‘Crimson Peak’ — 7 Interesting Facts About Charlie Hunnam And Tom Hiddleston’s Creepy New Movie

Guillermo del Toro’s exciting new film, Crimson Peak, hits theaters today. With many fans expecting a unique take from the acclaimed director, here are seven interesting facts about the upcoming gothic romance starring Charlie Hunnam and Tom Hiddleston.

For starters, although Hiddleston and Mia Wasikowska are taking on the lead parts in the movie, the film was originally set to star Emma Stone and Benedict Cumberbatch. However, due to a conflict in their schedules, the two stars were forced to drop out of the project.

A second interesting element involves the storyline. Fans should rest assured knowing that the script has been well worked through. In fact, according to Movie Pilot, del Toro re-worked the script some 12 times in order to get it just right.

Thirdly, in a strange coincidence, there is also a Marvel Comics Universe connection in the film. Both Hunnam and Hiddleston tried out for a major part in Thor. In the end, Hiddleston landed the role of Loki while Hunnam ended up uniting with Hiddleston on Crimson Peak.

Another fascinating fact involves a major character in the movie that isn’t a real character at all. One central element in the film is the creepy, gothic style mansion that was literally constructed from the ground up using recycled materials. Additionally, it is notable that del Toro designed every last detail in the house himself.

A fifth intriguing aspect of the film centers on the romance storyline. Although the movie will certainly feature a number of horror elements, including ghosts and creepy creatures that roam through the night, it’s central story is a romance. As Mia Wasikowska stated in an interview with The Guardian, the scariest parts of the movie are actually the people.

“It’s not a ghost story, but there’s a ghost in it. He’s got a really unique approach to the supernatural in his films. He always shows them very early on and there not really the things that you should be afraid of,” the actress stated. “Its always the people that cause the most damage.”

Meanwhile, the fact that each character in the film is influenced by a range of literary masterpieces should add a lot of depth to the movie. According to Inverse, this richness of literary history, which includes the likes of Jane Eyre, Dracula, and Rebecca, all helped inspire del Toro in crafting the different storylines in Crimson Peak.

With that in mind, there are a few examples of how this background adds depth to the characters. For instance, Hunnam’s character, Dr. Alan McMichael, is a bit of a cross between Sherlock Holmes, Quincey Morris, and John Seward from Dracula. For his part as Sir Thomas Sharpe, Huddleston’s character has hints of Mr. Darcy, Edgar Ravenswood, and Maxim de Winter.

Lastly, although there was clearly a lot of effort and work put into the movie, the shooting schedule was surprisingly short. In fact, The film was shot over the course of 68 days. This is a lot shorter than some of del Toro’s previous films, such as Pacific Rim which was filmed over 100 days, and Hellboy, which had a shooting schedule that lasted 135 days.

Taken all together, these interesting facts indicate that Crimson Peak is going to be a new and unique take on the gothic horror genre. With a fair share of romance mixed in, this latest work from del Toro should have elements that appeal to just about every sort of demographic.

Luckily, fans don’t have to wait much longer to see the film, as Crimson Peak is set to premiere in theaters October 16.

[Feature photo courtesy of Universal Pictures]