Crimson Peak

Crimson Peak is a 2015 gothic romance film directed by Guillermo del Toro and written by del Toro and Matthew Robbins. The film stars Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain, Charlie Hunnam, and Jim Beaver. The story, set in Victorian era England, follows an aspiring author who travels to a remote Gothic mansion in the English hills with her new husband and his sister. There, she must decipher the mystery behind the ghostly visions that haunt her new home.
In 2006, a spec script written by Del Toro and Robbins was sold to Universal Pictures, with Del Toro set to direct. Development was delayed due to scheduling conflicts. The film was described as a "ghost story and gothic romance" heavily inspired by other horror films, such as "The Haunting", "The Innocents" and "The Shining". Principal photography began at Pinewood Toronto Studios in Toronto, Ontario on February 10, 2014, with additional filming in Hamilton, and ended on May 16 that year. The film was produced by Legendary Pictures and Del Toro's production company, DDY Productions.
"Crimson Peak" premiered at Fantastic Fest on September 25, 2015, and was released in the United States on October 16, 2015 in standard and IMAX formats. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with many praising the production values, performances and direction, but criticized the plot and characters. It grossed $74 million worldwide against its $55 million budget. The film received three nominations at the 21st Empire Awards, including Best Horror. It received nine nominations at the 42nd Saturn Awards, winning three, including Best Horror Film, Best Supporting Actress for Chastain and Best Production Design for Thomas E. Sanders.
Plot.
In Buffalo, New York, 1887, American heiress Edith Cushing is the daughter of wealthy businessman Carter Cushing. One night, young Edith is visited by her deceased mother's black, disfigured ghost who warns her, "Beware of Crimson Peak."
In 1901, Edith, now a budding author, meets Sir Thomas Sharpe, an English baronet who has come to the United States with his sister, Lucille. He seeks investors for his clay-mining invention. Edith notices that both siblings' clothing is expensively made but outdated and rather worn. Unimpressed with Sharpe's previous failures to raise capital, Mr. Cushing rejects Thomas's proposal.
When Thomas and Edith become romantically attached, Edith's childhood friend, Dr. Alan McMichael, disapproves. Mr. Cushing hires a private detective who uncovers unsavory facts about the Sharpes. Mr. Cushing then bribes the siblings to leave America immediately, ending Thomas's and Edith's romance. Thomas, however, sends Edith a note explaining his actions and proposes to her.
After Mr. Cushing's mysteriously gruesome death, Edith and Thomas marry and return to England. They arrive at Allerdale Hall, the Sharpes' dilapidated mansion in Cumberland, which is steadily sinking into the red clay mine it sits atop while being eroded by the weather. Lucille is cold toward Edith while Thomas remains physically distant, their marriage unconsummated. Lucille obsessively plies Edith with tea made from "firethorn berries" and Thomas persuades her to obtain the first half of her late father's estate to continue construction on his mining machine.
Gruesome red ghosts begin appearing to Edith throughout the mansion, frightening her and concerning the Sharpes. By the time Thomas mentions that the estate is referred to as "Crimson Peak" due to the warm red clay seeping through the snow, Edith is growing weak and coughing up blood. Thomas takes Edith on an outing to the local post office. The postal clerk gives Edith a letter from Italy addressed to E. Sharpe. Edith discovers that Thomas had a connection to an Italian woman whose first initial is also 'E'. Thomas and Edith are snowed in for the night and take the opportunity to finally make love. Lucille angrily lashes out after their return, seemingly upset that Edith and Thomas slept together, disturbing Edith. While Lucille is distracted, Edith steals one of her many keys.
Edith explores the mansion and pieces clues together, discovering that Thomas previously married three wealthy women, one an Italian named Enola Sciotti, whose locked trunk is stored in the basement next to vats of blood-red clay. A ghost lures her to a closet where she discovers wax cylinders on which one of Thomas's previous wives recorded a message revealing the Sharpes poisoned her for her inheritance. Edith realizes Lucille is poisoning her and that the siblings have had a years-long incestuous relationship, resulting in a sickly child that died shortly after birth. Lucille, the more deranged sibling, also murdered their mother after she discovered her children's incest. Thomas inherited the family manor, that, like many aristocratic estates of the era, is no longer profitable; the Sharpes are virtually penniless. The siblings thus began a "marriage and murder" scheme to support themselves and finance Thomas's inventions. When Edith reveals her discoveries, Lucille pushes her from a balcony, hoping to kill Edith but only breaking her leg.
Back in the United States, Alan learns what Mr. Cushing uncovered about the Sharpes prior to his death: Thomas's multiple marriages and Lucille being in a mental institution. He travels to Allerdale Hall in the dead of winter to rescue Edith. When Alan arrives, he finds Edith nearly bedridden. Lucille demands that Thomas kill him. By now, Thomas feels suffocated by Lucille, wants to leave all this behind, and has fallen in love with Edith. Lucille stabs Alan in the underarm, then demands that Thomas finish the job. Wishing to protect her, he inflicts a non-fatal stab wound to Alan's stomach and hides him. Lucille forces Edith to sign a transfer deed granting the Sharpes ownership of her estate and proclaims she murdered Edith's father. Edith stabs Lucille and attempts to flee. Thomas burns the transfers and begs his sister to leave the house so they can all be together. Lucille realizes he also wants Edith with them. Upset and jealous that Thomas loves Edith, she kills him in a blind rage, then pursues Edith. Aided by Thomas's ghost, Edith kills Lucille with a shovel. She silently bids Thomas farewell before he vanishes.
