House of Wax (2005 film)

House of Wax
Company type	Film
Industry	Film industry
Founded	2005
Key people	Jaume Collet-Serra (director), Chad Hayes and Carey W. Hayes (screenplay), Joel Silver, Robert Zemeckis, Susan Levin (producers)
Products	Film
Parent	Warner Bros. Pictures, Dark Castle Entertainment, Village Roadshow Pictures

House of Wax is a 2005 slasher film marking the directorial debut of Jaume Collet-Serra, with a screenplay crafted by Chad Hayes and Carey W. Hayes. The cast features Elisha Cuthbert, Chad Michael Murray, Brian Van Holt in a dual portrayal, Paris Hilton, Jared Padalecki, Jon Abrahams, and Robert Ri'chard. This movie serves as a remake of the 1953 version bearing the same title, which itself was adapted from the 1933 Mystery of the Wax Museum, originally inspired by "The Wax Works" authored by Charles S. Belden. The film’s soundtrack includes tracks from bands such as Deftones, My Chemical Romance, and Interpol.

House of Wax made its debut at the Tribeca Film Festival before opening in the United States on May 6, 2005, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. With a production cost estimated at $40 million, it achieved a global box office total of $70.1 million. Although it faced predominantly negative critiques targeting its originality, script, and character development, the film was commended for its acting performances and atmospheric qualities, eventually cultivating a dedicated cult following.

Plot

While en route to a football match, Carly Jones travels with her rebellious twin brother Nick, her boyfriend Wade Felton, and their group of friends. They decide to camp out in the forest. A stranger driving a pickup truck appears but departs after Nick damages one of its headlights. The following morning, Wade finds that his car’s fan belt has been cut; a local named Lester offers transportation for Wade and Carly to the nearby town of Ambrose, while the others proceed to the game.

Ambrose is nearly deserted when they arrive. Bo Sinclair offers to sell them a replacement fan belt and agrees to drive them back after attending a funeral. While waiting, they explore "Trudy's House of Wax," a museum constructed entirely from wax figures. Bo takes them to his home to retrieve the fan belt; inside, Wade is assaulted by Bo’s twin brother Vincent, who conceals his disfigured face beneath a wax mask due to injuries sustained from their conjoined origins. Carly notices the broken headlight on Bo’s vehicle and attempts to escape but is captured and confined in a gas station cellar. Vincent then encases Wade’s body in molten wax.

Meanwhile, Paige and Blake return to the campsite as Nick and Dalton search Ambrose for Carly and Wade. Carly manages to call for help but loses part of her fingertip when Bo intervenes. Nick rescues her just as Dalton discovers Wade trapped within his wax shell. In trying to free Wade, Dalton inadvertently removes his skin; Vincent kills Wade by slashing his face and then beheads Dalton.

The Jones siblings uncover that the wax figures scattered throughout Ambrose are actually victims coated in wax. Vincent attempted to carry on his mother Trudy Sinclair’s sculpting legacy, but Bo exploited him into crafting lifelike statues from abducted individuals. Vincent murders Blake and pursues Paige into an abandoned sugar mill, where he kills her. In the basement of the House of Wax, Nick accidentally ignites a fire. He confronts Bo upstairs and suffers a stabbing before Carly fatally strikes Bo with a baseball bat. Vincent chases Carly but is stabbed and plummets onto Bo’s body as the House of Wax melts away.

Authorities arrive at dawn to find the town deserted since the sugar mill shut down ten years earlier. As paramedics transport the Jones family away in an ambulance, an officer reveals that the Sinclair family had three sons instead of two. The ambulance passes Lester, who waves goodbye with a knowing smile.

