News

Tate Taylor Talks ‘Ma’ and the Joy of Working with Octavia Spencer

Published

5 years ago

August 20, 2019

Tate Taylor isn’t exactly the guy you’d expect to direct a psychological horror thriller like Ma, which makes its debut on digital streaming and VOD platforms today.

The director is probably most associated with films like The Help starring Emma Stone (Zombieland) and for which Octavia Spencer won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

Honestly, though, that’s exactly why he wanted to take on the challenge of Ma, and he sat down with iHorror to chat about the journey from script to screen.

***This interview contains some spoilers for the film. You have been warned!***

Taylor had been hearing from Spencer that she was being offered the same type of roles over and over again, and he admits he was feeling a bit boxed in himself when he found himself chatting with Jason Blum aka the man who built Blumhouse.

“Jason and I are friends and we were talking about what we could possibly work on together,” the director recalled. “He likes to dip his toes into dramatic waters from time to time and he was trying to get a feel for what I wanted to do. So I told him I wanted to do something really, really fucked up. I want to play in that sandbox with all that craziness.”

Blum was surprised but immediately thought of script he had just gotten from Scotty Landes (Workaholics) and he gave it to Taylor to read.

By the time the director had finished reading the script, he was on the phone with his old friend Octavia.

“I told her I’ve got a script and you would be the lead,” he said. “I told her it needed work and then I told her about the story. She said she didn’t even need to read the script. She would do it. So I called Jason and told him I would do it and Octavia was on board.”

Taylor admitted he was ready to “let the wheels come off” and play within the space of the film. He also said that having known Spencer for so long made creating her character so much easier when it came time to roll cameras.

“We were roommates for six years so to call what we have a shorthand is really an understatement,” he said. “What is really comes down to is trust. An actor, even though they have that script, they have to trust the director. We have that.”

What he loved most about Ma was the emotional connection he found with the material, an element that he was grateful did not end up in the trailers for the film.

In Ma, Spencer’s character Sue Ann was mercilessly bullied as a child and in high school and those emotional scars never quite healed. When she makes a connection with some of her bullies’ children years later, something inside her snaps, and she begins doing terrible things.

“This couldn’t just be a slasher with a crazy lady and I decided to really lean into that bullying and the marginalization of certain people and certain cultures,” Taylor explained. “I think a fun tagline for this film would be ‘Be careful who you bully.’ Sadly that’s reflected in society today…Ma is a cautionary tale.”

Taylor also says it was important to him to infuse some humor into the film. The director spent time in the famous Groundlings in Los Angeles when he was first forging his career and he wanted nothing more than to become a cast regular on Saturday Night Live.

It was during this time that he really learned how laughter and humor can amplify even the horror space and as we talked I mentioned that John Carpenter himself had said something the effect of “No wants to laugh more than a horror audience. They need that break in tension to breathe.”

“I think bringing laughter into anything heightens the drama,” he said. “It makes it real and accessible to the audience. Not only was he [Carpenter] right about people needing to laugh, but that laughter becomes an emotion that can heighten the horror.”

Ultimately, Tate Taylor had a great time directing Ma and after seeing the film, I can’t help but hope that he makes his way into the genre more often.

Ma is available today, August 20, 2019, on digital streaming platforms and VOD. Check it out and see if you don’t agree.

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News

A24 Creating New Action Thriller “Onslaught” From ‘The Guest’ & ‘You’re Next’ Duo

Published

3 hours ago

May 2, 2024

Cameron McFarland

It’s always nice to see a reunion in the world of horror. Following a competitive bidding war, A24 has secured the rights to the new action thriller film Onslaught. Adam Wingard (Godzilla vs. Kong) will be directing the film. He will be joined by his longtime creative partner Simon Barret (You’re Next) as the scriptwriter.

For those unaware, Wingard and Barret made a name for themselves while working together on films such as You’re Next and The Guest. The two creatives are card carrying horror royalty. The pair have worked on films such as V/H/S, Blair Witch, The ABC’s of Death, and A Horrible Way to Die.

An exclusive article of out Deadline gives us the limited information we have on the topic. Although we don’t have much to go on, Deadline does offer the following information.

“Plot details are being kept under wraps but the film is in the vein of Wingard and Barrett’s cult classics like The Guest and You’re Next. Lyrical Media and A24 will co-finance. A24 will handle worldwide releasing. Principal photography will begin in Fall 2024.”

