Despite the fact that it opened at number two here in the States when it first came out (trailing Josh Trank's Chronicle), the horror flick The Woman in Black was actually a fairly big success. After making $20 million in its first weekend, it went on to score a total of $54 million domestically and $127 million worldwide (not to mention that it was the highest grossing horror film in the UK in 20 years). As a result is was a surprise to few when it was announced that a sequel was in the works titled The Woman In Black: Angel of Death. And today that project is moving forward with the reveal that a director has been found.
Hammer films has announced via press release that the BAFTA nominated director Tom Harper has signed a deal to helm the spooky horror sequel based on a screenplay by Jon Croker. Harper will be replacing James Watkins, who made the first movie, and Croker will be taking over for Jane Goldman, who scripted the first. The story will be set four decades after the events of The Woman in Black and take place during World War II as a group of evacuated children arrive at Eel Marsh house and awaken "its darkest inhabitant."
The feature will be Harper's first since 2009's The Scounting Book For Boys, as he has spent most of his time recently working in television. Between 2009 and 2010 he helmed episodes of the series This Is England '86 and the superhero team dramedy Misfits.
