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David Robert Mitchell Answered A Bunch of Questions About “the It” in It Follows

Published

9 years ago

April 14, 2015

There’s been a lot of chatter about a potential sequel to It Follows. There’s been nothing in the way of any kind of official announcement, but given the film’s success story and plot device that caters to franchise potential, it pretty much seems inevitable.

Comments made by director David Robert Mitchell and Tom Quinn, co-president of distribution company Radius-TWC, only make it seem all the more likely. Luckily, there are a lot of angles that could be explored in a sequel thanks to how much Mitchell left to the imagination in his film.

In fact, while It Follows has clearly been a favorite among the horror community, a common theme among some of the less enthusiastic reviews of the film has been the very fact that so much was left to the imagination. In other words, a lack of explanation is sometimes brushed off as laziness.

Last week, Mitchell participated in a reddit AMA. He made some interesting comments about the nature of “the It” that could both serve as potential angles to be explored in a sequel and give a little bit of explanation about the villain. Not too much explanation, but at least some insight into the creator’s mindset about it.

One person asked how the Hugh character knew so much about the monster such as thinking he got it from a girl from a bar or how he would even know it came from sex.

Mitchell’s response was, “This suggests a much larger backstory within Hugh’s life. We can only imagine the circumstances that led to Hugh discovering this. The film offers a few clues.”

Mitchell talked a little more about this in an interview with Yahoo Movies, indicating that the rules laid out in the movie (which mostly came from Hugh) may not be the true rules of how the It works.

“The only rules that we hear are rules that we’re told by a character within the film, who has access to limited information,” he explained. “If you look at the film enough, you can start to understand how he may be figuring these things out and how he has gotten the information that he has. But you also have to understand that they’re not rules on a stone’s tablet; they’re a character’s best guess about what’s happening to them. So, you know, they seem mostly right. But for me, that’s kind of fun, in that there might be some gaps in information, some things that he doesn’t understand and neither do we.”

In other words, this could pretty much open the floodgates to potential ideas for a sequel.

Some other responses he gave in the AMA also show how he thinks about the It:

“For one, looking like normal people, it has the ability to approach the character without them being aware that it’s the monster. Also, it’s the way that the monster uses the human figure to hurt or disturb the characters.”

…

“I think most of the time It’s always walking. But It can choose to move in ways that might hurt or affect the person it’s following.”

…

“It could certainly cross the ocean. I imagine that it could get on a boat or a plane. Or it could move through the water, if it chose to.”

…

“It doesn’t spawn. It has to physically move from one place to the other. It could get on an airplane if it wanted to.”

…

“The monster’s form is directly connected to the person that it’s following.”

…

“If you give it to someone, then it’s only going to follow the next person that that person sleeps with. So it’s not like you can infect multiple people at the same time. Once you’ve passed it on, you’ve passed it on. Unless that person dies…”

Asked about whether the It can only be passed with male/female sex, he said, “I believe that any kind of sex counts.”

On the use of water in the movie: “There is symbolism behind it, but I also think the use of water within a film is transportive for an audience in a way – just hearing or seeing water represented in a film allows the viewer to connect with the physicality of what’s happening within the frame. And as for what it means, I hate to explain it. I prefer for people to simply experience it and decide how they feel about it.”

If (most likely when) a sequel gets made, it may or may not be Mitchell who directs it. While he has expressed interest in doing more horror at some point, he has also said it’s not likely that his next project will be another horror film. Either way, fans will no doubt be lining up to see it.

Read the AMA for Mitchell’s responses to many more questions about the movie, the genre, and his career.

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Movies

Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed

Published

17 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

The latest exorcism movie is about to drop this summer. It’s aptly titled The Exorcism and it stars Academy Award winner turned B-movie savant Russell Crowe. The trailer dropped today and by the looks of it, we are getting a possession movie that takes place on a movie set.

Just like this year’s recent demon-in-media-space film Late Night With the Devil, The Exorcism happens during a production. Although the former takes place on a live network talk show, the latter is on an active sound stage. Hopefully, it won’t be entirely serious and we’ll get some meta chuckles out of it.

The film will open in theaters on June 7, but since Shudder also acquired it, it probably won’t be long after that until it finds a home on the streaming service.

Crowe plays, “Anthony Miller, a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play. The film also stars Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg and David Hyde Pierce.”

Crowe did see some success in last year’s The Pope’s Exorcist mostly because his character was so over-the-top and infused with such comical hubris it bordered on parody. We will see if that is the route actor-turned-director Joshua John Miller takes with The Exorcism.

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News

Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween

Published

19 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Spirit Halloween has declared that this week marks the start of spooky season and to celebrate they are offering fans a chance to stay at the Lizzie Borden House with so many perks Lizzie herself would approve.

The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, MA is claimed to be one of the most haunted houses in America. Of course one lucky winner and up to 12 of their friends will find out if the rumors are true if they win the grand prize: A private stay in the notorious house.

“We are delighted to work with Spirit Halloween to roll out the red carpet and offer the public a chance to win a one-of-a-kind experience at the infamous Lizzie Borden House, which also includes additional haunted experiences and merchandise,” said Lance Zaal, President & Founder of US Ghost Adventures.

Fans can enter to win by following Spirit Halloween‘s Instagram and leaving a comment on the contest post from now through April 28.

The prize also includes:

An exclusive guided house tour, including insider insight around the murder, the trial, and commonly reported hauntings

A late-night ghost tour, complete with professional ghost-hunting gear

A private breakfast in the Borden family dining room

A ghost hunting starter kit with two pieces of Ghost Daddy Ghost Hunting Gear and a lesson for two at US Ghost Adventures Ghost Hunting Course

The ultimate Lizzie Borden gift package, featuring an official hatchet, the Lizzie Borden board game, Lily the Haunted Doll, and America’s Most Haunted Volume II

Winner’s choice of a Ghost Tour experience in Salem or a True Crime experience in Boston for two

“Our Halfway to Halloween celebration provides fans an exhilarating taste of what’s to come this fall and empowers them to start planning for their favorite season as early as they please,” said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween. “We have cultivated an incredible following of enthusiasts who embody the Halloween lifestyle, and we’re thrilled to bring the fun back to life.”

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Spirit Halloween is also preparing for their retail haunted houses. On Thursday, August 1 their flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. will officially open to start off the season. That event usually draws in hordes of people eager to see what new merch, animatronics, and exclusive IP goods will be trending this year.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Movies

’28 Years Later’ Trilogy Taking Shape With Serious Star Power

Published

21 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Danny Boyle is revisiting his 28 Days Later universe with three new films. He will direct the first, 28 Years Later, with two more to follow. Deadline is reporting that sources say Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes have been cast for the first entry, a sequel to the original. Details are being kept under wraps so we don’t know how or if the first original sequel 28 Weeks Later fits into the project.

**Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes**

Boyle will direct the first movie but it’s unclear which role he will take on in the subsequent films. What is known is Candyman (2021) director Nia DaCosta is scheduled to direct the second film in this trilogy and that the third will be filmed immediately afterward. Whether DaCosta will direct both is still unclear.

Alex Garland is writing the scripts. Garland is having a successful time at the box office right now. He wrote and directed the current action/thriller Civil War which was just knocked out of the theatrical top spot by Radio Silence’s Abigail.

There is no word yet on when, or where, 28 Years Later will start production.