The 1968 historical horror drama Witchfinder General is getting remade by director John Hillcoat (Lawless) and producer Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive).
For those of you not familiar with the original movie, is starred the great Vincent Price and was based on a novel written by Ronald Bassett. The story is set in 1645 Norfolk, England, it was “a fictionalized study of real-life witch hunter Matthew Hopkins and the heinous crimes he committed during the English Civil War.”
The original film also featured a lot of torture and violence, which as you might image, stirred up some good controversy at the time. As it played at drive-ins and grindhouse theaters, it became a cult classic. With Hillcoat and Refn bringing this story to life again, I imagine they’ll also want to push the limits in regards to crazy content.
Jon Croker (Woman In Black 2) has been hired to write the script, and...
For those of you not familiar with the original movie, is starred the great Vincent Price and was based on a novel written by Ronald Bassett. The story is set in 1645 Norfolk, England, it was “a fictionalized study of real-life witch hunter Matthew Hopkins and the heinous crimes he committed during the English Civil War.”
The original film also featured a lot of torture and violence, which as you might image, stirred up some good controversy at the time. As it played at drive-ins and grindhouse theaters, it became a cult classic. With Hillcoat and Refn bringing this story to life again, I imagine they’ll also want to push the limits in regards to crazy content.
Jon Croker (Woman In Black 2) has been hired to write the script, and...
- 5/21/2019
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Ask any horror fan worth their salt about underrated classics of the 1960s, and one film that’s sure to come up is “Witchfinder General.” Co-produced by Roger Corman’s American Independent Pictures, the 1968 film, based on Ronald Bassett’s novel of the same name, tells the queasy and brutal story story of real-life lawyer Matthew Hopkins, who claimed to have been appointed to the titular role during the English Civil War in the 17th century.
Continue reading John Hillcoat & Nicolas Winding Refn Team For ‘Witchfinder General’ Remake at The Playlist.
Continue reading John Hillcoat & Nicolas Winding Refn Team For ‘Witchfinder General’ Remake at The Playlist.
- 5/18/2019
- by Oliver Lyttelton
- The Playlist
Exclusive: Coming full circle here at Cannes after Deadline reported a few years ago that Nicolas Winding Refn was preparing a remake of historical horror drama Witchfinder General, the project now has a director. John Hillcoat (Lawless) has boarded the production as helmer while the filmmakers are out to cast with a start eyed later this year.
Refn and Rupert Preston, through their new production ventures Bynwr.com and Sunrise Films, together with Hillcoat’s Blank Films, are producing the update. All developed the project which is written by Jon Croker (Woman In Black 2).
The original Witchfinder General starred Vincent Price, Ian Ogilvy and Hilary Dwyer and was based on Ronald Bassett’s novel. Set in 1645 Norfolk, England, it was a fictionalized study of real-life witch hunter Matthew Hopkins and the heinous crimes he committed during the English Civil War. Torture and violence featured heavily in the original film, which stirred controversy,...
Refn and Rupert Preston, through their new production ventures Bynwr.com and Sunrise Films, together with Hillcoat’s Blank Films, are producing the update. All developed the project which is written by Jon Croker (Woman In Black 2).
The original Witchfinder General starred Vincent Price, Ian Ogilvy and Hilary Dwyer and was based on Ronald Bassett’s novel. Set in 1645 Norfolk, England, it was a fictionalized study of real-life witch hunter Matthew Hopkins and the heinous crimes he committed during the English Civil War. Torture and violence featured heavily in the original film, which stirred controversy,...
- 5/18/2019
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Witchfinder General is more historical reenactment than any kind of supernatural tale, but the horrors experienced in the world are far more terrifying than any creature we could dream up. Like many, I often watch horror movies to be entertained, so this one is an uncomfortable watch and not one I return to often. That said, it’s an important film and worth watching as a reminder of the atrocities that were committed to so many innocent people, a warning not to repeat the sins of the past, and as a showcase of Vincent Price, who delivers one of his best performances as the insidious Matthew Hopkins.
