We're going into a world of dark corners and flickering candles; a chilling journey into the history of the 2005 horror flick House of Wax. This epic remake of the 1933 movie “Mystery of the Wax Museum” was a project of Dark Castle, a production company honed by Hollywood bigwigs Joel Silver, Robert Zemeckis, and David Giler. Ultimately, the venture was a cocktail of ambition, risk, and a dash of calamity. Here's a summary of what happened:
Key Takeaways:
– Dark Castle was established to produce medium-budget horror movies with top-tier casts.
– The intention to remake the classic ‘House of Wax' presented a compelling yet risky venture, the most expensive project yet for Dark Castle.
– Casting the movie with young celebrities, including Paris Hilton, was aimed at attracting a younger audience.
– House of Wax was marred by production mishaps, including a set fire that caused severe damage.
– The film didn't perform financially as expected, with a global earning of $69 million which didn't cover the $40 million budget.
The Remake Envisioned
Back in the late '90s, Dark Castle was a dream project for horror genre fans. The idea was to remake some notable works, with House on Haunted Hill and 13 Ghosts leading the way. Yet, Dark Castle wasn't about making low-budget movies like earlier works by William Castle. The plan was to have substantial budgets for each movie in the genre, starring recognizable faces with top-tier teams working behind the scenes.
The Undertaking of House of Wax
Changing focus from the usual William Castle remakes, Dark Castle selected a non-Castle movie, the eminent Vincent Price 3D shocker House of Wax, for their new project. The film's cast was meant to be its main feed, especially spotlighting Paris Hilton, a fame-obsessed heiress with a viral catchphrase. With this dicey strategy, Dark Castle aimed to score a big hit.
The Production and Its Mishaps
House of Wax was formed with the help of many key players, but Joel Silver was the driving force behind the company, involving himself in every stage of the production. To appeal to a younger audience, the movie was aimed at viewers in their early twenties, thus younger actors were recruited. This approach saw Paris Hilton cast in a supporting role in a bid to leverage her fame to draw in crowds.
The production was, however, plagued with challenges. The shooting sets in Australia were engulfed in a major fire, causing millions of dollars in damage and necessitating a shutdown and reconstruction of the sets. Another unexpected challenge was the difficulty of working with the large amounts of wax used for props and effects, especially around open flames.
Market Reception and Aftermath
Despite significant pre-release hype, House of Wax's opening was underwhelming. It made $12 million on its opening weekend. This figure fell behind the studio's expectations, and the film ended up making $69 million globally, unable to recover its $40 million budget. Consequently, Warner Bros. declined any interest in a sequel despite the Hayes brothers' pitch for a prequel.
In Retrospective
Despite the drawbacks, House of Wax remains an intriguing pick for horror film enthusiasts almost two decades later. It's recognized for its unique dark ambience, slow build-up, and impressive production design and make-up effects. All in all, it's evident that this daring venture left a deep mark in the horror genre and provided us with a memorable remake.
