John Gore Studios Secures Susan Hill Rights for Screen and Stage Adaptations
John Gore Studios has secured rights to the catalog of Dame Susan Hill, whose Gothic novel The Woman in Black is among her best-known works. The company intends to develop possible film, television, and stage projects, with Hill serving as an executive producer and staying involved. The Woman in Black was published in 1983, became a long-running West End play, and inspired a 2012 film starring Daniel Radcliffe.
John Gore Studios has obtained rights to Dame Susan Hill’s body of work, with plans to consider new film, TV, and stage versions where prior agreements allow. Hill will help guide projects and take an executive producer role. Her catalog covers more than sixty years and includes fiction, crime writing, children’s titles, memoirs, and radio plays.
Her 1972 novel The Bird of Night reached the Booker Prize shortlist, and she has won the Somerset Maugham Award and Whitbread Novel Award. The Woman in Black appeared in 1983, became a West End production lasting 33 years, and inspired Hammer Films’ 2012 movie starring Daniel Radcliffe, which grossed $127.7 million globally. John Gore Studios bought Hammer in 2023.
The acquisition could give new audiences access to Hill’s gothic stories through screen and stage, potentially extending the commercial life of her catalog. Theatergoers, readers, film and TV viewers may see fresh adaptations, while performers, writers, and production crews could gain work. It may also strengthen John Gore Studios’ position in literary rights and British gothic storytelling, though actual outcomes will depend on which projects move forward.