The Boogeyman releases in theaters on June 2nd, 2023! The new horror flick based on a Stephen King short story from his collection The Night Shift is frightening, to say the least. We were lucky enough to sit down with the film’s cast and crew during the Global Press Conference. The talent from the press conference included Chris Messina (Will Harper), Sophie Thatcher (Sadie Harper), Vivien Lyra Blair (Sawyer Harper), David Dastmalchian (Lester Billings), Rob Savage (Director), Dan Levine (Producer), and Dan Cohen (Producer).
Starting off with a bit about the characters, Sophie Thatcher had this to say about her character Sadie and the arc she goes through in the film.
“I think she’s in such a state of grieving, and you build empathy for her early on. Just to make her grieving, lived in, and feel real. Everyone grieves in different ways.”
David Dastmalchian had an unenviable position taking on the role of Lester Billings in the film. His role and the scenes he’s part of are key to the overall story. They’re among the best in the film. Here’s what he had to say about taking on the role.
“Such an immense amount of pressure. Coming from the mind of the King. The challenge of even having the courage to be willing to go there was a challenge for me. I didn’t feel like I had the capacity to embody Lester.”
Vivien Lyra Blair might be young, but her answers during the press conference were that of a veteran actor, in addition to some answers about stuffed animals. Here’s what she had to say about Sawyer.
“You really feel for her. In the final, boss fight, in the basement, Sawyer gets to come through as this courageous, heroic little girl. She comes out stronger for it. She’s one of my favorite characters I’ve ever played.”
In a cute moment between Vivien and Sophie, they talked about how they bonded over avocado toast between scenes filming with the therapist in the film. Now, they both have avocado toast bracelets and send each other toast-themed items and pictures. It was small things like this that brought the cast together over the course of this terrifying movie.
About The Actual Monster In The Boogeyman
Director Rob Savage says they tried their hardest to get a practical monster in the film, but it was just too unwieldy and difficult. They couldn’t lock down a design for it, and it was cumbersome to get a person in a suit. The creature on screen is more primordial and ancient looking than they originally thought.
“The creature reveals itself to have dimensions that we don’t see. It also has this horrific design that our team came up with.”
You can read our 96% review of The Boogeyman right here. Check out the film in theaters this weekend!
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