commented,

“Our decision to restore some of Hammer’s most famous titles not only allows existing fans to experience the films again in high definition, but also encourages a new global audience to discover Hammer for the first time – especially as we get ready to release our next exciting new Hammer project The Woman in Black, starring Daniel Radcliffe. We have a busy year ahead but are confident that our Blu-ray plans will ensure that Hammer’s legacy will live on for generations to come.”

John Rodden, General Manager UK Home Entertainment for Studiocanal added,

“The great Hammer films are uniquely stylish and ceaselessly entertaining. Like the vampires and other supernatural forces they depict, they appear to be deathless, re-emerging relentlessly to thrill and terrify new generations of film fans. STUDIOCANAL is immensely proud to continue its investment in the best of British cinema both past and present by restoring and re-releasing these films.”

Selected additional titles planned for restoration and release in conjunction with international distribution partners:

  • The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires
  • Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter
  • Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell
  • Frankenstein Created Woman
  • The Witches
  • The Lost Continent
  • Slave Girls
  • The Viking Queen
  • The Vengeance of She

Originally founded in 1934, legendary British film studio Hammer has delivered a hugely successful run of films over the years including Dracula, Frankenstein Created Woman, One Million Years B.C. and The Vampire Lovers. Since 2008, the company has been part of Exclusive Media Group (“Exclusive Media”) which is reinvigorating this beloved global brand through investment across both traditional and new media.

Not in production since the 1980s, Hammer marked their return to features in 2010 with the release of the critically acclaimed Let Me In, an adaptation of the highly praised Swedish film Låt den rätte komma in. The film was written and directed by Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) and stars Chloe Moretz (Kick-Ass) and Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Road).

In 2011, Hammer released Antti Jokinen’s The Resident starring two-time Academy Award® winner Hilary Swank (Boys Don’t Cry, Million Dollar Baby), Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Hammer legend Sir Christopher Lee, as well as the critically lauded Wake Wood directed by David Keating and starring Aidan Gillen, Eva Birthistle and Timothy Spall.

February 2012 sees the theatrical release of Hammer’s first ever feature ghost story The Woman in Black, directed by James Watkins, adapted by Jane Goldman from the book by Susan Hill, and starring Daniel Radcliffe.

Hammer recently launched a new publishing imprint through Random House which has already published eight books. In 2012 the imprint publishes its first original titles with “The Greatcoat” by Helen Dunmore, an original novel about the Pendle witches by Jeanette Winterson and “Coldbrook” by Tim Lebbon.

Also publishing in 2012 are further new novelisations of classic Hammer films. Hammer is also broadening its reach, with plans for a Hammer Theatre of Horror and a Hammer visitor attraction, as well as continuing to honour the company’s legacy with re-releases of classic films, official histories, merchandise, screenings and social media engagement.

For further information about Hammer and its parent company Exclusive Media Group, please visit www.hammerfilms.com and www.exclusivemedia.com

Hammer Website Opens Official Print-on-D​emand Online Store And Exclusive Online Content From THE WOMAN IN BLACK

Hammer has launched an official print-on-demand online store today, featuring iconic UK quad artwork from legendary horror titles including One Million Years B.C. and The Devil Rides Out.

The store features high-quality reproductions of UK quads from the extensive Hammer library including the latest titles Let Me In and Wake Wood,  along with newly-restored posters for such beloved horror classics as X The Unknown, The Abominable Snowman and Frankenstein And The Monster From Hell, all of which are reproduced for the first time and exclusively available.

Each classic poster featured on the site will be available in two styles; “restored”, appearing as new, and “aged”, subtly weathered to create a retro aesthetic.

Designed by renowned film poster artists Bill Wiggins, Mike Vaughan, Vic Fair and the legendary Tom Chantrell, and curated by Marcus Hearn, Hammer’s official historian, the artwork will be available as posters (paper or canvas; framed or unframed), prints, greeting cards and postcards.

To celebrate the launch, Hammer will be giving 15% off all orders through 10th December 2011 at www.hammerfilms.com

Additionally, to coincide with the release of Marcus Hearn’s new official book “The Hammer Vault” which hits stores on 2nd December 2011, Hammer is releasing online exclusive content from THE WOMAN IN BLACK at www.hammerfilms.com at Noon on the same day.

“The Hammer Vault”, published by Titan Books, features double-page spreads of classic Hammer titles in addition to recent releases Wake Wood, Let Me In and The Resident.

Hammer will publish online exclusive content from The Woman in Black in the “Hammer Vault” style, as part of a three-way promotional tie in for the Hammer website, the book launch and the upcoming film release.

The exclusive “Hammer Vault” content, available via a password gate only to those who buy or browse “The Hammer Vault”, will feature interviews with director James Watkins and production designer Kave Quinn, along with exclusive stills, storyboards and photography of production assets and props.

THE WOMAN IN BLACK will be released theatrically in the US on 3 February 2012 through CBS Films and in the UK on 10 February through Momentum Pictures.

Hammer is the legendary British film brand, which was originally launched in 1934 and delivered a hugely successful run of films in the 1950s including Gothic classics “Dracula” and “The Curse of Frankenstein” and Sci-Fi picture “The Quatermass Xperiment.” Hammer’s reputation became branded worldwide as ‘Hammer House of Horror’. In the 1960s Hammer struck distribution deals with Universal, Warner Brothers, Fox and Columbia. Hammer went on to produce a huge volume of films which included such titles as “The Plague of The Zombies,” “The Nanny,” “Quatermass and the Pit,” “The Devil Rides Out” and “One Million Years B.C.”

Not in production since the 1980s, the company’s brand has new investment in the development and production of film, television and digital-platform content by Exclusive Media Group (“Exclusive”).

Hammer’s return to horror was heralded by interactive web serial “Beyond the Rave,” which was broadcast by MySpace in 12 territories in 2008. Today, Hammer has an active development slate across diverse genres sourced out of both Europe and the United States. Hammer recently released “The Resident,” which stars two-time Academy Award® winner Hilary Swank (“Million Dollar Baby,” “Boys Don’t Cry”) and Jeffrey Dean Morgan (“Watchmen”) and is directed by Antti Jokinen, “Let Me In”, an adaptation of the highly acclaimed Swedish Film, “Lat den Ratte Komma In,” a.k.a. “Let the Right One In”, written and directed by Matt Reeves (“Cloverfield”). Hammer Films is currently in postproduction on “The Woman in Black.”