Scaring up a crowd
WB lures 'Hill' auds with cash, prizes
And as a remake of the 1958 William Castle-helmed film by the same name, "Haunted Hill" must also prove that it's new and improved.
Each "Haunted Hill" ticket-holder, in addition to seeing the film, will receive a game card for the chance to score either 300,000 free Blockbuster video rentals or up to $100,000 in cash.
"We've updated the thrills of this movie tremendously, and this promotion follows suit," said "Haunted Hill" producer Joel Silver. "The house's inhabitants were offered $10,000 each to spend the night ... so we felt the promotion should be similar." In the 1950s and '60s, Castle routinely drummed up buzz for his work with startling publicity stunts, including parking an ambulance in front of a theater, hinting that some auds may be scared to death during screenings.
Silver's take on "Haunted Hill" follows five strangers who've been tempted with $1 million to survive one night in a house with a terrifying past. Pic stars Geoffrey Rush, Famke Janssen, Taye Diggs, Ali Larter and Bridgette Wilson.
