Random House UK will partner with Hammer Films to create the new Hammer imprint. The new imprint plans to publish six titles annually starting in the Spring 2011 season. The types of books will fall under the following categories: “novelizations of new front list film releases, novelizations of backlist classics – to bring them to a whole new market with a modern and sophisticated twist – and new novellas by established authors whose oeuvre does not necessarily encompass the horror genre.”
Caroline Michel at the British literary agency Peters Fraser and Dunlop Group brokered the deal. Award-winning author Jeanette Winterson will pen the first Hammer horror novella.
On the film side, Booktrade reports: “Not in production since the 1980’s, Hammer’s brand is now being aggressively reinvigorated by Exclusive Media Group (Exclusive) through new investment in the development and production of films, television and digital-platform content. Hammer’s return will be marked this month by its first film release in over 30 years, director Matt Reeve’s Let Me In starring Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Road) and Chloe Moretz (Kick Ass).”
Let Me In was theatrically released in the US and the UK on October 1st. Hammer Films will also release an adaptation of The Woman in Black starring Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe. (Via the Guardian)