Paragon Entertainment Limited (PEL) the
AIM-listed attractions design, production and fit-out business, is
pleased to announce that on 17 December 2012 it executed an agreement
with Exclusive Media for the rights to exclusively use the 'Hammer'
brand and media to develop, build and operate 'Hammer House of Horror'
visitor attractions. The worldwide exclusive agreement gives Paragon
access to Hammer's enormous film catalogue and highly recognised
intellectual property. The agreement runs for 10 years and provides for
further extensions thereafter.
Paragon is in the process of identifying suitable locations, including central London, to create the first ever 'Hammer House of Horror'visitor
attractions. This is in line with Paragon's strategy to create a
portfolio of diversified family attractions to create a significant
entertainments business. The Company's intention is to design, build,
install and operate multiple 'Hammer House of Horror' visitor
attractions.
Hammer has an illustrious history of successful horror
productions, including classics such as The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)
and Dracula (1958) through to the well-loved 1980s TV anthology series,
Hammer House of Horror.
More recently, the return of Hammer to the horror scene
was heralded with The Woman in Black, starring Daniel Radcliffe, which
broke UK box office records and received considerable critical acclaim.
Hammer's next release will be The Quiet Ones starring Jared Harris and Sam Claflin.
Mark Pyrah, CEO of Paragon Entertainment, commented: "Since the
Paragon Entertainment Group was created a year ago, the design, build
and operation of proprietary and licensed branded attractions has been
one of the Company's core strategic priorities. We are delighted to
have secured 'Hammer' and to be working with such a strong brand.
Collaborating with Hammer to manifest this unique and innovative IP in
visitor attractions takes Paragon to a new level. This combination of
heritage and contemporary IP is unique and we believe that the public
demand for Hammer is considerable. We look forward to updating the
market with further developments in due course."
Simon Oakes, CEO and President of Hammer Films and vice-chairman
of Exclusive Media commented: "We are excited to be working with
Paragon. They are one of the leading companies in the UK who have a
deep understanding of what UK customers want in terms of exciting
visitor attractions. This deal with Paragon gives Hammer another
exciting way to give our audiences and fans a chance to get involved
with the characters and worlds created in our films and take fans to the
next level in terms of visitor attraction and experience."