A24 will be producing the film alongside Aaron Ryder and Andrew Swett for Ryder Picture Company, Alexander Black for Lyrical Media, Wingard and Jeremy Platt for Breakaway Civilization, and Simon Barret.

That’s all the information we have at this time. Make sure to check back here for more news and updates.

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News

Director Louis Leterrier Creating New Sci-Fi Horror Film “11817”

Published

4 hours ago

May 2, 2024

Cameron McFarland

According to an article from Deadline, Louis Leterrier (The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance) is about to shake things up with his new Sci-Fi horror film 11817. Leterrier is set to produce and direct the new Movie. 11817 is penned by the glorious Mathew Robinson (The Invention of Lying).

Rocket Science will be taking the film to Cannes in search of a buyer. While we don’t know much about what the film looks like, Deadline offers the following plot synopsis.

“The film watches as inexplicable forces trap a family of four inside their house indefinitely. As both modern luxuries and life or death essentials begin to run out, the family must learn how to be resourceful to survive and outsmart who — or what — is keeping them trapped…”

“Directing projects where the audience gets behind the characters has always been my focus. However complex, flawed, heroic, we identify with them as we live through their journey,” said Leterrier. “It’s what excites me about 11817‘s wholly original concept and the family at the heart of our story. This is an experience that movie audiences won’t forget.”

Leterrier has made a name for himself in the past for working on beloved franchises. His portfolio includes gems such as Now You See Me, The Incredible Hulk, Clash of The Titans, and The Transporter. He is currently attached to create the final Fast and the Furious film. However, it will be interesting to see what Leterrier can do working with some darker subject material.

That’s all the information we have for you at this time. As always, make sure to check back here for more news and updates.

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Lists

New to Netflix (U.S.) This Month [May 2024]

Published

6 hours ago

May 2, 2024

Timothy Rawles

atlas movie Netflix starring Jennifer Lopez

Another month means fresh additions to Netflix. Although there aren’t many new horror titles this month, there are still some notable movies well worth your time. For instance, you can watch Karen Black try to land a 747 jet in Airport 1979, or Casper Van Dien kill giant insects in Paul Verhoeven’s bloody sci-fi opus Starship Troopers.

We are looking forward to the Jennifer Lopez sci-fi action movie Atlas. But let us know what you are going to watch. And if we have missed something, put it in the comments.

May 1:

Airport

A blizzard, a bomb, and a stowaway help create the perfect storm for the manager of a Midwestern airport and a pilot with a messy personal life.

Airport ’75

^{Airport ’75}

When a Boeing 747 loses its pilots in a midair collision, a member of the cabin crew must take control with radio help from a flight instructor.

Airport ’77

A luxury 747 packed with VIPs and priceless art goes down in the Bermuda Triangle after being hijacked by thieves — and time for a rescue is running out.

Jumanji

Two siblings discover an enchanted board game that opens a door to a magical world — and unwittingly release a man who’s been trapped inside for years.

Hellboy

^Hellboy

A half-demon paranormal investigator questions his defense of humans when a dismembered sorceress rejoins the living to wreak brutal vengeance.

Starship Troopers

When fire-spitting, brain-sucking bugs attack Earth and obliterate Buenos Aires, an infantry unit heads to the aliens’ planet for a showdown.

May 9

Bodkin

^Bodkin

A ragtag crew of podcasters sets out to investigate mysterious disappearances from decades earlier in a charming Irish town with dark, dreadful secrets.

May 15

The Clovehitch Killer

^{The Clovehitch Killer}

A teenager’s picture-perfect family is torn apart when he uncovers unnerving evidence of a serial killer close to home.

May 16

Upgrade

After a violent mugging leaves him paralyzed, a man receives a computer chip implant that allows him to control his body — and get his revenge.

Monster

_Monster

After being abducted and taken to a desolate house, a girl sets out to rescue her friend and escape from their malicious kidnapper.

May 24

Atlas

^Atlas

A brilliant counterterrorism analyst with a deep distrust of AI discovers it might be her only hope when a mission to capture a renegade robot goes awry.

Jurassic World: Chaos Theory

The Camp Cretaceous gang come together to unravel a mystery when they discover a global conspiracy that brings danger to dinosaurs — and to themselves.

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