HAMMER NEWS + FICTION BONUS!

Exciting news from the horror film company that refuses to die. Word just got out that now in production from Hammer Films is the cosmic horror of ITHAQUA. The original story was written by noted horror and science-fiction author August Derleth originally published in the pulp 'zine, STRANGE TALES (see below). The tale of the Wendigo-like creature is associated with H.P. Lovecraft's so-called "Cthulhu Mythos", a term that Derleth himself coined in order to "Christianize" the pantheon of gods and monsters of the Lovecraft universe. Oftentimes dismissed by Lovecraft scholars because of the attempt at bringing order to the chaotic nature of the Great Old Ones, Elder Gods and other otherworldly entities, the term nevertheless still persists and is still frequently used today.

‘Ithaqua’ – For the First Time in 60 Years, Hammer Films Unleashes a Brand New Monster

By John Squires | February 10, 2025 | Bloodydisgusting.com

 The legendary brand Hammer Films is plotting a return with a brand new slate of movies under the ownership of British theater producer John Gore, the new team aiming to “celebrate and preserve the unmatched legacy of Hammer and to usher in a new era of storytelling.” For the first time in 60 years, on that note, Hammer is unleashing a brand new movie monster!

The brand announced on Instagram over the weekend that director and producer Casey Walker will soon unleash Ithaqua, which is set in the brutal wilderness of 1800s Canada.

Hammer Films previews, “the fur trade is in decline and a remote outpost is starving. A mercenary fights to unite the survivors against the cold, the hunger… and something far worse.

“This is horror as it was meant to be: terrifying and utterly unforgettable,” teases Hammer.

Now in production, Ithaqua will feature a cast of notable actors including Luke Hemsworth, Kevin Durand, Michael Pitt, Craig Lauzon, and Leenah Robinson.

More Hammer news: I just received an email from Wayne and Steve from Peveril Publishing announcing the sixth in their Hammer Scrapbook series, this one on the studio's four Mummy films. If it's like any of their others, this is a don't miss book as they squeeze every fact and photo they can from these movies. I've got mine ordered. It's about $70 USD for the price of the book and shipping across the pond.

From the publisher:

Welcome to our sixth Hammer Scrapbook, this time celebrating Hammer’s four Mummy films; The Mummy (1959), The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb (1964), The Mummy’s Shroud (1966) and Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb (1971). Each film is brought to life with hundreds of rare images, FOH stills, lobby cards, posters, press cuttings, script pages, schedules, call sheets, Censor documents, letters, set designs, make-up designs and other ephemera. Includes a 100 page day by day production diary of the making of Hammer’s cursed Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb using daily progress reports, extracts from Valerie Leon’s annotated script and loads of rare images. 368 sumptuous full colour pages and limited to only 800 signed copies. A much anticipated volume – grab it as soon as you can.

Order HERE.

Sample pages:

BONUS!

"The Thing That Walked on the Wind" by August Derleth from STRANGE TALES (Vol. 3, No. 1, January 1933):

But wait, that's not all! Recently released is this fantastic figure from Star Ace, depicting a scene from Hammer's HORROR OF FRANKENSTEIN.

Here's the 4-1-1:

Frankenstein Horror of Frankenstein 1970 Creature 1/6 Scale Deluxe Figure

Suggested retail price: $379.99

The Horror of Frankenstein is a 1970 British horror film by Hammer Film Productions that is both a semi-parody and semi-remake of the 1957 film The Curse of Frankenstein, of Hammer's Frankenstein series. It was produced and directed by Jimmy Sangster, starring Ralph Bates, Kate O'Mara, Veronica Carlson and David Prowse as the monster. It was the only film in the Frankenstein series which did not star Peter Cushing. The original music score was composed by Malcolm Williamson.

The monster is played by the late actor and strongman, David Prowse, who went on to even greater fame when he played Darth Vader in the original STAR WARS trilogy.

Features:

• 1/6 scale body (approximately 32 cm tall) with over 30 points of articulation.

• Fully realized authentic likeness of The Creature in the movie “Horror of Frankenstein” (1970). The portrait is specially hand painted and features detailed skin texture and accurate facial expression.