'Mad Men's' Kiernan Shipka as the 'Shining' Twins and Other Hollywood Horror Delights

'The Shining'

Mad Men star Kiernan Shipka had some fun for THR's horror issue, bringing to life the iconic Grady twins from The Shining in an ALICE by Temperley dress. "It's such a psychological thriller. There’s so much hidden detail," says the actress of the 1980 classic, based on the novel by Stephen King. Photographed by Ramona Rosales on Oct. 3 at Milk Studios in Hollywood.

Guillermo del Toro

Horror, both real and fantastical, has been a part of del Toro's life for as long as he can remember. As a child, he stood in his crib and watched The Outer Limits and The Twilight Zone on the TV across the room. Photographed by Christopher Wahl on Oct. 3 on the set of FX's vampire series The Strain at Cinespace Studios in Etobicoke, Ontario.

'A Place in My Heart'

"In the beginning, I was fascinated by the images. And I feel that in many ways I still am," he says, taking a break from shooting the pilot for The Strain, based on the novel he co-wrote with Chuck Hogan. "There is a place in my heart that is truly only reached by the fantasy and horror genre."

Emotional Poetry

One look at the films he has directed (Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth, Pacific Rim) or produced (The Orphanage, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, Mama) and one can see del Toro always has striven to give horror a certain emotional poetry.

Kevin Williamson

Williamson has a special place in the slasher canon. His 1996 shockbuster Scream (directed by Wes Craven) helped usher in an era of irony in popular entertainment. Scream grossed $173 million worldwide and helped to revive the teen-horror genre, which would also include Williamson's I Know What You Did Last Summer franchise. Photographed by Dan Monick on Sept. 26 at Hollywood Production Center.

'The Following'

The Following -- about a fallen FBI agent (Kevin Bacon) tracking a murderous cult leader (James Purefoy) -- was the No. 1 new drama of the 2012-13 season, pulling in close to 12 million viewers an episode for Fox. "To me, The Following has always been about rebirth," explains Williamson. "In a lot of ways, I think it's one big allegory for one man's midlife crisis."

Mother of Inspiration

It was his mother -- a homemaker and voracious reader -- who inspired Williamson, 48, to become a writer. She bought him a typewriter when he was 10. But it was John Carpenter's 1978 classic Halloween that inspired him to become a filmmaker.

Chloe Grace Moretz

Moretz owes her career to horror. The actress starred in 2005's remake of The Amityville Horror (which grossed $108 million worldwide) at the age of 6. "It was the first time I was ever scared on a set," she says. "Ryan Reynolds picks me up in one scene and grabs me, and I remember walking away and telling my mom that it scared me a little." Photographed by Frank W. Ockenfels 3 on Oct. 4 at the Four Seasons Beverly Hills.

Back in Blood

After charming families in Martin Scorsese's Hugo and camping it up in Tim Burton's Dark Shadows, Moretz, 16, is returning to horror with Carrie, MGM and Screen Gems' adaptation (out Oct. 18) of Stephen King's 1974 novel. "I think what worked for me is that I feel incredibly vulnerable around teenagers," she says. "I never went to high school, I never had the time to understand them."

Q&A: 'Carrie' Star Chloe Grace Moretz on Stephen King's Book, Fake Pig's Blood and Bullying

Greg Nicotero and Robert Kirkman

With The Walking Dead -- TV's No. 1 series among adults 18-to-49 -- executive producers Kirkman and Nicotero kicked off TV's modern horror renaissance and proved there's a home for the oft-ignored genre on the small screen. Photographed by Austin Hargrave on Oct. 1 at KNB EFX Group in Chatsworth, Calif.

'The Walking Dead'

AMC is looking to go back to the zombie well: It is developing a Walking Dead companion series that won't feature any characters from the current TV series or the comic. "Everyone is doing everything they can to make this a spinoff that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the original show," says Kirkman, strongly suggesting Nicotero also would be involved. "I'm excited about getting into this world again and doing new things with it; 34-year-old me is competing with 23-year-old me to see what I can do."

Rob Zombie

Even before embarking on his second career as a filmmaker, Zombie has had an impact on horror cinema during the past two decades, as music from White Zombie and his solo work have been a natural fit for such films as Bride of Chucky, The Covenant and End of Days. Photographed by Wesley Mann on Sept. 30 at South Cemetery in Woodbury, Conn.

'When Things Are Weird'

Zombie even received John Carpenter's blessing to remake Halloween for Dimension in 2007, and it became the franchise's highest-earning installment, bringing in $80.3 million worldwide. For his most recent feature, 2012's wickedly witchy The Lords of Salem, he returned to low-budget filmmaking (and partnered with producer Jason Blum) in order to make a "weirder, artsier film. When things are weird, you can do whatever," says Zombie. "I don't like feeling like I always have to deliver something just like this."

Julie Plec

Plec, 41, had been in Hollywood less than two years when she was hired as Wes Craven's assistant while Craven was in post on the 1995 Eddie Murphy thriller Vampire in Brooklyn. Photographed by Dan Monick on Sept. 26 at Hollywood Production Center.

The Vampire Diarist

She has a list of horror credits including The CW hit The Vampire Diaries (which she created with Williamson), TVD spinoff The Originals, which bowed Oct. 3 to 2.15 million viewers, and a reboot of the classic British series The Tomorrow People, which premieres Oct. 9.