Horror's New Wave
15 Years of Blumhouse
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $41.99
Publisher Description
Celebrate legendary horror studio Blumhouse’s legacy with this lavishly illustrated visual compendium that takes you behind the scenes of the films that have reshaped the horror genre, from The Exorcist to the Paranormal Activity and Halloween franchises.
With Blumhouse celebrating its 15th anniversary throughout 2025, Horror’s New Wave captures the company’s journey to become a powerhouse in the horror and thriller film genres—taking you through the process of conception to premiere for films like Five Nights at Freddy’s, Sinister, Split, Get Out, M3GAN, now-classic franchises like The Purge, and so much more.
This definitive “Blumhouse book” delves into the behind-the-scenes processes that shaped Blumhouse’s iconic films and is perfect for cinephiles, pop culture enthusiasts, and lovers of horror. Featuring an introduction from CEO and founder Jason Blum, it also includes interviews with key filmmakers and writers like M. Night Shyamalan, Leigh Whannell, James Wan, and Mike Flanagan; actors, such as Allison Williams, Ethan Hawke, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Octavia Spencer; and Blumhouse executives like head of film Couper Samuelson and head of casting Terri Taylor. These interviews explore how each project came together, offering stories and insights into the creative process, such as directing, musical score, makeup, acting, cinematography, and more. You will get a birds-eye view at the triumphs and challenges of some of the most beloved and iconic horror films of all time. This book also includes film stills, on-set photographs, storyboards, creative briefs, and title treatments—giving you a true backstage pass to the making of your favorite films.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Journalist Schilling celebrates Hollywood producer Jason Blum and his production company in this fun cinematic history. Responsible for underground hits such as Sinister as well as massive franchises including Paranormal Activity, Insidious, and Halloween, Blumhouse built its reputation on low-budget horror films comprising "simple premises executed with vision, flair, and ingenuity." Schilling offers no shortage of production anecdotes, behind-the-scenes images, and amusing statistics about kill counts from Blumhouse's releases. An interview with The Purge director James Demonaco describes the initial resistance his script faced for being too "nihilistic and anti-American," while Ethan Hawke, who starred in the film, reveals that Pink Floyd was "played incessantly on set." A section on 2023's Five Nights at Freddy's details how the film "had been through the development ringer" before Blumhouse tapped the man who made the video game it was based on to write the script. The book's detective-file design is a nice touch, and the "Horror History Lessons" peppered throughout reveal that Insidious director James Wan's favorite film growing up was Poltergeist, and that the killer robots in M3GAN were inspired by the 1975 film The Stepford Wives. Horror fans will want this on their shelves.
