Gena Rowlands, Kate Hudson in Skeleton Key

Skeleton Key on DVD

Academy Award® nominee Kate Hudson (Almost Famous, Raising Helen) stars in The Skeleton Key, coming to DVD and VHS November 15, 2005 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. In The Skeleton Key, director Iain Softley (K-Pax) delivers a tale about the world of magic, conjure and sacrifice - rituals rooted in ancient tradition, but still practiced today. The DVD has more than 20 minutes of never-before-released scenes from the film, as well as bonus features.

Written by suspense writer Ehren Kruger (The Ring), The Skeleton Key centers on Caroline Ellis (Hudson), a young nurse working in a decrepit plantation house in the ominous Louisiana backwoods. Caroline is hired by the mysterious mistress of the house, Violet Devereaux (Gena Rowlands), to care for her husband Ben (John Hurt) who was left bedridden and unable to speak by a debilitating stroke. Using a skeleton key that opens all the doors in the labyrinthine mansion, Caroline is horrified to discover the house conceals a blood-curdling secret. The key to escaping may lie in the attic but, if she dares to believe in what she discovers, everything she fears will become real. The DVD is priced at $29.98.

Bonus Features

Deleted Scenes with Commentary by Director Iain Softley

Behind the Locked Door - Making The Skeleton Key: A behind-the-scenes making of The Skeleton Key that includes interviews with Director Iain Softley, Kate Hudson, Peter Sarsgaard, and John Hurt.

Exploring Voodoo/Hoodoo: Explore the symbols, chants, and history of hoodoo, and the religion of voodoo.

Kate Hudson's Ghost Story: Kate Hudson tells a ghost story from her past.

Recipe & Ritual: Making the Perfect Gumbo

Blues in the Bayou: Music Supervisor Sara Lord and Director Iain Softley discuss the roots and history of bluegrass music and how its spirituality adds suspense to the film.

Plantation Life: Learn the true history of Plantation Life through interviews with plantation owners Stan and Irma Waguespack and Norman Marmillion.

Casting The Skeleton Key: Through interviews with cast and filmmakers, we discover why the actors chose to play these characters.

John Hurt's Story: John Hurt reads a disturbing excerpt from the book Voices from Slavery.

A House Called Felicity: Through interviews with cast and crew, we discover how the film's locations were chosen.

Gena's Love Spell: Gena Rowlands shows the viewer a voodoo spell that will create love and friendship.

Audio Commentary with Director Iain Softley

Synopsis

Caroline Ellis (Kate Hudson), a twenty-five-year-old hospice nurse, takes a job in a remote antebellum mansion in the Louisiana Delta. She is hired by Violet Devereaux (Gena Rowlands), an elderly, eccentric Southern belle to care for Violet's bed-ridden, mute husband, Ben Devereaux (John Hurt). Caroline is fascinated by her enigmatic and secretive employers and their moldering manor, but a burning sense of foreboding leads her to suspect that Ben's illness is somehow connected to the mysterious goings-on she witnesses. Armed with a skeleton key that unlocks every door in the rambling house, she is determined to uncover their secrets. The unspeakable evil she discovers threatens her life and leads to an unforgettable and shocking ending.

For more information please visit: www.theskeletonkeymovie.com

CAST & FILMMAKERS
Director: Iain Softley
Written By: Ehren Kruger
Produced By: Daniel Bobker, Iain Softley, Michael Shamberg, Stacey Sher
Director of Photography: Dan Mindel
Production Designer: John Beard
Edited By: Joe Hutshing, ACE
Costume Designer: Louise Frogley
Original Music By: Edward Shearmur
Cast: Kate Hudson, Gena Rowlands, John Hurt, Peter Sarsgaard

TECHNICAL INFORMATION DVD
Street Date: November 15, 2005
Copyright: 2005 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Price: $29.98 SRP
Selection Numbers: 25850 (Anamorphic Widescreen); 25851 (Full-Frame)
Running Time: 1 Hour 44 Minutes
Layers: Dual Layer (single sided)
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1); Full-Frame (1.33:1)
Rating: PG-13 (for violence, disturbing images, some partial nudity and thematic material)
Technical Info: English Dolby Digital 5.1/Captions; English; Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1/Subtitles; French Dolby Digital 5.1/Subtitles.