Crimson Peak

Development and Pre-production

Guillermo del Toro and Matthew Robbins wrote the original spec script for Crimson Peak in 2006 following the release of Pan's Labyrinth. The script was sold to Universal Pictures, with del Toro initially set to direct. Development was delayed multiple times due to the director's commitments to other projects, including Hellboy II: The Golden Army and his work on The Hobbit films. Universal suggested del Toro produce the film for another director, but he could not find a suitable candidate. The project moved to Legendary Entertainment after del Toro developed a strong working relationship with producers Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni during the making of Pacific Rim. Del Toro described the film as a ghost story and gothic romance intended as a classical yet modern take on the genre, heavily inspired by films like The Haunting, The Innocents, and The Shining. British playwright Lucinda Coxon was brought in for an uncredited rewrite to add perversity and intelligence to the script. The original casting included Benedict Cumberbatch and Emma Stone, but both actors dropped out and were replaced by Tom Hiddleston and Mia Wasikowska, marking their second collaboration after Only Lovers Left Alive. In the summer of 2013, Burn Gorman joined the cast in a cameo role, and in October 2013, Jessica Chastain underwent a full-body cast process for her role, documenting the creation of head, torso, and fist casts on her Facebook page.

Filming in Canada

Principal photography for Crimson Peak was a major Canadian production, beginning on February 10, 2014, at Pinewood Toronto Studios in Toronto, Ontario. Filming concluded on May 16 of that year. Significant location shooting took place in Ontario to create the film's atmospheric settings. On April 28, 2014, production moved to Queen Street South in Hamilton, Ontario, where a section of the roadway between Main Street and King Street was closed, covered in topsoil, and transformed to resemble a period setting. The building to the west of this location figured prominently in the scenes shot there. Additional filming occurred in Kingston, Ontario on April 14, 2014. The production made extensive use of constructed sets at Pinewood Toronto Studios to realize the dilapidated grandeur of the film's central location, Allerdale Hall. The Canadian shoot provided the film with both studio space and distinctive period architecture that contributed to its gothic aesthetic. The trailer for the film featured PJ Harvey's cover of the song Red Right Hand, which was used to promote its dark and haunting tone.

Plot Synopsis

Set in the early 20th century, the story begins in 1887 Buffalo, New York, where young Edith Cushing is visited by her mother's ghost with a warning to Beware of Crimson Peak. By 1901, Edith is an aspiring author who meets the enigmatic English baronet Sir Thomas Sharpe and his sister, Lucille. Thomas seeks investment for a clay mining machine to restore his family's fortunes, but Edith's father, Carter Cushing, rejects him and hires a private detective who uncovers damning information about the Sharpes. Carter is then brutally murdered, and Thomas, after a brief estrangement, marries Edith. She moves to his ancestral home, Allerdale Hall, in Cumberland, England, a mansion sinking into the red clay mines below. The warm clay leaches to the surface, staining the winter snow crimson and giving the estate its local nickname. Edith is slowly poisoned by Lucille with tea made from firethorn berries and haunted by gruesome red ghosts. One ghost leads her to a closet containing wax phonograph cylinders and a locked trunk engraved with the name Enola. Edith discovers that Thomas had three previous wealthy wives, including Enola Sciotti, all murdered by Lucille in a scheme to fund his inventions. After confronting the siblings and witnessing their incestuous relationship, Edith is pushed from a balcony by Lucille. Her childhood friend, Dr. Alan McMichael, arrives to rescue her but is stabbed by Lucille. In the climax, Thomas, having truly fallen for Edith, burns the deed to her fortune and begs his sister to stop, but an enraged Lucille fatally stabs him. Lucille then pursues Edith with a cleaver but is halted by Thomas's ghost, allowing Edith to kill her with a shovel. Edith and the wounded Alan are rescued by villagers, and Edith later writes a novel titled Crimson Peak.

Cast and Characters

The film features an ensemble cast led by Mia Wasikowska as Edith Cushing, the intelligent and determined heiress who becomes entangled in the Sharpes' plot. Tom Hiddleston portrays Sir Thomas Sharpe, the charming but morally conflicted baronet inventor. Jessica Chastain plays Lucille Sharpe, Thomas's intense, manipulative, and ultimately murderous sister. Charlie Hunnam appears as Dr. Alan McMichael, Edith's loyal childhood friend who investigates her father's death. Jim Beaver plays Carter Cushing, Edith's protective father. Supporting roles include Burn Gorman as the private detective Holly, Leslie Hope as Mrs. McMichael, Jonathan Hyde as Ogilvie, and Doug Jones in a dual role as the ghosts of Edith's mother and of Lady Sharpe. The casting brought together actors with prior collaborations, including Wasikowska and Chastain from Lawless and Hiddleston and Wasikowska from Only Lovers Left Alive. This was the second collaboration between Chastain and del Toro following Mama, and the film marked Doug Jones's continued partnership with the director.