Filmed in 1967 as a co-production between Tigon and Aip, Witchfinder General is based on the 1966 novel of the same name from Ronald Bassett, but it should be considered a very loose adaptation of the historical events surrounding actual witch hunter Matthew Hopkins.
If...
Filmed in 1967 as a co-production between Tigon and Aip, Witchfinder General is based on the 1966 novel of the same name from Ronald Bassett, but it should be considered a very loose adaptation of the historical events surrounding actual witch hunter Matthew Hopkins.
If...
- 10/30/2018
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Acclaimed filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn has scored the remake rights to Michael Reeves' 1968 cult historical horror tale "Witchfinder General" (aka. "The Conqueror Worm").
Based on Ronald Bassett's novel, Vincent Price, Ian Ogilvy and Hilary Dwyer starred in the acclaimed original which was set in Norfolk, England in 1645 and follows real-life witch hunter Matthew Hopkins and the heinous crimes he committed during the English Civil War.
Refn will produce, but Not direct, this new $5-10 million budgeted adaptation alongside Rupert Preston through their Space Rocket Nation and Sunrise Films labels. Vertigo Releasing will handle UK distribution.
The plan is to go into production next year with a view to bringing a new audience to the story, but the decision about whether to completely contemporize the story has not yet been decided.
Refn has "The Neon Demon" playing at Cannes and is producing another horror remake, "Maniac Cop," which is...
Based on Ronald Bassett's novel, Vincent Price, Ian Ogilvy and Hilary Dwyer starred in the acclaimed original which was set in Norfolk, England in 1645 and follows real-life witch hunter Matthew Hopkins and the heinous crimes he committed during the English Civil War.
Refn will produce, but Not direct, this new $5-10 million budgeted adaptation alongside Rupert Preston through their Space Rocket Nation and Sunrise Films labels. Vertigo Releasing will handle UK distribution.
The plan is to go into production next year with a view to bringing a new audience to the story, but the decision about whether to completely contemporize the story has not yet been decided.
Refn has "The Neon Demon" playing at Cannes and is producing another horror remake, "Maniac Cop," which is...
- 5/17/2016
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Although Hammer Films will always be associated with British horror, the studio did have stiff competition. Amicus specialised in the successful horror anthologies and Us counterparts American International Pictures established a permanent UK base in the mid sixties. Other smaller independents took their own bite from the cherry tree of horror with some success, the best known being Tigon Films.
Tigon has received some belated recognition in recent years. Andy Boot’s book on British horror Fragments of Fear devotes a chapter to the company while John Hamilton’s excellent book Beast in the Cellar covers the varied career of Tigon’s charismatic founder Tony Tenser.
Like Hammer’s Sir James Carreras, Tenser was one of the British Film Industry’s great entrepreneurs. Born in London to poor Lithuanian immigrants and a movie fan since childhood, he was an ambitious man with a natural talent for showmanship. Combining shrewd business...
Tigon has received some belated recognition in recent years. Andy Boot’s book on British horror Fragments of Fear devotes a chapter to the company while John Hamilton’s excellent book Beast in the Cellar covers the varied career of Tigon’s charismatic founder Tony Tenser.
Like Hammer’s Sir James Carreras, Tenser was one of the British Film Industry’s great entrepreneurs. Born in London to poor Lithuanian immigrants and a movie fan since childhood, he was an ambitious man with a natural talent for showmanship. Combining shrewd business...
- 2/18/2014
- Shadowlocked
Ronald Bassett’s 1966 novel Witchfinder General tells the partially fictionalized story of Matthew Hopkins, a notoriously vicious 17th-century witchhunter. Two years later, the book served as the basis for Michael Reeves’ oft-censored and controversial film of the same name (released in the U.S. as The Conqueror Worm), starring Vincent Price in the title role. Now, 42 years later, Bluewater Publications has tossed its hat into the ring with a comics sequel as part of its Vincent Price Presents series.
- 8/21/2010
- by samueldzimmerman@gmail.com (Michael Koopmans)
- Fangoria
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