{"id":76041,"date":"2023-08-02T14:40:30","date_gmt":"2023-08-02T21:40:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/hi-lo\/?p=76041"},"modified":"2023-11-02T14:28:00","modified_gmt":"2023-11-02T21:28:00","slug":"haunting-of-queen-mary-movie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/hi-lo\/haunting-of-queen-mary-movie","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Haunting of the Queen Mary&#8217;: Historic vessel to star in horror film Aug. 18"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>It\u2019s no secret that the Queen Mary <a href=\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/hi-lo\/art\/queen-mary-most-haunted-places-america\/\">harbors some dark secrets<\/a>\u2014and that sinister history is the focus of a new horror film, \u201cHaunting of the Queen Mary,\u201d which is set for release on Aug. 18.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Vertical film, written by Stephen Oliver and Tom Vaughan, follows two families of three, separated by decades, but who are tied together through tragedy and the supernatural.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over the years, the ship has experienced glory and turmoil. From serving as a troop transport with a bounty from Hitler during World War II and collisions with other ships, to almost capsizing due to a rogue wave. But the ship remains\u2014and that persistence has become a part of the story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt keeps surviving,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s like this living, breathing thing that will not die\u2014and that\u2019s what we wanted to explore.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Haunting of the Queen Mary | Official Trailer (HD) | Vertical\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/JJg9K716auA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Dozens of deaths were reported aboard the ship during its 31 years of service, which have blossomed into an array of ghost stories. And the film pulls from several of them: The White Lady, a specter seen floating in the first-class lounge; John Pedder, a crewman crushed to death by the infamous door 13; and Little Jackie, one of numerous children who drowned in one of the ship\u2019s swimming pools, which\u2014without giving any spoilers\u2014becomes a crucial part of the film\u2019s plot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Director Gary Shore described the film as \u201ca Gothic love letter to the ship.\u201d But he, along with producer Brett Tomberlin and the rest of the team, did not want to create a modern-day, typical Hollywood horror film dependent on jumpscares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c[Shore] wanted to attempt a film like \u2018The Shining\u2019 on a ship,\u201d Tomberlin said, noting the atmosphere\u2014going back and forth between \u201cbeautiful\u201d shots with golden hues to dark, flashing imagery\u2014plays a major role in the film&#8217;s scare factor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s much more than a horror movie,\u201d Tomberlin said. \u201cIt\u2019s a mystery, a drama and a horror film at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The project has been in the works for about a decade, Tomberlin said. The first hurdle was getting all parties onboard with the vision of the film, including the city of Long Beach, which owns the ship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt was a challenge to get everybody\u2019s approval creatively as to what the direction would be,\u201d Tomberlin said. \u201cIt\u2019s been an adventure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI feel like I\u2019ve been on a one-way trip to hell on that ship,\u201d he added with a chuckle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"545\" src=\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/hi-lo\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/08\/QNM_PROMOTIONALFRAME_REEL5_023-scaled-e1691008425138-1024x545.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-76050\" srcset=\"https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/08\/02132451\/QNM_PROMOTIONALFRAME_REEL5_023-scaled-e1691008425138-1024x545.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/08\/02132451\/QNM_PROMOTIONALFRAME_REEL5_023-scaled-e1691008425138-300x160.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/08\/02132451\/QNM_PROMOTIONALFRAME_REEL5_023-scaled-e1691008425138-768x409.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/08\/02132451\/QNM_PROMOTIONALFRAME_REEL5_023-scaled-e1691008425138-192x102.jpeg 192w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/08\/02132451\/QNM_PROMOTIONALFRAME_REEL5_023-scaled-e1691008425138-1536x818.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/08\/02132451\/QNM_PROMOTIONALFRAME_REEL5_023-scaled-e1691008425138-2048x1090.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/08\/02132451\/QNM_PROMOTIONALFRAME_REEL5_023-scaled-e1691008425138-1200x639.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/08\/02132451\/QNM_PROMOTIONALFRAME_REEL5_023-scaled-e1691008425138-1568x835.jpeg 1568w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/08\/02132451\/QNM_PROMOTIONALFRAME_REEL5_023-scaled-e1691008425138-400x213.jpeg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A still from the upcoming &#8220;Haunting of the Queen Mary,&#8221; which is set for a theatrical release on Aug. 18. Courtesy of Vertical.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Next came the coronavirus pandemic, which put the brakes on the entire film industry. Once the industry restarted, Tomberlin said it was a turning point for production\u2014now or never.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Filming finally began in October 2021 and wrapped just over two years later in November of last year, Tomberlin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>About 80% of the movie was filmed aboard the historic vessel in Long Beach over three visits, Tomberlin said. Filming onboard was challenging, as the ship was undergoing long-overdue renovations and upgrades, so the production was limited to certain areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The remaining shots, including any stunts that could have potentially damaged the ship, were filmed on a soundstage in London. The crew took a LiDAR scan of the ship to for 3D imaging that was then used to create a 360-degree virtual stage similar to Disney\u2019s \u201cThe Mandalorian\u201d production, Tomberlin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Originally estimated at about $11 million, the budget ballooned to about $15 million when all was said and done, according to Tomberlin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/hi-lo\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/08\/QNM_PROMOTIONALFRAME_REEL3_017-scaled-e1691012233112-1024x512.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-76048\" srcset=\"https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/08\/02132427\/QNM_PROMOTIONALFRAME_REEL3_017-scaled-e1691012233112-1024x512.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/08\/02132427\/QNM_PROMOTIONALFRAME_REEL3_017-scaled-e1691012233112-300x150.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/08\/02132427\/QNM_PROMOTIONALFRAME_REEL3_017-scaled-e1691012233112-768x384.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/08\/02132427\/QNM_PROMOTIONALFRAME_REEL3_017-scaled-e1691012233112-192x96.jpeg 192w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/08\/02132427\/QNM_PROMOTIONALFRAME_REEL3_017-scaled-e1691012233112-1536x768.