Edith and Alan are rescued by the villagers, whereas Lucille becomes the black ghost of Allerdale Hall, trapped in the mansion, playing piano for all eternity. The end credits imply that Edith has written a novel titled, "Crimson Peak", based on her experiences.
Production.
Pre-production.
Del Toro and Robbins wrote the original spec script after the release of "Pan's Labyrinth" in 2006. It was sold quietly to Donna Langley at Universal. Del Toro planned to direct the film, but postponed the project to make "", and then again to work on "The Hobbit" films. Langley suggested that del Toro produce the film for another director, but he could not find one he deemed suitable. While directing "Pacific Rim", del Toro developed a good working relationship with Legendary Pictures' Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni, who asked what he wanted to do next. Del Toro sent them his screenplays for a film adaptation of "At the Mountains of Madness", a Western adaptation of "The Count of Monte Cristo", and "Crimson Peak". The producers deemed the last of these "the best project for us, just the right size". Universal allowed del Toro to move the project to Legendary, with the caveat that they could put up money for a stake in the film.
Del Toro called the film a "ghost story and gothic romance". He has described it as "a very set-oriented, classical but at the same time modern take on the ghost story", and said that it would allow him to play with the genres' conventions while subverting their rules. He stated, "I think people are getting used to horror subjects done as found footage or B-value budgets. I wanted this to feel like a throwback."
Del Toro wanted the film to honor the "grand dames" of the haunted house genre, namely Robert Wise's "The Haunting" and Jack Clayton's "The Innocents". The director intended to make a large-scale horror film in the tradition of those he grew up watching, such as "The Omen", "The Exorcist", and "The Shining". He cited the latter as "another Mount Everest of the haunted house movie", praising the high production values and Stanley Kubrick's control over the large sets.
British playwright Lucinda Coxon was enlisted to rewrite the script with del Toro, in hopes of bringing it a "proper degree of perversity and intelligence", but she is not credited on the finished film.
Benedict Cumberbatch and Emma Stone were originally cast, but both dropped out of the production. Tom Hiddleston and Mia Wasikowska took over their respective roles, making this film their second collaboration after "Only Lovers Left Alive". "Crimson Peak" is also the second collaboration between Wasikowska and Chastain after starring together in "Lawless". The film was titled "Haunted Peak" while under production, a title used only for the studio booking. In the summer of 2013, Burn Gorman joined the cast in a cameo role.
In October 2013, Chastain went through a full-body cast process for the film. She posted pictures on her Facebook of her getting her head, torso, and fists cast. Composer Fernando Velázquez composed the film's score. Callum Greene, Jon Jashni and Thomas Tull helped produce the film.
Filming.
Principal photography began in Toronto at Pinewood Toronto Studios on February 10, and ended on May 16, 2014. On April 28, filming started on Queen Street South, between Main Street and King Street in Hamilton, Ontario. That section of roadway was closed to traffic and covered in topsoil to assist in the look of the setting. The building to the west figured prominently. Filming also took place in Kingston, Ontario on April 14, 2014. The film features PJ Harvey's cover of "Red Right Hand".
Release.
"Crimson Peak" held its world premiere at Fantastic Fest, in Austin, Texas, on September 25, 2015, with Del Toro in attendance, and was held as a "secret screening". The film was also screened at the UGC Cine Cite Bercy on September 28 in Paris, France. The film premiered at Lincoln Square in New York on October 14, 2015. The film was released theatrically in the United States on October 16, 2015, in standard and IMAX formats.
Promotion.
At the San Diego Comic-Con International on July 23, 2014, del Toro helped create props for the Legendary Pictures booth by allowing fans to walk through snow-covered gates, and a gallery of props from the set and costumes from the film, including a bloody knife and moth print in the wallpaper that spell out the word "fear". On February 13, 2015, the first trailer for the film was released online. On May 13, 2015, the second trailer was released online, together with an international trailer featuring alternate material.
On June 16, 2015, four character posters were released, featuring the four main cast members. On July 6, 2015, four alternate character posters were released, less than a week prior to Legendary Pictures' "Crimson Peak" panel at San Diego Comic-Con International.
On July 11, 2015, John Murdy, creative director of Universal Studios Hollywood's Halloween Horror Nights, announced that the film would be adapted into a maze for the 2015 season. A novelization of the film, by Nancy Holder, was released on October 20, 2015. Publisher Titan Books had previously published the novelization of del Toro's film "Pacific Rim".
Reception.
Box office.