Release and Promotion

Crimson Peak had its world premiere as a secret screening at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, on September 25, 2015, with del Toro in attendance. It also screened at the UGC Cine Cite Bercy in Paris, France on September 28 and had a New York premiere at Lincoln Square on October 14. The film was released theatrically in the United States and Canada on October 16, 2015, in both standard and IMAX formats. Promotional efforts began early, with a Legendary Pictures booth at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2014 featuring props, costumes including a bloody knife and moth-print wallpaper spelling fear, and a fan walkthrough of snow-covered gates. The first trailer was released online on February 13, 2015, followed by a second trailer and an international trailer with alternate material on May 13. Four character posters for the main cast were released on June 16, 2015, with four alternate posters following on July 6, just prior to the film's Comic-Con panel. For the 2015 season, Universal Studios Hollywood's Halloween Horror Nights adapted the film into a haunted maze attraction, as announced by creative director John Murdy on July 11. A novelization of the film by Nancy Holder was published by Titan Books on October 20, 2015.

Box Office Performance

Crimson Peak was a commercial disappointment, grossing a worldwide total of $74.7 million against a production budget of $55 million. In North America, it opened on October 16, 2015, across 3,501 theatres, including 365 IMAX screens, and earned $12.8 million in its opening weekend. Its Thursday night previews at 2,178 theatres brought in $855,000, and it made $5.2 million on its opening day. IMAX screenings contributed $2.3 million to the opening weekend total. The film faced stiff competition from other adult-oriented PG-13 films like The Martian and Bridge of Spies in a very competitive market. Demographically, women made up 60 percent of the opening weekend audience, with 55 percent aged 25 or older. Internationally, the film opened in 66 countries, earning $13.6 million in its first weekend from 55 territories. Its openings included a number two debut in Russia and the CIS with $2.6 million and in Spain with $1.1 million, and a number five debut in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Malta with $1.5 million. It opened in several additional territories, including Belgium, Greece, Israel, Italy, Poland, Portugal, and Trinidad around October 22-23.

The film Crimson Peak was released in the United States on October 16, 2015. It grossed a total of 74.7 million dollars worldwide against a production budget of 55 million dollars. This total includes 31.1 million dollars from North America and 43.6 million dollars from other territories. The film's box office performance was considered an underperformance relative to its budget and marketing.

Critical Reception

Crimson Peak received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its visual style and production design while some found the narrative lacking. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 72 percent approval rating based on 284 reviews, with an average score of 6.60 out of 10. The site's critical consensus states the film offers an engaging diversion driven by a creepy atmosphere and del Toro's brilliant knack for unforgettable visuals. Metacritic assigned a score of 66 out of 100 based on 38 critics, indicating generally favourable reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of B- on an A+ to F scale. Horror author Stephen King called the film gorgeous and just fucking terrifying and said it electrified him. Writer Joe Hill called it del Toro's blood-soaked Age of Innocence, a gloriously sick waltz through Daphne du Maurier territory. IGN reviewer Scott Collura gave the film an 8.5 out of 10, praising its memorable performances, amazing production design, and hard edge. Sheila O'Malley, writing for Roger Ebert's website, awarded the film four stars, noting del Toro's evident vision in every frame. Robbie Collin of The Daily Telegraph praised its sombre sincerity and hypnotic, treasure-box beauty. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave the film four out of five stars, calling it outrageously sumptuous, gruesomely violent and designed to within an inch of its life. Mark Kermode of The Observer considered it del Toro's best film since Pan's Labyrinth and noted influences from Sheridan Le Fanu, Robert Stevenson's Jane Eyre, and Hitchcock's Rebecca. Other reviews were more mixed, with critics from Variety, Entertainment Weekly, and The New York Times critiquing the film for prioritizing style over narrative substance or effective scares.

Accolades

Crimson Peak earned recognition primarily within genre award ceremonies, highlighting its achievements in horror filmmaking, acting, and technical craftsmanship. The film received three nominations at the 21st Empire Awards, including a nomination for Best Horror. Its most significant award haul came at the 42nd Saturn Awards, where it received nine nominations and won three competitive awards. The Saturn Awards are presented by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films to honour works in those genres. The wins for Crimson Peak acknowledged the film's central performance, its genre excellence, and its exceptional visual design. The film's other six Saturn Award nominations included categories for its direction, screenplay, music, cinematography, and costume design, reflecting the broad technical praise it received from the industry.

