Hammer Partners with Bafflegab to Bring Downloadable Audio 'Hammer Chillers'

ORIGINAL DRAMAS NOW AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER AHEAD OF JUNE RELEASE

Hammer has announced a partnership with audio specialist Bafflegab Productions to launch 'Hammer Chillers', a series of original audio dramas, which will be available as six weekly downloadable episodes from June 2013.

Continuing Hammer's expansion into the development of original content, the first series of the all-new material comes from a host of acclaimed writers including Stephen Volk (The Awakening), Stephen Gallagher (ITV's Eleventh Hour), Doctor Who and young adult novelist Paul Magrs, stand-up comedian and writer Robin Ince and award-winning horror novelists Christopher Fowler and Mark Morris. 

Episodes are available to pre-order now at www.hammerchillers.com ahead of the 7th June release and are priced at £2.99 per episode. From the end of July, fans can also download the entire series as a package and order the series on CD which will include bonus material.

Writer Stephen Volk said: “Hammer films have been a massive influence on my writing from the days when I sneaked into the White Palace cinema in my home town of Pontypridd to see the likes of The Devil Rides Out and The Vampire Lovers. Now to be writing an audio drama under the Hammer banner is a dream (or nightmare!) come true."

Simon Oakes, CEO and President of Hammer Films and vice-chairman of Exclusive Media commented: "Hammer Chillers are a fantastic addition to the range of quality original content that we strive to produce and we're excited to welcome such celebrated authors to the Hammer family."

Bafflegab Productions Executive Producer Simon Barnard added: "Hammer Chillers will be every bit as terrifying as their celebrated cinematic counterparts. We are proud to partner with Hammer and hope that our tales take listeners on supernatural journeys that will make them afraid to turn off the lights afterwards."

ABOUT HAMMER
Originally founded in 1934, legendary British film studio Hammer has delivered a hugely successful run of films over the years including Dracula, Frankenstein Created Woman, One Million Years B.C. and The Vampire Lovers. Since 2008, the company has been part of Exclusive Media, which is reinvigorating this beloved global brand through investment across both traditional and new media.

Not in production since the 1980s, Hammer marked their return to features in 2010 with the release of the critically acclaimed Let Me In, an adaptation of the highly praised Swedish film Låt den rätte komma in. The film was written and directed by Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) and stars Chloe Moretz (Kick-Ass) and Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Road).

In 2011, Hammer released Antti Jokinen’s The Resident starring two-time Academy Award® winner Hilary Swank (Boys Don't Cry, Million Dollar Baby), Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Hammer legend Sir Christopher Lee, as well as the critically lauded Wake Wood directed by David Keating and starring Aidan Gillen, Eva Birthistle and Timothy Spall.

February 2012 saw the theatrical release of Hammer’s first ever feature ghost story The Woman In Black, directed by James Watkins, adapted by Jane Goldman from the book by Susan Hill, and starring Daniel Radcliffe. The film has taken over $130m worldwide making it one of the biggest indie horror films ever.

Hammer's next film release will be The Quiet Ones starring Jared Harris and Sam Claflin. The Woman in Black: Angel of Death which is a continuation of The Woman in Black story forty years on, will begin production in 2013 and star Jeremy Irvine (War Horse, The Railway Man) and Phoebe Fox (‘Black Mirror’, ‘Switch’).

Hammer also launched a book publishing imprint, Arrow Books, in Spring 2011 with Random House. Recent titles include Jeanette Winterson’s ‘The Daylight Gate’, Helen Dunmore’s ‘The Greatcoat’ and Tim Lebbon’s ‘Coldbrook’.

In addition to its upcoming films, Hammer recently diversified into live theatre, launching Hammer Theatre of Horror. Hammer’s first theatre project was 'The Turn of the Screw', based on the classic ghost tale by Henry James.

In late 2012, Hammer also signed a deal with Paragon Entertainment to develop, build and operate a series of UK based 'Hammer House of Horror' visitor attractions.

For further information about Hammer and its parent company Exclusive Media, please visit www.hammerfilms.com and www.exclusivemedia.com

ABOUT EXCLUSIVE MEDIA
Exclusive Media is a vertically integrated global filmed entertainment company, founded in May 2008 with the backing of the strategic investment group Cyrte Investments. Exclusive Media develops, finances, produces, markets and distributes prestige and talent driven commercial and documentary feature films on a global basis.

Exclusive Media is run by a four member Executive Board with Nigel Sinclair as Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Guy East as Co-Chairman, Simon Oakes as Vice Chairman and President of Hammer and Marc Schipper as Chief Operating Officer. Supporting the Executive Board in both the operational management and strategic expansion of the business is a strong team of highly skilled professionals who have a broad range of complementary experience.

Exclusive Media’s development and production activities operate through three specialist labels: UK based Hammer for genre titles, Spitfire Pictures for documentary features and the flagship label Exclusive Media for all other feature film production. Exclusive Media also enjoys a co-development and co-production deal with Cross Creek Pictures.

Exclusive Media’s international sales & distribution division maintains a strong marketing presence and represents the group’s in-house productions plus its growing library of almost 900 titles including the recently acquired library from Icon Entertainment International. The company also actively acquires third party feature films to further strengthen its international distribution slate.

The company launched a US distribution company, Exclusive Releasing and holds a minority stake in Millennium Entertainment.

For further information about the company, our slate of films, library and our experienced management team please visit www.exclusivemedia.com

ABOUT BAFFLEGAB PRODUCTIONS
Bafflegab Productions is an audio production company producing quality original drama and documentaries, established in 2006 by Sony Award-winning network radio producer Simon Barnard.

The company produces The Scarifyers, tales of comedic supernatural intrigue set in 1930s Britain, which has been acquired by BBC Radio 4 Extra. Starring such luminaries as David Warner, Brian Blessed, Leslie Phillips and Nigel Havers, the series has been described in the national press as 'a slice of audio perfection', 'the smartest and most enjoyable thing on British radio' and 'like Tintin but with the lights out.'

Bafflegab has also released Peter Cushing’s readings of his own autobiography and the Sherlock Holmes stories, and in 2013 launched a new series, Vince Cosmos: Glam Rock Detective, starring Green Wing’s Julian Rhind-Tutt as the eponymous hero.