Hammer Film’s first ever 4K restoration, 
Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter,
is released at UK cinemas!

Happy New Fear! To celebrate its 50th anniversary, a new 4K restoration of Hammer Film’s swashbuckling horror classic, Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter, will be released at UK cinemas nationwide for one night only.

From 18th January 2025, the cult film will be screened at selected cinemas in major cities across the UK including Cambridge, Liverpool, Sheffield, Belfast, Glasgow and Edinburgh (full list below). 

The Restoration
This brand-new 4K restoration was scanned from vaulted 35mm original negative elements, the resultant scans painstakingly restored to remove dirt and defects. Other issues like density or colour fluctuations were corrected and the film was then graded for High Dynamic Range to show off the full range of colour and the detail in the dark and light areas of the image. Original three-track mono audio elements were used to create a new 5.1 sound mix for theatrical presentation.

Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter has a running time of 91 minutes a 15 certificate.

Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter is released at UK cinemas from 18th January 2025 for one night only!

Full list of screenings:

18th January:
•    BELFAST Queens Film Theatre

20th January:
•    DUNDEE DCA

22nd January:
•    FINSBURY PARK Picturehouse 
•    CAMBRIDGE Picturehouse 
•    CAMBRIDGE The Light 
•    BIRMINGHAM Mockingbird Cinema
•    WALSALL The Light 
•    BOLTON The Light 
•    SHEFFIELD The Light 
•    STOCKPORT The Light 
•    NEW BRIGHTON The Light 
•    LIVERPOOL Picturehouse 
•    NEWCASTLE Tyneside
•    EDINBURGH Cameo 
•    GLASGOW Film Theatre
•    NORTHAMPTON Film House 

24th January:
•    BRISTOL Cube

27th January:
•    DUNDEE DCA

28th January:
•    MANCHESTER Home

The much loved classic Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter is headed to our homes with this amazing feature packed brand-new 4K restoration from the original negative film elements. Set to be released January 27th 2025, Captain Kronos is a film I haven’t seen for years. I wasnt old enough to see it on its release in 1974 (I was only 3) but did see the film either on a TV broadcast or a video store rental. I honestly dont remember too much about the film but it is one that when the title pops up, I think ‘I should revisit that’ and looking at this soon to be released set by Hammer Films. This looks to be an amazing set filled with enough information that I could become a Captain Krono expert.

Written and Directed by Brian Clemens, the film pits a swashbuckling hero, his hunchbacked assistant and a feisty gypsy ingenue against a cunning and malevolent vampire. Starring Horst Janson as Kronos and Hammer Glamour icon Caroline Munro as Carla, this film deserves its cult classic status.

A rash of mysterious deaths due to accelerated ageing compels Dr Marcus to summon his brother-in-arms, Captain Kronos – once a soldier but now a professional vampire hunter. As the deaths continue, however, Kronos realises that this is no ordinary vampire he’s hunting. I mentioned feature packed and feature packed this set is. Check out the listings of the extras on this five disc set.

This limited collector’s edition comprises:

Five discs in a stylish digipak: two UHDs and three Blu-rays, with the content duplicated across both formats

Three iterations of Captain Kronos: the widescreen 1.66:1 UK Theatrical Version, the fullscreen 1.37:1 As-Filmed Version and the widescreen 1.85:1 US Theatrical Version

Brand-new Dolby Atmos and 5.1 mixes for each version alongside the original mono film soundtrack

English, French, Italian, Spanish, German and Japanese subtitles on each version of the film

Packaged in a high-end, leather-feel slipcase with debossed red foil titling

Rigid inner box featuring new artwork by cult favourite artist Graham Humphreys

Double-sided poster of the original UK and US one-sheets

Eight art cards featuring facsimiles of the original US cinema lobby cards

136 page booklet featuring interviews, articles and reproductions of original paperwork

100 page comic featuring a reprint of the Kronos strips from legendary 1970s magazine The House of Hammer

The discs feature:

The House of Clemens: a brand-new 59-minute documentary looking at Brian Clemens and his body of work, with contributions from his family, friends and colleagues

New 2024 introduction by Caroline Munro on 1.66:1 UK Theatrical Version

New 2024 audio commentary featuring Caroline Munro and Sam & George Clemens on 1.66:1 UK Theatrical Version

New 2024 introduction by Sam & George Clemens on 1.37:1 As-Filmed Version

Archive 2011 audio commentary featuring Brian Clemens, Caroline Munro, Shane Briant, John Carson and Marcus Hearn on 1.37:1 As-Filmed Version

Archive 2011 audio commentary featuring Brian Clemens, Director of Photography Ian Wilson and Marcus Hearn on 1.37:1 As-Filmed Version

Archive 2013 introduction by Brian Clemens on 1.85:1 US Theatrical Version

Archive 2020 audio commentary featuring film historian Bruce G. Hallenbeck on 1.85:1 US Theatrical Version

Archive 2003 audio commentary featuring Brian Clemens, Caroline Munro and Jonathan Sothcott on 1.85:1 US Theatrical Version

Original UK Theatrical Trailer

Original Foreign Theatrical Trailer

Original US Theatrical Trailer

Original UK Censor Card

Original US Radio Spots

Original Textless Titles and Backgrounds

Kronos Returns: archive featurette on the 2008 reunion of cast and crew

Brian Clemens 1991 interview from the Festival of Fantastic Films archive

Brian Clemens 2000 interview from the Festival of Fantastic Films archive

Horst Janson 2010 interview from the Festival of Fantastic Films archive

Lois Daine 2017 interview from the James McCabe archive

Anything Goes: Hammer Horror in the 1970s – 2020 featurette featuring Kim Newman and Stephen Jones

Extensive stills gallery including many rare behind-the-scenes pictures and featuring music from Laurie Johnson’s outstanding score

The booklet features:

New article on the making of Captain Kronos by actor and author Bruce G. Hallenbeck

Archive interviews with Horst Janson, Caroline Munro, Laurie Johnson, John Cater, Lisa Collings and William Hobbs, courtesy of Little Shoppe of Horrors magazine

New article examining why Kronos never made it to a franchise by film historian Laura Mayne

New article on Laurie Johnson by Movie Music International’s John Mansell

Archive Brian Clemens interview from a 1974 edition of Monster Times

Archive review of Captain Kronos from 1974 by Video Watchdog’s Tim Lucas

New article examining the film’s UK cinema distribution by Steve Rogers

Reproduction pressbook, call sheet and US PR material

The features, packaging and specification are not final and are subject to change.

You can pre-order the set HERE

About Hammer Films 
Founded in November 1934, Hammer Films is one of the oldest film companies in the world, celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. Renowned for its groundbreaking work in horror, Hammer produced iconic films like Dracula and The Mummy, and notable works in other genres including Quatermass, The Hound of the Baskervilles, and war dramas like Yesterday’s Enemy. 

The 1960s marked Hammer’s golden era with sequels featuring Frankenstein and Dracula, making Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee household names. The studio expanded into monster shockers such as The Gorgon and The Plague of the Zombies, and psycho-thrillers like Taste of Fear and Paranoiac. 

In August 2023, Hammer was resurrected by award-winning British theatre producer John Gore. Combining the nostalgic charm of its classics with modern innovation, Hammer is actively planning an exciting slate of new productions, cementing its legacy as a pioneer in the genre.

For more information on Hammer Films, please visit www.hammerfilms.com