• Best Horror Film at the 42nd Saturn Awards.
• Best Supporting Actress for Jessica Chastain at the 42nd Saturn Awards.
• Best Production Design for Thomas E. Sanders at the 42nd Saturn Awards.

Themes and Influences

Guillermo del Toro explicitly framed Crimson Peak as a gothic romance and a classical ghost story, drawing direct inspiration from specific cinematic predecessors. He cited Robert Wise's The Haunting and Jack Clayton's The Innocents as key influences, referring to them as the grand dames of the haunted house genre. The director also aimed to create a large-scale horror film in the tradition of The Omen, The Exorcist, and particularly Stanley Kubrick's The Shining, which he praised for its high production values and control over large sets. The film's narrative and aesthetic conventions are rooted in Victorian literature and gothic tradition, with critics noting echoes of the works of Sheridan Le Fanu, Daphne du Maurier, and the Brontë sisters. Del Toro intended to subvert genre rules while playing with their established conventions, creating a film he described as a throwback in an era dominated by found-footage horror. The central setting of Allerdale Hall functions as a classic gothic trope, a decaying mansion filled with secrets that reflects the corruption of its inhabitants. The film explores themes of forbidden love, familial decay, and the haunting power of the past, using the visual motif of the red clay as a symbol of both the land's corruption and the blood spilled within the house. Del Toro stated his belief that what terrifies him will terrify others, guiding his approach to the film's horror elements.

Questions about Crimson Peak

Where was Crimson Peak filmed in Canada?

Crimson Peak was filmed primarily in Ontario, Canada. Principal photography took place at Pinewood Toronto Studios in Toronto from February 10 to May 16, 2014. Location shooting occurred in Hamilton on April 28, where a section of Queen Street South was transformed with topsoil for a period setting, and in Kingston on April 14. These Canadian locations provided the studio space and architectural backdrop essential for the film's gothic atmosphere.

How did Crimson Peak perform at the box office?

Crimson Peak was considered a box office underperformance. It grossed $74.7 million worldwide against a $55 million production budget. In North America, it opened to $12.8 million from 3,501 theatres and finished with $31.1 million. It faced strong competition from other adult-oriented films like The Martian and Bridge of Spies at the time of its October 2015 release.

Who are the main actors in Crimson Peak?

The main actors are Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, and Jessica Chastain. Mia Wasikowska plays the protagonist Edith Cushing, an aspiring author. Tom Hiddleston portrays Sir Thomas Sharpe, an English baronet, and Jessica Chastain plays his sister Lucille Sharpe. The principal supporting cast includes Charlie Hunnam as Dr. Alan McMichael and Jim Beaver as Carter Cushing, Edith's father. Other notable cast members are Burn Gorman as Holly and Doug Jones, who performs as the ghosts of Edith's mother and Lady Sharpe.

Did Crimson Peak win any awards?

Yes, Crimson Peak won three Saturn Awards. At the 42nd Saturn Awards, the film won Best Horror Film, Best Supporting Actress for Jessica Chastain, and Best Production Design for Thomas E. Sanders. Overall, the film received nine nominations at those Saturn Awards. It also earned three nominations at the 21st Empire Awards, including a nomination for Best Horror. These accolades recognized the film's achievements in horror filmmaking, acting, and its detailed visual design.

What is the meaning of 'Crimson Peak' in the film?

Crimson Peak is the nickname for Allerdale Hall, the remote Gothic mansion in Cumberland, England. Sir Thomas Sharpe explains to his wife Edith that the estate is called Crimson Peak because the warm red clay from the mine beneath the property leaches up through the ground. This clay stains the winter snow a bright, bloody red. The name visually manifests the film's central colour motif and symbolizes the violence and secrets buried within the sinking mansion and the Sharpe family history.

What genre is Crimson Peak?

Crimson Peak is a gothic romance and supernatural horror film. Director Guillermo del Toro specifically described it as a ghost story and gothic romance. The story is set in the Victorian era and follows an aspiring author haunted by ghosts in a remote mansion, blending romance with horror. Del Toro cited classic haunted house films like The Haunting, The Innocents, and The Shining as major inspirations, aiming to create a modern yet classical take on the ghost story genre with high production values.

Sources and further reading

• Crimson Peak (Wikipedia)
• 'Crimson Peak' A Great-Looking Misfire (leonardmaltin.com)

Checked by the Yadude Books desk. Last updated 2026-11-04.