In 2012, Hammer Films saw the biggest US opening for a Hammer film in all of its history with The Woman in Black, an adaptation of Dame Susan Hill‘s 1983 novel. Hammer may be gearing up for a repeat of this success as Variety reports that the newly resurrected studio has acquired all rights to Hill’s complete works.
British theater producer John Gore acquired Hammer Films and Studios in 2023 and has big plans aiming to “celebrate and preserve the unmatched legacy of Hammer and to usher in a new era of storytelling.”
Gore recently teased some of those plans, but the new acquisition expands Hammer’s future potential even further. Hill’s most famous novel is The Woman in Black, but now Hammer could adapt any or all of her horror works. John Gore Studios said it was looking to adapt Hill’s literary works across not just film and TV but theatre opportunities as well, where existing rights arrangements allow.
Other Hill ghost stories and novels now ripe for adaptation include The Man in the Picture, Dolly, The Small Hand, The Mist in the Mirror, and Printer’s Devil Court.
“Susan Hill is one of Britain’s most distinctive literary voices, and it is a privilege to become a custodian of such an extraordinary body of work,” said Gore, founder and executive chairman of John Gore Studios. “Our ambition is to approach these stories with the same care, craftsmanship and respect for character, suspense and atmosphere that Susan has brought to them throughout her career. As we explore new ways of bringing her work to audiences across film, television and beyond, Susan’s voice and vision will remain at the heart of everything we do. Above all, we hope that each new interpretation will encourage audiences to discover, or return to, the remarkable writing that inspired it.”
Hill will be actively involved and part of the ongoing management relationship around the portfolio and development strategy, as well as being an executive producer on new projects.
“For any author, it’s heartening to see their stories continue to find new life,” said Hill. “John Gore Studios brings together a genuine respect for heritage with an understanding of how classic stories can reach new audiences, and Hammer has a long and distinguished place in the history of British gothic storytelling, so I’m very pleased that these worlds can come together for the next chapter.”
