Hollywood icon Martin Scorsese was a huge fan of Hammer in his youth, but the beloved horror studio ignored his advances in the 1990s.
Martin Scorsese got ignored by Hammer after approaching the iconic horror studio about working together.
The famed director is regarded as one the most influential filmmakers in cinema history thanks to his work on the likes of Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, Cape Fear, Goodfellas and Shutter Island, but Hammer – which is known for its memorable takes on Frankenstein, Dracula, The Mummy and more.
John Gore, whose company acquired Hammer and its back catalogue in 2023, told Variety: “We actually have a letter from the 90s where Martin Scorsese wrote to Hammer saying, ‘I would love to make a Hammer film’.
“And they never replied.”
Gore would love to right the wrong there, and he recently spoke to Scorsese collaborator and costume designer Sandy Powell and asked for some advice on the situation.
According to the studio boss, she said: “‘It’s very simple. Just reply to his letter.’”
There could still be hope, as Gore has made it clear he’s ready to explore revivals and reboots of Hammer’s most beloved franchises and characters.
However, the producer knows that “the classics” – which featured the likes of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee – have to be handled with care.
He said: “It’s very hard to contemplate how we would just do a straight remake of something that is a classic.”
Gore noted that there are options, particularly with Cushing’s unique performances in movies like 1964’s The Evil of Frankenstein, which portrayed the scientist in a much more sinister way.
He explained: “The Cushing Frankenstein has never been redone — where Frankenstein is evil.
“In most films, Frankenstein is a tortured scientist but the evil Frankenstein is something I’d like to look at.”
Meanwhile, Gore could also look towards less recognisable titles from the Hammer catalogue, such as 1971’s Countess Dracula, which follows a 17th century aristocratic woman who restores her youthful appearance and libido by bathing in the blood of young women.
He said that while the original was “great”, a remake could work because it “wasn’t such a tentpole in terms of the Hammer catalogue”.
Another option is 1968’s The Devil Rides Out which, according to Gore, Christopher Lee described as “the most terrifying experience”.
As for Scorsese, the filmmaker has long been open about his admiration for Hammer.
Back in 1987, he said: “I was in my early teens or about 11 or 12 years old when I went with groups of friends to go see certain films.
“If we saw the logo of Hammer films, we knew that it was a very special picture and a certain kind of film.
“A surprising experience usually, and shocking, it seemed that when we saw The Curse of Frankenstein, there was a graphic quality to it that was totally uncalled for, which made it extremely endearing to us, we enjoyed it a great deal.”
Martin Scorsese asked to make a Hammer horror film but got rejected
