After seemingly coming to an end in 1979, Hammer—just like its monsters—refused to stay dead. Richelle Wilder (March, 1993) explains. “In 1979, a well-known industrial company’s pension fund which had been a major investor moved in, claiming negatives, residuals, and the home. The misfortune that befell the company in the late 1970s was dramatically reversed with the implementation of a new corporate structure in 1980. Roy Skeggs and Brian Lawrence were well-versed in company affairs, having worked for Hammer during its heyday and were well aware of its capabilities and potential. Adept financial management and seasoned judgment allowed the company to buy the pension funds loan and all the shareholding within two years, and the deficit they inherited was turned into a healthy profit. Roy Skeggs gained full equity in the company in 1986. Since this time, the Hammer library has been rejuvenated and successfully exploited throughout the media markets of the world with substantial revenues being accrued. With a full production program established, the 1990s will see the company complementing the list of the top film companies worldwide, introducing a new generation of cinemagoers to the quality of entertainment which is synonymous with Hammer.”
Based at Elstree during the 1980s, the company was directed by Roy Skeggs, Sir John Terry, Timothy Kirby, Arthur Buck, and Andrew Mitchell, BME, and produced films for television in the Hammer Horror tradition. Hammer recently negotiating with American studios concerning a Quatermass remake. If this venture is successful, Hammer will have come full circle. Remember what the first one started?