Polis Administration Announces New Curated Exhibit Space by Blumhouse at Colorado’s Iconic Stanley Hotel
ESTES PARK – Film lovers and horror fans have a new reason to plan a visit to the iconic Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, which served as inspiration for Stephen King’s The Shining. Governor Jared Polis and the Colorado Office of Film, Television and Media, a division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), announced today that Blumhouse, the driving force in horror, will exclusively curate the 10,000+ square-foot Stanley Film Center exhibit space. In Colorado, Blumhouse will create a true horror destination in an iconic Colorado setting.
“Here’s Blumhouse! This iconic Colorado hotel will now have a new element of fun and fright for Coloradans and visitors across the world to enjoy, driving tourism and strengthening our economy. I look forward to seeing the exhibit and am happy that our administration can help make this possible,” said Governor Polis.
Blumhouse produces horror films as well as scripted/unscripted television series and games, with some of the most successful franchises in history. The company’s titles include Halloween, The Black Phone, Five Nights at Freddy’s, Get Out, M3GAN, Paranormal Activity, and The Purge, among many others. At the Stanley Film Center, Blumhouse will curate exhibits pulled from the company’s extensive catalog of popular franchises and box office blockbusters including films, television and gaming.
“The Stanley Hotel is hallowed ground for horror fans and that makes this presence at the Stanley Film Center a natural extension for Blumhouse. Fans are going to get closer than ever before to their favorite films, though they may want to keep their distance with a few of the ‘items’ in our collection. We’re excited to get to work, but first we need to make it out of the hedge maze,” said Blumhouse CEO Jason Blum.
“Bringing Blumhouse to the Stanley is exciting and terrifying at the same time. We searched the world for the right partner to bring the Stanley Film Center exhibit space to life as a horror destination, and there’s no one better than Blumhouse,” said John Cullen, President, Grand Heritage Hotel Group. “With the support of the state of Colorado, and the boundless creativity and worldwide track record of success of Blumhouse, we hope to create something truly special that honors and celebrates the past, present and future of horror.”
The Stanley Film Center was approved as a Regional Tourism Act project in 2015 by the Colorado Economic Development Commission (EDC), which recognized its potential to attract new visitors from out of state. Through the RTA, the state is contributing $46 million toward the construction of the Stanley Film Center. To facilitate bonds that will fund the final construction of the facilities, the EDC approved a technical update to Resolution No. 4 of its agreement with the Stanley Film Center this morning.
“OEDIT and the EDC have worked with each initiative on a case-by-case basis providing support to ensure the success of the project. The partnership between Grand Heritage Hotel Group, LLC and the Stanley Film Center provides a unique potential to attract new out-of-state visitors to Colorado,” said Jeff Kraft, Deputy Director of OEDIT.
“We are thrilled to support the development of the Stanley Film Center and can think of no better setting to showcase Blumhouse’s contributions to the horror genre. This partnership will establish Colorado as the premier destination to celebrate horror and draw new visitors to Estes Park and our state from across the country and beyond,” said Colorado Film Commissioner Donald Zuckerman.
The main Stanley Film Center building will be at least 67,000 square feet and is estimated to cost more than $70 million to complete and furnish.
About Blumhouse
Blumhouse is a multimedia company regarded as the driving force in horror. The company has produced over 200 movies and television series with theatrical grosses of almost $6 billion in worldwide box office. In film, the company has produced iconic, genre, film franchises like Halloween, The Purge, and prolific films like the box-office juggernaut Five Nights at Freddy’s, M3GAN, Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman; Get Out from Jordan Peele, among several others. The television company operates in genre and provocative programming through acclaimed scripted and unscripted series and documentaries, such as the upcoming original series The Sticky, produced by Jamie Lee Curtis for Amazon; The Thing About Pam for NBC; Worst Roommate Ever for Netflix; The Jinx for HBO. The company also recently launched a games division. In October 2023, Blumhouse was honored by Fast Company in its third annual Brands That Matter list.
About the Stanley Film Center
Set at the footstep of Rocky Mountain National Park, on the grounds of one of America’s most iconic hotels, the Stanley Film Center will be home to events, exhibits, and an archive dedicated to horror film history and culture. The Stanley Film Center is a non-profit entity funded, in part, by a Colorado State Regional Tourism grant and anticipated to bring new economic activity to the state. The Film Center will be a multi-genre film and music venue — with the horror film genre as the theme of the museum.
About Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade
The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) works with partners to create a positive business climate that encourages dynamic economic development and sustainable job growth. Under the leadership of Governor Jared Polis, we strive to advance the State’s economy through financial and technical assistance that fosters local and regional economic development activities throughout Colorado. OEDIT offers a host of programs and services tailored to support business development at every level including business retention services, business relocation services, and business funding and incentives. Our office includes the Global Business Development division; Colorado Tourism Office; Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office; Colorado Creative Industries; Business Financing & Incentives division; the Colorado Small Business Development Network; Cannabis Business Office; Colorado Office of Film, TV & Media; the Minority Business Office; Employee Ownership Office; and Rural Opportunity Office. Learn more at oedit.colorado.gov.
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