Professor Peter Hutchings was Professor of Film Studies at Northumbria University, renowned for his pioneering work on British horror cinema. He served at Northumbria for 27 years until his passing in March 2018.

Hutchings completed his PhD at the University of East Anglia under the supervision of Professor Charles Barr, a foundational figure in British film studies. His doctoral research culminated in the influential book Hammer and Beyond: The British Horror Film (Manchester University Press, 1993), considered the first comprehensive academic study of British horror cinema. This work significantly contributed to legitimizing horror as a serious subject within film studies in the UK.

Hutchings continued to publish extensively, including the books Terence Fisher (2001), British Film Guides: Dracula (2003), The Horror Film (2004), and Historical Dictionary of Horror Cinema (2nd edition, 2018).

Peter was responsible for founding horror studies as a research interest at Northumbria, and our work continues his legacy.