This week sees the release of Let Me In, the Matt Reeves directed adaptation of John Ajvide Lindqvist’s novel starring It-Girl Chloe Moretz and Kodi Smit-McPhee. It is the first major release from the rejuvenated Hammer, a name synonymous with cinematic horror.
Fans of the much loved Tomas Alfredson adaptation of the novel may have their concerns about the new film but it gets a lot right and sets the tone for a new direction for Hammer, and we sat down with CEO Simon Oakes to talk about the legacy and the future of Hammer – including The Woman in Black, starring Daniel Radcliffe.
HeyUGuys:
Hammer has an enormous and important legacy, and Let Me In represents a new direction for you, what’s your take on the future of Hammer?
Simon Oakes
I’ve been on the record as saying that when we bought Hammer we knew we had this great brand with which audiences had a nostalgia love affair, the British particularly, and a lot of people have been influenced by and referenced Hammer, like Tim Burton. I felt we had to reposition it and ask ourselves ‘What would Hammer be doing today?’ If Hammer had carried on through the 80s and 90s, what films would it be making? When I bought the company a question I was asked constantly was ‘Are you going to be remaking the classic Hammer horror films?’ and we thought about it, it couldn’t really be done – they had been old fashioned, they were in a house style that was brilliant and unique but got overtaken by the Urban Myth films that came out of America in the late 70s, The Omen and The Exorcist. Hammer had done vampire films, sci-fi films like Quatermass, The Mummy, psychological horror films, like mini-Hitchcocks and so we wanted to have films which were a contemporary expression of that and that’s when we found Let Me In.
HeyUGuys:
And what drew you to the story?
Simon Oakes
We’d seen the book and some of the early footage of the film and saw that it was a different take on the vampire mythology, we didn’t know it would become this huge arthouse classic. We’re real fans of the original, but we were committed to doing it and we knew Matt Reeves had a take on the material and as he says, it’s his version, it’s not a pure remake. There are things which are really honoured, some scenes that are almost shot for shot because they can’t be bettered, they just have a slightly different style and there are some new scenes. Only in a Swedish film can you have a police officer come into a school and say, ‘Someone’s been killed, it may be a vampire,’ and that’s it…
HeyUGuys
What else are Hammer working on?
Simon Oakes
We’ve got a psychological thriller called The Resident coming out in March, there’s a small film called Wake Wood, which is more of a homage to the past, it’s something in the tradition of The Wicker Man, and of course we’re shooting The Woman in Black from Susan Hill novella. So, we’re taking steps to re-brand the brand.
HeyUGuys
And that will include Novels put out under the Hammer name I understand, with Jeanette Winterson already signed up, are any other authors on board?
Simon Oakes
We’re looking a number of different writers, and the idea is that everyone has a horror story in them and it would be great to get authors who don’t often write in that genre. There are obvious ones, like Rankin, Gaiman and Will Self we’d love to have write for us…
HeyUGuys
And these are all established authors…
Simon Oakes
Yes, all established authors. The imprint is going to have six to eight books a year which will be made up of novelisations of the back catalogue, novelisations of films that we make and then new novels by well established authors.
HeyUGuys
Any plans to do any anthologies?
Simon Oakes
Well, yeah, I’ve been thinking about doing anthologies on TV, but perceived wisdom is that anthology TV doesn’t work anymore, and my reaction is immediately – ‘Let’s do it’, go against the grain. It’s a question of would you want to see a sixty minute Hammer film on TV each week, or would you want the continuation of character? That’s where we are right now, and it may be that an anthology would work, but perhaps with characters intertwining. Tales of the Unexpected was the last anthology series which worked, but that had Roald Dahl behind it. We’re still trying to find our path in terms of TV.
HeyUGuys
Would Hammer look to use the internet for distribution?
Simon Oakes
The problem is that no-one knows what the economical model for that is yet, really. We did a thing called Beyond the Rave which is an internet film and we released it in ten minute episodes, but the fact of the matter is that for horror you’re likely to get a 15-rating or over and for something like Beyond the Rave you need mobile phone sponsorship and you couldn’t because of the content and the rating. You have to design specific internet material, and digital marketing is incredibly important, social gaming is incredibly important and we’re beginning to move in that direction but it’s important to get the movies out first, we are a film company first.
HeyUGuys
The Woman in Black is going to be a really important next step for you. It’s a very well known story, Jane Goldman adapted it, Daniel Radcliffe is in it, and it’s a popular stage play, how are you planning to make it a Hammer story?
Simon Oakes
We bought the novella and what Susan does is, very much in the style of the Wilkie Collins, M.R. James pastiche, less is more, it’s imagined – very much like The Innocents. So what Jane Goldman has done is taken out these imagined moments and thought ‘What could actually have happened?’ and ‘What is the Woman in Black’s curse?’, and there are some big set pieces and Jane has just run with her imagination. We’re got this young director, James Watkins who did Eden Lake, who really understands the genre, so our approach was to let Jane go crazy, and its really properly frightening.
HeyUGuys
Daniel Radcliffe will bring in the Harry Potter fans, though I suspect he’s moving away from the role?
Simon Oakes
Yeah, he’s lived with Potter all his life, and this is really his first grown up role and he’s in every frame of the film. It’s great because he’s an old fashioned English romantic lead now.
And in this film he’s got some great actors around him, Ciarin Hinds as an example, but it’s Daniel’s film.
HeyUGuys
This is a strange time for British film right now and you’re setting up shop with a huge legacy, what’s your take on the Industry at the moment?
Simon Oakes
As far as the UK Film Council is concerned, I’m certainly no privy to the discussions going on, but I think it’s a watch this space moment. It was a PR mistake to say we’re getting rid of the Film Council without saying what will replace it. I believe it will exist in some form, possibly with even more money but made more cost efficient. There are some really talented people, who really care about film, and understand the balance between commerciality and cultural diversity, but it needed a shake up.
HeyUGuys
And technology wise, are you looking to make use of 3D?
Simon Oakes
Everything finds its feet eventually. Nine months ago, everything had to be made in 3D and the technology will get better and become more manageable, the cost of making a film in 3D won’t be 20-25% more, so your decision to make it has another economic imperative behind it. I think we’ll find the right film to made in 3D and films not suited to 3D won’t be made in 3D.
HeyUGuys
Let Me In is one of those films, was there any pressure to upconvert to 3D?
Simon Oakes
No, it wouldn’t have benefited from that and it’s the same with The Woman in Black. Having said that we have a number of properties that would absolutely be made in 3D. It’s no longer a gimmick, it’s immersive and I think it can make the film a lot better.
HeyUGuys
Finally, returning to the Hammer Vaults – are you planning to reissue the old films?
Simon Oakes
Yeah, some of the films we’ll be looking to release in box sets and on Blu-ray, the ownership issues are a bit of a mess, but that’s where we’re heading.
Let Me In is out on the 5th of November.
