Legendary horror production house Hammer is teaming with an actual haunted house for its latest development project. Hammer has optioned the rights to the story of the San Jose, California-based Winchester Mystery House which is considered the world’s most haunted. The studio is developing and producing a feature with Imagination Design Works and Nine/8 Entertainment. Shooting will take place at the real house whose history dates back to about 1884. Lore has it that Sarah Winchester, the heiress to the Winchester Rifle fortune, was convinced she was haunted by the spirits of those killed by “the gun that won the west.” Following a medium’s advice, Sarah built a massive house to appease the spirits – and never stopped building it. The belief was that if she never ceased construction, she would live forever. Tobin Armbrust of Hammer parent Exclusive Media is overseeing with Shira Rockowitz. Brett Tomberlin and Antonia Lianos will produce for Imagination Design Works along with Andrew Trapani (The Haunting In Connecticut) and Brian Gilbert (Wrong Turn) for Nine/8 Entertainment. IDW is represented by Alexa Pagonas at Michael Black Management. Allison Binder reps Nine/8 Entertainment.


How does one measure “most haunted”?
usually? from the electromagnetic variances in the room – the greater the variance – the more haunted.
Great idea for a movie. The location shooting will be troublesome though. The house is a wreck inside — can only imagine that they will have to build sets for the interiors… the exterior will pose problems for shooting as well as it is on the the busiest, noisiest street in San Jose — surrounded on 3 sides by movie theaters and malls…. so much of the Winchester lore was made up for the benefit of tourists — great stories…. but very few of them actually true.
Too true. As a San Jose native, I don’t see how they’re going to get much use out of the actual house. Although they can watch dailies 100 feet away at Century 25, right?
B-movie, at best.
Will the ghosts receive any back-end points?
Good for Brian Gilbert. One of the good guys. Well deserved.
brian gilbert is a great guy! congrats!
This is a psychological story as much as it is about “ghosts.” Hope they bake that into the script.
Brian Gilbert is one of the smartest guys in this town. I’ve known him since his days with Stan Winston, and he’s consistently ahead of the curve. This guy hasn’t even begun to fight — I’m really excited to see what he comes up with next!
this sounds fun and gilbert is the best. cant wait
Apparently, several folks need to get a room with Gilbert.