The launch of a major new film and TV production studio, John Gore Studios Ltd, is announced along with the appointment of industry veteran Hilary Strong as CEO.
John Gore Studios is founded by award winning entertainment producer John Gore, a 22-time Tony winner, as well as a recipient of 2 Emmys and 2 Oliviers. Listed in Variety500 as one of the 500 most influential business leaders shaping the global media industry today, British-born Gore has long harboured a desire to expand his reach to the UK and focus his creative and commercial skills on the British film and TV industry. Gore will serve as Executive Chairman of John Gore Studios.
John Gore Studios is a global business, headquartered in London with offices in New York, dedicated to celebrating and preserving the legacy of iconic heritage brands, such as Hammer Films, while ushering in a new era of storytelling that captivates audiences worldwide. Through the strategic acquisition and restoration of film libraries, the acquisition of heritage intellectual property and a commitment to innovative production, John Gore Studios will uphold the rich traditions of the British film and television industry with a future-facing creative vision.
John Gore Studios will adopt a strategic approach to Film and TV that mirrors the highly successful methods used for theatre by the John Gore Organization, a comprehensive family of media companies, which includes Broadway Across America, Broadway.com, The Broadway Channel, BroadwayBox.com, and Group Sales Box Office.
The company appoints Hilary Strong as CEO, a seasoned executive in the literary and entertainment sectors, who previously served as CEO of Agatha Christie Ltd.
John Gore Studios is already set for production on two new features:
The Bitter End (working title) will be directed by multi-award-winning director Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral) and penned by screenwriter and novelist Louise Fennell. The film stars Golden Globe winner Joan Collins as Wallis Simpson, the American divorcee who became the Duchess of Windsor after marrying King Edward VIII, the British King who chose love over duty, in the shocking untold story of her final years.
Joan Collins says, “I am thrilled about the challenge of playing this iconic woman in a previously untold story and to be in John Gore Studios’ initial roster of what I’m sure will be a very successful endeavour.”
The film will be produced by John Gore, Richard Holmes and Francis Hopkinson and executive produced by Hilary Strong and Michael Foster. Filming is set to begin May 2025.
Ithaqua is an exciting new production under the Hammer banner. The film introduces the first new Hammer monster in sixty years, Ithaqua, created by the film’s director and producer Casey Walker. Set in 1800s Canada, it sees the British survivors of a remote trade outpost plagued by an ancient evil that leaves its victims with an insatiable hunger for flesh. The film stars Luke Hemsworth, Kevin Durand, Michael Pitt, Craig Lauzon and Leenah Robinson with the screenplay written by Walker in collaboration with Peter Vicaire and Pascal Trottier. Distribution will be handled by Kaleidoscope.
