Leading article: A welcome return of the undead

There is something entirely appropriate about the return from the grave of Hammer Films, given its 50-year history of bringing the undead in all manner of melodramatic, schlock-gothic glory to cinema screens around the world.

The studio first slid aside the dusty coffin lid in 2008. But it was not until the remake of Susan Hill's The Woman in Black, which opened this month, that the comeback was ensured. With Daniel Radcliffe for some star quality, and not a severed head in sight, the film is proving a roaring success, pipping The Muppets to the top spot in the UK top ten.

Even better, then, that work has already started on a resurrection of that all-time classic Hammer franchise, Dracula. After his portrayal of the evil Saruman in the Lord of the Rings, Christopher Lee might even be free to reprise his starring role from the 1970s, although perhaps with a yet more sinister twist.