Amicus Returns to Cinemas with In the Grip of Terror

British Horror Studio brings production and theatrical distribution together, with In the Grip of Terror opening its autumn programme.

Amicus Productions is to return to British cinema screens this autumn with In the Grip of Terror, its first new horror feature in more than four decades. The release will inaugurate British Horror Studio Picture House, a distribution division intended to establish a continuing theatrical home for independent British horror.

The undertaking brings together Hex Studios, Amicus Productions and The B-Team under the British Horror Studio banner. Its ambition is to develop an independent operation encompassing the writing, production and distribution of original films, with British artists at the centre of its work.

For Mr Lawrie Brewster, founder of British Horror Studio and president of Amicus Productions, the return to cinemas represents both a practical necessity and a statement of artistic purpose.

A Continuing Programme of British Horror

The studio reports almost ten features in production, with a planned production rate of six films a year. Mr Brewster argues that a programme of this scale requires opportunities beyond those available through Britain’s horror film festivals. Establishing its own theatrical distribution division is intended to provide a more regular route from production to the paying audience.

The return of Amicus recalls a period when several distinctive companies sustained British horror production. During the 1970s, that established order weakened: the original Amicus and Tigon operations ceased production, while Hammer’s feature-film activity entered a prolonged hiatus at the decade’s close. Their histories differ, but together they mark the passing of an earlier studio era.

British Horror Studio’s present undertaking seeks to give that tradition a contemporary expression. The intention is to produce new work with a recognisable character of its own, supported by the means to bring it before audiences. The Chronicle has previously reported on the studio’s development as an independent film organisation.

An Independent British Voice

Mr Brewster places particular emphasis upon performance, writing and theatrical craft. He regards these as strengths upon which a renewed British horror cinema might draw, developing an identity capable of finding an audience abroad as well as at home.

He is critical of the tendency within independent horror to imitate successful American formulas or depend upon familiar characters newly available in the public domain. His concern is that the pursuit of readily marketable concepts can displace the more demanding work of creating original stories and developing distinctive dramatic voices.

The proposed distribution programme gives a practical form to that argument.

“There are extraordinary filmmakers, writers and performers working in horror who rarely have the opportunity to see their work presented properly on a cinema screen,” Mr Brewster said.

“We want to build a practical route into theatres for distinctive work that puts story, atmosphere and personality first. Beginning with In the Grip of Terror, our ambition is to create a growing home in cinemas for voices and visions that audiences might otherwise never have the opportunity to discover.”

In the Grip of Terror stars Golden Globe nominee Jane Merrow, Laurence R. Harvey and Megan Tremethick. Its autumn engagements will begin in October, with screenings announced in Romford and Sale, followed by London and Southport in November. Our sister publication, Amicus Horror, has previously examined the film’s story, cast and production background.

The initial British Horror Studio Picture House programme will also include Hex Studios’ Black Chariot, Megan Tremethick’s Spoiling You, and The B-Team’s debut feature, Mr Whispers. The division intends to handle productions from the studio and its associated labels alongside selected outside titles. Plans are also being developed for expansion into North America during 2027.

For the present, the task is to establish a dependable circuit of cinema engagements and an audience willing to return for the next picture. The appearance of a new Amicus production on British screens will be the first public measure of that undertaking.

Amicus Cinema Engagements: In the Grip of Terror

Further cinema dates will be announced. Readers should consult the venues for booking availability and confirmed screening times.

Watch the official trailer for In the Grip of Terror.