"Crimson Peak" grossed $31.1 million in North America and $43.6 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $74.7 million, against a budget of $55 million.
In the United States and Canada, the film opened simultaneously with "Bridge of Spies", "Goosebumps" and "Woodlawn", on October 16, 2015, in 3,501 theaters, as well as IMAX and premium large formats. Pre-release tracking projected the film to open to around $15–20 million. It made $855,000 from its early Thursday night showings at 2,178 theaters and $5.2 million on its opening day. It ended up opening to $12.8 million, with IMAX comprising $2.3 million from 365 IMAX theaters. The film suffered from a very competitive PG-13 adult market where such films as "The Martian" and "Bridge of Spies" were overperforming. Women repped 60% of the film's audience with 55% 25 or older.
Outside North America, "Crimson Peak" opened in 66 countries. It earned $13.6 million in its opening weekend from 55 territories. It opened at No. 2 in Russia and the CIS ($2.6 million; behind "The Martian") and Spain ($1.1 million) and No. 5 in the U.K., Ireland and Malta ($1.5 million). It opened in Belgium, Greece, Israel, Italy, Poland, Portugal, and Trinidad around October 22–23.
Critical response.
"Crimson Peak" received positive reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes reports a 72% approval rating, based on 275 reviews, with an average rating of 6.59/10. The site's critical consensus reads, ""Crimson Peak" offers an engaging – albeit somewhat slight – diversion driven by a delightfully creepy atmosphere and director Guillermo del Toro's brilliant knack for unforgettable visuals." Metacritic assigned the film a score of 66 out of 100, based on 37 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". On CinemaScore, audiences gave the film an average grade of "B–" on an A+ to F scale.
After attending an early screening, horror writer Stephen King called the film "gorgeous and just fucking terrifying", and said it "electrified" him like Sam Raimi's "The Evil Dead", whose distribution he helped secure with a rave review in 1982. King's son, writer Joe Hill, called "Crimson Peak" "del Toro's blood-soaked "Age of Innocence", a gloriously sick waltz through Daphne du Maurier territory". IGN reviewer Scott Collura gave the film an 8.5 out of 10 score, saying, "Featuring memorable performances, amazing production design, and a hard edge that is too often lacking in horror films these days, it nonetheless also manages to subvert some long-standing tropes about the gothic romance genre which inspired it." Writing on Roger Ebert's official website and giving the movie four stars out of four, Sheila O'Malley said "Watching del Toro's films is a pleasure because his vision is evident in every frame. Best of all, though, is his belief that 'what terrifies him will terrify others.' He's right." Robbie Collin of "The Daily Telegraph" wrote that "Its sombre sincerity and hypnotic, treasure-box beauty make Crimson Peak feel like a film out of time – but Del Toro, his cast and his crew carry it off without a single postmodern prod or smirk. The film wears its heart on its sleeve, along with its soul and most of its intestines." "The Guardian" lead film critic Peter Bradshaw gave the film four stars out of five, wrote that "Guillermo del Toro's gothic fantasy-romance Crimson Peak is outrageously sumptuous, gruesomely violent and designed to within an inch of its life." "Observer" critic Mark Kermode considered it the director's best film since "Pan's Labyrinth" and noted the various gothic and horror influences - including Sheridan Le Fanu, Robert Stevenson's "Jane Eyre", and Hitchcock's "Rebecca" - on "one of the year's most handsomely mounted productions."
Dan Jolin of "Empire" wrote that "It may be a little overwrought for some tastes, borderline camp at points, but if you're partial to a bit of Victorian romance with Hammer horror gloop and big, frilly night-gowns, GDT delivers an uncommon treat." Bilge Ebiri of "Vulture" wrote that "It doesn't always seem to know what it wants to be. But it's still full of marvels." Sara Stewart of the "New York Post" wrote that "Chastain and Wasikowska take center stage while Hiddleston flutters around like one of Allerdale's huge black moths. Watching the women square off within del Toro's eye-popping, painterly palette is a feast for the eyes, if not particularly substantial fare for the mind." A.O. Scott of "The New York Times" wrote that "The film is too busy, and in some ways too gross, to sustain an effective atmosphere of dread. It tumbles into pastiche just when it should be swooning and sighing with earnest emotion." Michael O'Sullivan of "The Washington Post" wrote that "The film by the stylish fantasist Guillermo del Toro looks marvelous, but has a vein of narrative muck at its core." Tom Huddleston of "Time Out London" wrote that "All three actors work hard... and when the melodrama hits fever pitch, Crimson Peak lurches into life. But overall this lacks weight and intensity: a Brontë-esque bauble smeared in twenty-first-century slickness." Peter Debruge of "Variety" wrote that "Aflame with color and awash in symbolism, this undeniably ravishing yet ultimately disappointing haunted-house meller is all surface and no substance, sinking under the weight of its own self-importance into the sanguine muck below." Chris Nashawaty of "Entertainment Weekly" wrote that "Crimson Peak is a cobwebs-and-candelabras chamber piece that's so preoccupied with being visually stunning it forgets to be scary."