John Gore Studios Buys All Rights to Susan Hill's Complete Works

John Gore Studios has acquired all rights to the complete works of author Susan Hill, including the 1983 Gothic horror novel The Woman in Black, according to Variety.

The acquisition was led by John Gore Studios Chief Operating Officer Anouska Spiers, with development of the acquired works overseen by Chief Creative Officer Francis Hopkinson.

Hill will remain actively involved in new creative projects and will serve as executive producer on new projects. John Gore Studios plans to exploit her portfolio across film and television, and in theater where existing rights arrangements allow.

Caroline Michel of Peters Fraser and Dunlop was instrumental in bringing the transaction together.

Hammer Films and past adaptations

Hammer Films, the studio behind classic horror titles, was bought by theater mogul John Gore in late 2023. In 2012, a Hammer production of The Woman in Black starring Daniel Radcliffe earned $127.7 million, becoming the highest-grossing British horror film in 20 years. A stage adaptation of the novel ran in London's West End for 33 years.

Hill's novel The Bird of Night was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1972, and her honors include the Somerset Maugham Award, the Whitbread Novel Award and election as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Gore recently told Variety he was looking at bringing Hammer's classic monsters, including Dracula and Frankenstein, back to screen with new adaptations.