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/08\/02132427\/QNM_PROMOTIONALFRAME_REEL3_017-scaled-e1691012233112-2048x1024.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/08\/02132427\/QNM_PROMOTIONALFRAME_REEL3_017-scaled-e1691012233112-1200x600.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/08\/02132427\/QNM_PROMOTIONALFRAME_REEL3_017-scaled-e1691012233112-1568x784.jpeg 1568w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/08\/02132427\/QNM_PROMOTIONALFRAME_REEL3_017-scaled-e1691012233112-400x200.jpeg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As with any film, especially horror, music was equally as important as the visuals. Singer-songwriter Tiffany Ashton teamed up with Tommee Profitt for the film&#8217;s theme song: a darker version of \u201cIt Had To Be You.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe took this classic and created a murderous take on something that everybody has come to know and love,\u201d Ashton said, adding that it was Tomberlin\u2019s idea to use the song.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ashton said she read all about the ship\u2019s history to come up with the modified lyrics for the song as well as four original songs she wrote for the film. Ashton appears on screen as the Grand Ballroom Singer performing on the ship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAt first listen, it\u2019s kind of like a 1930s throwback,\u201d Ashton said. \u201cBut if you listen closer, it\u2019s an original that we wrote specifically for the film that is speaking to the characters descent into madness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The initial plan was to create a trilogy, but Tomberlin said it remains to be seen if that will come to fruition due to how challenging it was to get this feature across the finish line and the inflated budget. For now, he is just basking in the joy of a completed project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The trailer for the film dropped Tuesday, and some science fiction horror fans may recognize the narrator\u2019s voice, even if they can\u2019t put their finger on it. It\u2019s an homage to Rod Serling, creator of the iconic TV series, \u201cThe Twilight Zone.\u201d The voiceover was done by a friend of Tomberlin\u2019s, who also mimicked Sterling\u2019s voice for Disney\u2019s \u201cTower of Terror\u201d attraction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The film\u2019s U.S. release is slated for Aug. 18 in select cities. Tomberlin noted moviegoers will be able to catch it in major cities such as Los Angeles, New York and Chicago. The film also will be available On Demand that day, he said, with it hitting streaming services on Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are currently no screenings scheduled in Long Beach, Tomberlin said, but he is in contact with multiple locations, including the Art Theatre of Long Beach, for future showings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Editor&#8217;s note: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Rod Serling&#8217;s last name.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone size-full wp-image-76044\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1728\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/hi-lo\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/08\/HauntingOfTheQueenMary_AppleTrailers_Poster_2764x4096_NoBilling-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-76044\" srcset=\"https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/08\/02132336\/HauntingOfTheQueenMary_AppleTrailers_Poster_2764x4096_NoBilling-scaled.jpg 1728w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/08\/02132336\/HauntingOfTheQueenMary_AppleTrailers_Poster_2764x4096_NoBilling-202x300.jpg 202w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/08\/02132336\/HauntingOfTheQueenMary_AppleTrailers_Poster_2764x4096_NoBilling-691x1024.jpg 691w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/08\/02132336\/HauntingOfTheQueenMary_AppleTrailers_Poster_2764x4096_NoBilling-768x1138.jpg 768w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/08\/02132336\/HauntingOfTheQueenMary_AppleTrailers_Poster_2764x4096_NoBilling-73x108.jpg 73w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/08\/02132336\/HauntingOfTheQueenMary_AppleTrailers_Poster_2764x4096_NoBilling-1037x1536.jpg 1037w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/08\/02132336\/HauntingOfTheQueenMary_AppleTrailers_Poster_2764x4096_NoBilling-1382x2048.jpg 1382w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/08\/02132336\/HauntingOfTheQueenMary_AppleTrailers_Poster_2764x4096_NoBilling-1200x1778.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/08\/02132336\/HauntingOfTheQueenMary_AppleTrailers_Poster_2764x4096_NoBilling-1568x2324.jpg 1568w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/08\/02132336\/HauntingOfTheQueenMary_AppleTrailers_Poster_2764x4096_NoBilling-400x593.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1728px) 100vw, 1728px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A poster for &#8220;Haunting of the Queen Mary.&#8221; Courtesy of Vertical.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The film explores the historic ocean liner&#8217;s dark past, pulling from long-told ghost stories, entangling the past and present in this &#8220;Gothic love letter&#8221; to one of the world&#8217;s most haunted locations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":268,"featured_media":76043,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","inline_featured_image":false,"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_":"","_author_alias":"","cap-aim":"","cap-description":"","cap-display_name":"","cap-first_name":"","cap-jabber":"","cap-last_name":"","cap-linked_account":"","cap-newspack_employer":"","cap-newspack_job_title":"","cap-newspack_phone_number":"","cap-newspack_role":"","cap-user_email":"","cap-user_login":"","cap-website":"","cap-yahooim":"","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_email_html":"","newspack_email_type":"","newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_hide_page_title":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_show_share_buttons":"","newspack_sponsor_byline_prefix":"","newspack_sponsor_disclaimer_override":"","newspack_sponsor_flag_override":"","newspack_sponsor_only_direct":"","newspack_sponsor_url":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[509,271,164],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[25820],"class_list":["post-76041","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hi-lo","tag-film","tag-movies","tag-queen-mary","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76041","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/268"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=76041"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76041\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":79305,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76041\/revisions\/79305"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/76043"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=76041"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=76041"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=76041"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=76041"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=76041"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}