Cast

Elisha Cuthbert portrays Carly Jones
Chad Michael Murray appears as Nick Jones
Brian Van Holt takes on the dual roles of Bo and Vincent Sinclair
Damon Herriman plays Lester Sinclair
Paris Hilton features as Paige Edwards
Jared Padalecki acts as Wade Felton
Jon Abrahams is cast as Dalton Chapman
Robert Ri'chard appears as Blake Johnson

Filming

The production of House of Wax took place at Warner Bros. Movie World in Australia, with the fictional town of Ambrose constructed nearby in Guanaba for the set.

Lawsuit

In January 2006, Village Theme Park Management along with Warner Brothers Movie World Australia initiated a $7 million lawsuit against special effects technician David Fletcher and Wax Productions following a fire incident on the set during filming. The blaze caused significant damage to a section of Warner Bros. Movie World studios located on the Gold Coast. The complaint cited serious negligence, including the absence of firefighters on standby and the unsafe use of wooden props near open flames. The affected set was subsequently demolished and the area remains cleared for prospective future developments.

Release

House of Wax debuted across 3,111 theaters, generating $12 million during its opening weekend and accumulating $70 million globally, with $32 million earned in North America alone. Revenue from VHS and DVD rentals contributed an additional $42 million. The promotional campaign "See Paris Die" leveraged Paris Hilton’s involvement, targeting horror enthusiasts who were initially skeptical about her casting. Hilton further supported this campaign by producing T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan.

On July 13, 2021, a collector's edition Blu-ray version of House of Wax was released in the United States and Canada by Scream Factory, under license from Warner Bros..

Reception

The film holds a 28% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 161 reviews, averaging 4.29 out of 10. The critical consensus describes it as "a formulaic yet somewhat improved teen slasher that bears little resemblance to the 1953 original." On Metacritic, it has a weighted score of 41 out of 100 from 36 critics, reflecting "mixed or average" reviews. Audience polling by CinemaScore resulted in a "C+" grade.

Chicago Sun-Times critic Roger Ebert awarded two out of four stars, calling the film inefficient but delivering what viewers might expect from this genre, noting Hilton’s performance as standard and suitable for her role. Stephen Hunter from The Washington Post rated it four out of five stars, referring to it as a "guilty pleasure" that satisfies horror aficionados. Similarly, Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle gave it four stars, highlighting its entertainment value despite limited lasting impact.

In contrast, Bruce Westbrook from the Houston Chronicle criticized it for being dull and poorly acted but complimented Cuthbert and Murray’s performances. A. O. Scott of The New York Times acknowledged the elaborate production design and occasional unpredictability but concluded that the film largely adheres to conventional genre formulas.

Awards and nominations

Award	Category	Recipient	Outcome
26th Golden Raspberry Awards	Worst Supporting Actress	Paris Hilton	Template:Won
	Worst Picture	Joel Silver, Robert Zemeckis, & Susan Levin	Template:Nom
	Worst Remake or Sequel	Joel Silver, Robert Zemeckis, & Susan Levin	Template:Nom
2005 Teen Choice Awards	Choice Movie Actress: Action/Thriller	Elisha Cuthbert	Template:Nom
	Choice Movie Actor: Action/Thriller	Chad Michael Murray	Template:Won
	Choice Movie: Thriller	House of Wax	Template:Won
	Choice Movie: Scream Scene	Paris Hilton	Template:Won
2006 MTV Movie Awards	Best Frightened Performance	Paris Hilton	Template:Nom
International Film Music Critics Association	Best Original Score for a Horror/Thriller Film	John Ottman	Template:Nom

Soundtrack

The commercially available soundtrack titled House of Wax: Music from the Motion Picture features a collection of tracks by various artists associated with House of Wax. Additionally, a distinct album showcasing the film's orchestral score, composed by John Ottman, was issued under the name House of Wax.

Although the track "Roland" by Interpol is played early in the movie, it is not included on the official soundtrack. The closing credits feature the song "Helena" performed by My Chemical Romance.

Cancelled prequel

Carey Hayes revealed that there were initial discussions about producing a prequel to House of Wax following the movie’s release; however, these plans were ultimately shelved due to disappointing box office results.

External links