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British horror icon Hammer Films could be returning to the chilling world of one of its most successful movies.

John Gore Studios, which owns Hammer (bought by theater mogul John Gore in late 2023) has acquired all rights to the works of Dame Susan Hill, who famously wrote the 1983 Gothic horror “The Woman in Black.”

Considered one of the most defining British ghost stories of the modern era, “The Woman in Black” would be adapted into a hugely successful stage adaptation, which ran in London’s West End for 33 years. In 2012, Daniel Radcliffe — fresh out of Hogwarts — fronted a Hammer production of “The Woman in Black” feature, which earned $127.7 million, becoming the highest-grossing British horror in 20 years (and with the biggest U.S. opening for a Hammer film in the studio’s history).

Alongside “The Woman in Black,” Hill’s body of work across a publishing career spanning more than six decades, also encompasses literary fiction, crime writing, children’s books, memoir and radio drama. Among her many accolades, her novel “The Bird of Night” was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1972, while her wider honours include the Somerset Maugham Award, the Whitbread Novel Award and election as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

“For any author, it’s heartening to see their stories continue to find new life,” said Hill. “John Gore Studios brings together a genuine respect for heritage with an understanding of how classic stories can reach new audiences, and Hammer has a long and distinguished place in the history of British gothic storytelling, so I’m very pleased that these worlds can come together for the next chapter.”

Gore recently revealed to Variety that, having so far released 4K restorations of Hammer’s library, he was now looking at bringing some of its classic monsters, including Dracula and Frankenstein, back to screen with new adaptations. Hill’s library — including “The Woman in Black” — adds further opportunities. John Gore Studios said it was looking to exploit her portfolio across film and TV while also looking at opportunities in theater where existing rights arrangements allow.

“Susan Hill is one of Britain’s most distinctive literary voices, and it is a privilege to become a custodian of such an extraordinary body of work,” said Gore, founder and executive chairman of John Gore Studios. “Our ambition is to approach these stories with the same care, craftmanship and respect for character, suspense and atmosphere that Susan has brought to them throughout her career. As we explore new ways of bringing her work to audiences across film, television and beyond, Susan’s voice and vision will remain at the heart of everything we do. Above all, we hope that each new interpretation will encourage audiences to discover, or return to, the remarkable writing that inspired it.”

The acquisition was led by John Gore Studios’ Chief Operating Officer, Anouska Spiers. Development will be overseen by Chief Creative Officer Francis Hopkinson and the wider John Gore Studios creative team, while Spiers will oversee the portfolio/franchise management and overall exploitation strategy for John Gore Studios. Hill will remain actively involved in new creative projects and will be part of the ongoing management relationship around the portfolio and development strategy, as well as being an executive producer on new projects.

“Susan Hill’s extraordinary body of work represents exactly the kind of timeless storytelling that sits at the heart of John Gore Studios’ creative ambition,” said Spiers. “The success of ‘The Woman in Black’ proved the power of her storytelling on screen, but that is only the beginning. Susan Hill’s catalogue offers a rich world of gothic horror, psychological suspense and unforgettable characters and we look forward to expanding that legacy, creating interconnected opportunities for iconic stories, new adaptations and worlds that can captivate audiences for years to come.”

Susan Hill is represented by Peters Fraser and Dunlop (PFD). Caroline Michel, literary agent and CEO of PFD, was instrumental in bringing the transaction together, and will continue representing John Gore Studios as owner of the works.

Germany’s leading broadcaster RTL Deutschland unpacked its recent partnership with YouTube at Mipcom Cannes, revealing that its long-running action series “Cobra 11” has thrived on the platform.

On stage alongside Pedro Pina, YouTube’s VP for EMEA, RTL Deutschland chief executive Stephan Schmitter said the broadcaster uploaded more than 200 full episodes of the series to YouTube a year ago, and was able to draw 30 million views — a major feat for a show which has aired since 1996 and previously sold to more than 120 countries worldwide.

RTL is the latest broadcaster to partner up with YouTube, following Channel 4 and BBC in the U.K., and France Télévisions in France.

While linear broadcasters, like streamers, are still perceiving YouTube as a major disruptor and challenger, a number of them have started working more closely with the platform to tap into younger demographics and generate new advertising revenue. The appeal of YouTube has also grown due to the fact that it’s now being consumed on TV screens which makes it a straightforward competitor to traditional outlets.

Schmitter pointed out “Cobra 11” had little commercial value left for RTL after being extensively rerun on linear and streaming, but have found a new audience on YouTube, where 83% of viewers are men with an average age of 30. It also translated into a 123% increase in first video views for the series on RTL+ and a 26% rise in subscriptions linked to the show.

“Our theory was that young men today also love big stunts, flying cars, big explosions and the German Autobahn, where there are no speed limits. That is the key. They discover, or rediscover, the show. And if they want new episodes, more flying cars and explosions, they have to go to RTL+,” Schmitter said.

The YouTube partnership on “Cobra 11” has also been lucrative on the advertising side. RTL’s advertising sales arm Ad Alliance has been in charge of packaging inventory across the broadcaster’s linear channels, RTL+, Sky and YouTube.

“Now we can go to the advertisers, to our huge portfolio of advertisers, and offer them a 360-degree proposition. And this really works out, especially on the big screen, because it’s only one switch away,” said the exec.

“This combination makes sense to advertisers, and they’re very interested in what we are doing with YouTube and how the inventory is shared. In the end, we get additional money, and our revenues are significantly up this year,” he said, citing near “double-digit millions” in revenues.

Earlier this year, France Télévisions struck a deal to bring about 20,000 hours of content a year to YouTube, including national and local news bulletins plus its flagship current-affairs and investigative magazines. It’s already paid off. The broadcaster’s news channel franceinfo hit 110 million YouTube views in September, eight times more than a year earlier.

Pina argued that traditional broadcasters should stop looking at YouTube solely as a threat to their business.

“All in all, it is a self-reinforcing partnership that can only produce value. But again, the value that it produces, interestingly and importantly, is feeding into the IP that is already successful and breathing new life into stuff that was already successful before. And that is so energizing,” Pina said. “And it is the model of creators. So back to your point initially, Evan, of thinking like a creator.”

Like France Televisions, RTL has also made its news channel, NTV, available on the platform alongside shorter videos and content produced with digital creators.

As younger audiences increasingly turn to YouTube and TikTok for information, Schmitter said the move is particularly important at a time of political polarization in Germany, with the far right party AFD on the rise.

“I think for us it’s important, and also for our role in the democratic system, to reach everybody,” Schmitter said.

Pina echoed Schmitter’s argument, pointing to the growing presence of legacy news organizations like BBC and France Télévisions on YouTube.

“The more traditional players start leaning in on YouTube, the more a cross-section of voices can be heard, and that can only be good for democracy,” Pina said.