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Feb 05, 2024

Hammer Horror Returning to Life With New Owner and New Slate of Movies

Published on By You can’t talk about the history of horror without talking about Hammer Horror, with Hammer Film Productions over the years releasing countless classics including their own takes on

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You can’t talk about the history of horror without talking about Hammer Horror, with Hammer Film Productions over the years releasing countless classics including their own takes on iconic monsters such as Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Mummy, and their movies solidifying the likes of Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing as true icons in the horror genre.

Variety reports this morning that British theater producer John Gore has acquired Hammer Films and Studios, and he’ll lead a new team aiming to revitalize the legendary brand.

“Under Gore’s management, the plan is to invest significantly in Hammer Films to breathe new life into the studio, blending the nostalgic charm of Hammer with modern cinematic style and innovation, while preserving its heritage and library,” Variety’s exclusive report details. “A new slate of films and projects will be unveiled imminently.”

First up is the Eddie Izzard-starring Doctor Jekyll, set for release later this year.

New owner John Gore said in a statement:

“Ever since I was a young boy, I’ve been enchanted by the magic of Hammer Films. Its stories, its characters and its unique place in British heritage and cinema have been a source of inspiration and wonder. Today, as I stand at the helm of this iconic studio, my commitment is twofold: to celebrate and preserve the unmatched legacy of Hammer and to usher in a new era of storytelling that captivates audiences worldwide. With significant investment and a fresh creative vision, we will ensure that the spirit of Hammer not only endures but thrives in the modern age.”

Bloody Disgusting’s Paul Farrell provides a brief company overview in the opening of his monthly column Hammer Factory, “While Hammer Studios has been in business since 1934, it was between 1955 and 1979 that it towered as one of the premier sources of edgy, gothic horror. On top of ushering the famous monsters of Universal’s horror heyday back into the public eye, resurrecting the likes of Frankenstein, Dracula and the Mummy in vivid color, the studio invited performers like Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Ingrid Pitt and so many more to step into the genre limelight. Spanning a library housing over 300 films, Hammer Studios is a key part of horror history that until recently has been far too difficult to track down.”

Writer in the horror community since 2008. Editor in Chief of Bloody Disgusting. Owns Eli Roth's prop corpse from Piranha 3D. Has four awesome cats. Still plays with toys.

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Originally scheduled for theatrical release on October 13, producer Jason Blum has let us know this afternoon that The Exorcist: Believer will now be releasing one week earlier.

“Look what you made me do,” Blum tweets, referring to Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour claiming that theatrical release date. “The Exorcist: Believer moves to 10/6/23.”

David Gordon Green directed the brand new sequel to The Exorcist for Universal, Blumhouse and Morgan Creek that will pave the way for a new trilogy. This first film in the trilogy will now be released theatrically on October 6, 2023, with Leslie Odom Jr. starring.

Here’s the full plot synopsis…

“Since the death of his pregnant wife in a Haitian earthquake 12 years ago, Victor Fielding (Leslie Odom, Jr.) has raised their daughter Angela (Lidya Jewett) on his own.

“But when Angela and her friend Katherine (Olivia Marcum) disappear in the woods, only to return three days later with no memory of what happened, it unleashes a chain of events that will force Victor to confront the nadir of evil and, in his terror and desperation, seek out the only person alive who has witnessed anything like it before: Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn).”

Ann Dowd (Hereditary), Raphael Sbarge (“Gaslit”), and Jennifer Nettles (The Righteous Gemstones) will also star.

Peter Sattler (Broken Diamonds) and Gordon Green wrote the script for Believer, which features a story by Green, Scott Teems (Halloween Kills) and Danny McBride (Halloween).

The Exorcist franchise hasn’t been on the big screen since the 2005 release of Dominion: Prequel to The Exorcist, an alternate version of the previous year’s Exorcist: The Beginning. Those films came in the wake of 1977’s The Exorcist II: The Heretic and 1990’s The Exorcist III.

More recently, “The Exorcist” became a short-lived television series at Fox, which was surprisingly excellent and cleverly took place in the same world as the original classic.

Look what you made me do.

The Exorcist: Believer moves to 10/6/23#TaylorWins

— Jason Blum (@jason_blum) August 31, 2023