Ultimate real-life haunted house becomes a movie

The trailer for haunted-house movie Winchester is out - and it's terrifying.

Starring Helen Mirren and Sarah Snook, it tells the true story of Sarah Winchester, the widow of rifle-making millionaire William Wirt Winchester.

The story goes that a psychic once told her that to escape being haunted by the vengeful ghosts of all the people killed by Winchester rifles, she had to keep adding to the house she had bought with that blood money.

Working to no masterplan, employing no architects or designers, Winchester ordered staircases to be built that go to nowhere, child-sized doors next to full-size ones, rooms within rooms, spyholes and trapdoors. Sometimes, the additions were torn down, sealed up or altered again the very next day.

In 1975 a room was discovered that had clearly remained untouched for the better part of a century, with a door lock that dated from 1910 and a phonograph speaker from the early 1900s. Winchester had apparently forgotten all about it and plastered over the door. 

You can visit the house and experience all its enigmas for yourself. The movie will be in cinemas in February next year.