First production stills from H.P. Lovecraft anthology Arkham Sanitarium

Last Updated on July 23, 2021

What better day than Friday the 13th to start production on a horror film? The folks over at Survivor Films began shooting H.P. LOVECRAFT’S ARKHAM SANITARIUM a week ago, and the first production stills have been posted online. Check them all out below, along with the poster.

The film is an anthology based on three of Lovecraft’s works: The Haunter of the Dark, The Shunned House and The Thing on the Doorstep. These stills come from the latter, which is currently being shot. Here’s the synopsis with a little bit about each segment:

Arkham Sanitarium is an anthology of three short stories faithfully adapted from the works of H.P. Lovecraft – each of the three stories is set in 1930’s New England (specifically Providence, Rhode Island and the fictional town of Arkham, Massachusetts). The stories are connected by an original ‘wraparound’ story. In this story – set in the 1950’s – Alice Crow investigates the strange stories surrounding the infamous Arkham Sanitarium.

“The Haunter of the Dark:” Robert Blake, author and artist returns to Providence to research a shadowy cult for his new book – against the warnings of his friend Ambrose Dexter he tracks down the old church where the cult performed their dark rituals – in the dusty, decrepit ruins he finds an ancient device that summons a monstrous creature intent on destroying him.

“The Shunned House:” Phillip Whipple, a Miskatonic University medical student returns to Providence to help his uncle Elihu move house. Phillip finds his uncle’s notes on ‘The Shunned House’ – an old, crumbling place with a bad reputation. Phillip was trapped there once as a child and saw something he couldn’t explain so with his uncle’s assistance, the pair seek to uncover why an alarming number of people have died there.

“The Thing on the Doorstep:” Edward Derby, a poet and fantasist, falls for Asenath, a cold but hypnotically beautiful student at Miskatonic University – the pair wed shortly after despite Edward’s close friend, Daniel Upton having concerns about the marriage. Daniel’s worries are well-founded – Asenath is the daughter of Ephraim Waite – an old man rumoured to be a practitioner of black magic before his recent death.

The British film is written and directed by Andrew G. Morgan. The cast includes Zoe Simpson, Anthony Clegg, Dan McSherry, Colin Appleby, Tom Stanley, Allan McKenna, Paul Maclaine, Edward Lewis French, Lexi Wolfe, Bruce Gibbons and Jilly Bond. The filmmakers are hoping to have the picture completed by October for a premiere at the U.K.’s Film4 Film4 FrightFest.