With the success of movies like It, Get Out, and Split, we can safely say that horror is a super hot genre right now. So much so that esteemed Oscar winning actresses like Helen Mirren are signing up to star in horror movies, like the upcoming Winchester, where Mirren plays the title role of real life 19th century eccentric Sarah Winchester. The film just released a new official trailer, which you can view down below.
If you’ve ever watched one of those Haunted History style specials that play on a loop on basic cable during Halloween season, then you have probably heard of the Winchester Mystery House. For those of you that haven’t, the spooky home the film is based on is quite real, and is now a tourist attraction in San Jose, California. (Haunting aficionados, I highly recommend the Halloween night time candlelight tours). The sprawling mansion was owned and built by Sarah Winchester, the widow of gun magnate William Winchester, whose rifles still bear his name to this day.
Construction on the property began in 1884, at a point in time that Sarah Winchester believed herself to be haunted by the ghosts of those killed with Winchester rifles. To keep those spirits appeased, from the moment they broke ground on the Victorian home till Sarah’s death in 1922, construction continued day and night on the house for 38 years. Staircases that lead to nowhere were built, windows built in the floor, all kinds of strange architectural choices were made just to keep construction going and those pesky ghosts happy. Imagine Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion, only if it were a real place. With a story like that, it’s a miracle it took this long for a scary movie to get made about it.
The film, which is directed by The Spierig Brothers (Jigsaw) also which also stars Jason Clarke, is set for release on February 2.
Are you excited about this latest “based on real events” gothic horror tale? Be sure to let us know your thoughts down below in the comments.
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Images: CBS Films
