‘The Strangers: Chapter 1’ Interview: Director Renny Harlin
Director Renny Harlin talks about ‘The Strangers: Chapter 1’.
On May 17, the third film in the ‘The Strangers’ franchise, titled ‘The Strangers: Chapter 1’, will be released in theaters, which will act as the beginning of a new trilogy with the three films directed by Renny Harlin (‘Die Hard 2, ‘ ‘Climinating moment’).
The new film stars Madelaine Petsch (‘Riverdale’), Froy Gutiérrez (‘Teen Wolf’), Rachel Shenton (‘The Silent Child’), Gabriel Basso (‘Super 8’), Ema Horvath (‘The Lord of the Rings’ Rings: The Rings of Power’) and Richard Brake (‘Last Stop in Yuma County’).
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with veteran director Renny Harlin about his work on ‘The Strangers: Chapter 1’, reinventing the franchise, his plans for upcoming films, building suspense, creating rules for the world of ‘The Strangers’ and his casting. process.
(From left to right) Froy Gutiérrez, Madelaine Petsch and director Renny Carlin on the set of ‘The Strangers: Chapter 1’. Photo credit: John Armor.
Moviefone: To start, can you talk about taking on this horror franchise and what you wanted to do to reinvent it and put your personal stamp on it?
Renny Harlin: I’m a big fan of the original ‘Strangers’ and I wouldn’t have made a remake or a sequel. But when I was presented with the challenge and the opportunity to take the premise of the original film, which is a very realistic home invasion story, and then expand it into three films, essentially a four and a half hour runtime. Horror Odyssey, I felt like you never get this opportunity to really delve into the psychology of the victims and also the killers themselves. It was challenging, but incredibly rewarding to be able to do this.
‘The Strangers: Chapter 1’. Photo credit: John Armor.
MF: Did you create rules for this world? Do you understand who the strangers are and why they do what they do?
RH: Very interesting point. The special thing about the original movie was that there were no answers. It was a random act of senseless violence, which unfortunately happens in this world of ours. We wanted to keep that theme alive throughout the three films, so we answered some things that people have been wondering since they saw the original, like who Tamara is, for example. But then we left a lot of things unanswered. We delve into the psychology of these killers and study what motivates a sociopath, but we don’t wrap it up and put a noose on it. We want to keep it open like the original movie was.
‘The Strangers: Chapter 1’. Photo credit: John Armor.
MF: Can you talk about the challenges of building suspense with a film like this?
RH: The key principle was very clear and you asked if I set rules. Rule number one was reality. It’s very easy, especially I think a filmmaker like me, who has made action films, thinks that bigger is better. But in this movie, smaller was better, and I always had to check with myself if he was keeping things real. This is nothing supernatural, it is not fantastic. It’s about you and me in this extraordinary situation and challenge, and that was the most important thing to always keep in mind. Telling the story, directing the actors, finding the camera angles, etc., just the tension, fear and sense of dread comes from the fact that it’s so relatable that we could all end up in this horrible situation.
(Left to right) Froy Gutiérrez as “Ryan” and Madelaine Petsch as “Maya” in ‘The Strangers’ trilogy, a Lionsgate release. Photo credit: John Armor for Lionsgate.
MF: Finally, can you talk about your casting process and what you were looking for when casting the characters of Maya and Ryan?
RH:Liv Tyler starred in the original film and did a fantastic job. She was beautiful, vulnerable and interesting, so those were big boots to fill. We saw tons and tons of actors and realized that she can’t be just any good, attractive actor. When we met Madeleine, first over a Zoom call, we were really impressed by her intelligence, her passion, her insight, and her charm. She very quickly became our number one choice and ended up really becoming a partner in this endeavor in terms of working on the script with us and really understanding the full scale of the three films, and having the physique to be able to go through what she wanted to. she needs to happen in the later movies. Then with Froy, we wanted to find someone who had chemistry with her and, again, he’s a great actor and just a sweet guy. There was a certain innocence that we wanted to have in him to make it so painful to see him have to go through these things. I think most audiences don’t think of them as tough people who could deal with knife and ax murderers, so I think he’s also very relatable in this role.
“They don’t need a reason.”
Schedules and tickets
After their car breaks down, a couple driving cross-country to start a new life in the Pacific Northwest is forced to spend the night in a secluded rental, where… Read the plot
What is the plot of ”The Strangers: Chapter 1′?
Maya (Madelaine Petsch) drives across the country with her longtime boyfriend, Ryan (Froy Gutierrez), as the couple begins a new life together in the Pacific Northwest. Along the way, their car breaks down in Venus, Oregon, and they are forced to spend the night in an isolated Airbnb house. During the night they are terrorized by three masked strangers and murderers.
Who is in the cast of ”The Strangers: Chapter 1′?
- Madelaine Petsch as Maya
- Froy Gutierrez as Ryan
- Rachel Shenton as Debbie
- Gabriel Basso as Gregorio
- Ema Horvath as Shelly
- Ella Bruccoleri as Jasmine
- Richard Brake as Sheriff Rotter
‘The Strangers: Chapter 1’. Photo credit: John Armor.
Other films in ‘The Strangers’ franchise:
Other Renny Harlin films:
Buy tickets: Showtimes for the movie ‘The Strangers: Chapter 1’
Buy Renny Harlin movies on Amazon
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