Murder at the Prospect Hotel was a rare opportunity to lean into the joy of visual excess. Conceived as a “horror film for children,” we drew heavily on the heightened language of Italian Giallo cinema — the bold colour, theatrical lighting and playful sense of danger found in the work of Mario Bava, Dario Argento and Luca Fulci.

We embraced a riotous palette, pushing colour and contrast far beyond naturalism. The aim was to create a world that feels thrilling rather than frightening: heightened, stylised, and full of visual invention. Truth be told we went completely bananas, designing every frame as an expressive, heightened experience while still serving the emotional and adventurous spirit of The Famous Five.