The Hammer Story: Revised and Expanded Edition
Will be published approx. on 15. September 2026
Book
Hardback
224 pages
978-1-80336-514-5 (ISBN)
Description
The only authorised history of Hammer Films draws on exclusive access to the company's archive of stills and paperwork to give the complete history of the company and its leading figures, a film-by-film analysis of its horror and fantasy titles, and the most complete Hammer filmography ever published.
Established in 1934, Hammer Films is one of the most renowned and prolific independent production companies in the world.
Hammer's productions encompass almost every genre, but it remains best known for the groundbreaking reinvention of cinematic horror that was a phenomenon on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1950s. The unique formula that became known as Hammer Horror was perfected in such classics as The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), Dracula (1958) and The Mummy (1959). Over the next 20 years numerous sequels and similarly acclaimed films such as The Devil Rides Out (1968) made Hammer one of the most recognisable filmmaking brands in the world.
The Hammer Story is the only authorised history of the company and was compiled with unlimited access to its archive. The book is lavishly illustrated with rare promotional material and previously unpublished photographs.
Now with an additional 32 pages continuing the story of Hammer as it came back from the dead in 2007 and began producing new horror films for a modern audience, including:
* Wake Wood (2009) - Hammer Films' first theatrical release for 30 years
* Let Me In (2010) - directed by Matt Reeves
* The Resident (2011) - starring Oscar-winner Hilary Swank and Hammer legend Sir Christopher Lee
* The Woman in Black (2012) - starring Daniel Radcliffe
* The Quiet Ones (2014) - starring Jared Harris
* The Woman in Black: Angel of Death (2015) - starring Helen McCrory
* The Lodge (2019) - directed by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala
Established in 1934, Hammer Films is one of the most renowned and prolific independent production companies in the world.
Hammer's productions encompass almost every genre, but it remains best known for the groundbreaking reinvention of cinematic horror that was a phenomenon on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1950s. The unique formula that became known as Hammer Horror was perfected in such classics as The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), Dracula (1958) and The Mummy (1959). Over the next 20 years numerous sequels and similarly acclaimed films such as The Devil Rides Out (1968) made Hammer one of the most recognisable filmmaking brands in the world.
The Hammer Story is the only authorised history of the company and was compiled with unlimited access to its archive. The book is lavishly illustrated with rare promotional material and previously unpublished photographs.
Now with an additional 32 pages continuing the story of Hammer as it came back from the dead in 2007 and began producing new horror films for a modern audience, including:
* Wake Wood (2009) - Hammer Films' first theatrical release for 30 years
* Let Me In (2010) - directed by Matt Reeves
* The Resident (2011) - starring Oscar-winner Hilary Swank and Hammer legend Sir Christopher Lee
* The Woman in Black (2012) - starring Daniel Radcliffe
* The Quiet Ones (2014) - starring Jared Harris
* The Woman in Black: Angel of Death (2015) - starring Helen McCrory
* The Lodge (2019) - directed by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 290 mm
Width: 240 mm
Thickness: 1 mm
Weight
567 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-80336-514-5 (9781803365145)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Since beginning his career at Marvel Comics, Marcus Hearn has written for The Times, The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph, as well as contributing to The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography and numerous magazines. His books include authorised biographies of filmmakers George Lucas and Gerry Anderson, Saucy Postcards: The Bamforth Collection and Eight Days a Week, the story of The Beatles' final world tour. The winner of three Rondo Awards, most recently for his feature-length documentary Hammer Horror: The Warner Bros Years, he is currently the Head of Library and Archive for Hammer Films.
Alan Barnes is the author of Sherlock Holmes on Screen, and has co-written (with Marcus Hearn) volumes on the James Bond films and Quentin Tarantino. A former editor of both Doctor Who Magazine and the Judge Dredd Megazine, his fiction writing includes over forty full-cast audio dramas for Big Finish Productions, plus the script for CBBC's animated Doctor Who adventure, The Infinite Quest. He was part of the dialogue team for Risen 2: Dark Waters, nominated for Best Videogame Script in the 2012 Writers' Guild Awards. He is married with three children.
Alan Barnes is the author of Sherlock Holmes on Screen, and has co-written (with Marcus Hearn) volumes on the James Bond films and Quentin Tarantino. A former editor of both Doctor Who Magazine and the Judge Dredd Megazine, his fiction writing includes over forty full-cast audio dramas for Big Finish Productions, plus the script for CBBC's animated Doctor Who adventure, The Infinite Quest. He was part of the dialogue team for Risen 2: Dark Waters, nominated for Best Videogame Script in the 2012 Writers' Guild Awards. He is married with three children.