The Changeling

The Changeling is a 1980 Canadian supernatural psychological horror film directed by Peter Medak, written by William Gray and Diana Maddox, and starring George C. Scott, Trish Van Devere, and Melvyn Douglas. Its plot follows an esteemed New York City composer who relocates to a Seattle mansion he comes to believe is haunted. The screenplay for The Changeling is based upon events that playwright Russell Hunter claimed to have experienced while he was living in the Henry Treat Rogers mansion in the Cheesman Park neighborhood of Denver, Colorado, in the late 1960s; Hunter served as a co-writer of the film. Principal photography began in December 1978, largely in Vancouver, British Columbia, with additional location shooting in Seattle. The Changeling premiered at the USA Film Festival in Dallas, Texas, on March 26, 1980, and was released simultaneously in Canada and the United States two days later. It received largely favorable critical reviews, and was an early Canadian-produced film to have major success internationally. The film won eight inaugural Genie Awards, including Best Motion Picture, and was nominated for two Saturn Awards. It is considered a cult film and one of the most influential Canadian films of all time.