Hot on the heels of THE WOMAN IN BLACK, the most successful British horror ever, Hammer is planning another haunted house feature, this time set across the pond and based on a true story.
The film will tell the story of the Winchester Mystery House, located in San Jose, California, and in an unprecedented deal, is to be shot in the actual building. One of the world’s best known ‘haunted’ houses, the site has a colourful history is now a lucrative tourist attraction.
The Winchester Mystery House was under constant construction for 38 years as its former owner, Sarah Winchester, belived it to be haunted by victims of the Winchester gun or ‘the gun that won the west’. Sarah Winchester believed that the constant construction would appease the spirits, and afford her ever-lasting life. The construction apparently continued around the clock at a cost of $6 million (a fair old price back then). Sarah Winchester died in 1884.
The true history offers a great deal of opportunity for poetic licence, and there’s plenty of material for prospective screenwriters to play with. And after THE WOMAN IN BLACK, Hammer has proved it knows how to handle a good old-fashioned ghost story.
Producers Tobin Amhurst and Brett Tomberlin have said of the project:
‘The Winchester House has a rich and compelling history. The story behind how it was built has attracted a great deal of attention over the years and we are excited to bring that mythology to film. We are also thrilled, and terrified, that the House has allowed us to film on the premises.
‘We are extremely excited to be partnering with Exclusive Media to bring the story of the Winchester Mystery House to a global audience. For many years, the mystique and history of this unique venue, and its owner Sarah Winchester, could be experienced only by those visiting the site. Now, with a film shot in and around the House, Sarah’s spirit will be brought back to life, and the audience will see first-hand this stunning and bizarre house.’
Source: Hammer
