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