Master of Frights: A Chat With HHN’s Creative Director John

We all know the basic concept of “The Strangers”. A couple becomes trapped in an isolated cabin while a bunch of creeps torment them all night, simply because they were home. It’s a beloved film in the horror community, and when I heard about a new version, I was very skeptical, and highly intrigued. 

Well, Courtney Solomon, a producer on the highly anticipated THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 1, was kind enough to sit down and have a chat with us recently about the film, why he got involved, and what to expect for the future of the franchise! 

The Strangers Chapter 1 Poster

iHorror: Hi Courtney! What can you tell us about THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 1? 

Courtney Solomon: Man, “The Strangers,” I loved! I watched the (original) movie probably twenty-one times, or something like that. Big fan of it. To me, it’s one of the truly terrifying horror movies because it’s so real, and it can touch everybody. So, I really pondered it. We had talked about maybe doing a remake, after looking at the numbers the original did, but I was like, “No way, trust me. It’s only been like fifteen years, and if it had even been thirty-five years, it’s a beloved film in the horror community, I wouldn’t go there.” 

Then we looked at “Strangers: Prey at Night.” It’s another Strangers story, taking place in the trailer park with another family. It was certainly nothing near as chilling as the original, obviously. I really thought there was another opportunity there, to tell a big story, in the way I wanted to, and this was the right I.P. to do it with. I’m really interested, and I think everybody else would be, as long as we don’t mess with the mystery of them – to know more about who’s underneath those masks, from a psychological point of view. 

I don’t need to know their names, or where they came from, or even how they became a Stranger, anything like that. Sure, we can allude to stuff, in a Strangers fashion, like things that give you food for thought, and a lot of conversation, but you as the audience are going to have to figure that part out for yourself. You’re going to be able to fill in the blanks multiple different ways. It’s more interesting like that.

I want to know about their darkness. I want to know what allows somebody to essentially put on a mask, for whatever reason, maybe because they want to hide their face, or maybe just because they want to. You know? Or, any other reason, and then just terrify people. Because if you go back to the original, they could have killed the couple twelve times, but they were playing with them. Sort of like playing with your food before you eat it. Then finally, when the time was right, they had the ultimate satisfaction, for those people. 

I’d like to know a little bit more about the darkness that they live in. That’s interesting to me, and I think it would be very interesting to the audience if done correctly. At the same time, I want to imagine that if our setup was the DNA of the original, by that I mean the idea of a couple, the invasion, the playing, those characters, I love. That set up, I love. Obviously, we change it to fit who our characters are, and what our story is. That was the launch pad, to then tell the greater story. 

The other part of the story I would really like to see is, instead of glossing over these protagonists that get into these situations, because it is so real. What if somebody survived that first onslaught, but they were stuck in this small town that they couldn’t get out of? Keeping in mind that they were mortally injured in the first onslaught. What would that person have to go through, physically, emotionally, and mentally, if you went beat by beat with them? 

Now they are being hunted by these serial killers, and let’s go through three or four days of that, and see what we end up with. Really, that’s the horror. The scares are then baked in naturally, just part of what we go through, and it’s real. That’s what we strove to do, so chapter 1, back to your question, is really our jumping off point. It is its own movie. We wrote a 289 page script. Literally, it’s like three scripts. We just went and made the movie, that’s the movie. Later, we divided it into three chapters because it was just too long. It’s a huge movie. 

Chapter 1, it takes you into this universe and introduces you to our main characters, and then it takes you on a terrifying ride. Our whole basis for making these was keeping it as real as possible, all the way through. To never really cross the line of being kitsch, in any way. What would it feel like, if it was really happening to you? Because that’s The Strangers. 

This isn’t a remake, this isn’t a prequel. This lives in its own space. Yes, there are echoes, and homages to the original, as there should be, but really, this about what happens to people in a bigger story. Like this big, not just this big. (Makes an example with his hands.) Everything stays random, like in the original. One thing you’re not going to walk away with, at the end of the third movie, is a nice bow. In fact, you will walk away with questions, just like in the original film. 

Mystery was a big part of the original experience. The whole mystique. 

Right. You’re going to get a little glimpse into their darkness.

I like how you stopped to point that out – their darkness. That must mean something…

Correct! Without giving away any spoilers, I’m happy to say that we have moments in chapter 2 and 3, where we go back and see them doing different things that are completely unrelated to the story line. So, we understand them more through other things they did, or potentially other victims that they had. 

We use those types of devices to help you learn more about them, because let’s be honest, The Strangers aren’t exactly giving any speeches. They have very few words, so when they do speak, they are chosen very carefully. We don’t veer away from that in any chapter. 

Now Renny Harlin (“Exorcist: The Beginning”) directed the entire trilogy, correct?

Yeah, we shot it all as one big movie. 

What was it like working with Renny?

It was great. We had an amazing time out there. Renny is an amazing shooter. We had a clear idea of how we wanted it to look, and he delivered. I’m more of the story, character guy. Together, we complimented each other. When you’re doing three movies in one, essentially, it becomes a bit more like a showrunner scenario. As far as script and story is concerned.

How long did it take to film all three movies?

In total, I think it was fifty-six days. It was fun.  Most of it was nights, in the middle of the woods. 

Long nights?

You know it!

Was there anything else you wanted to mention about the film, Courtney?

The one thing that seems to register confusion amongst the OG “The Strangers” fans is that we remade the movie, or that it’s a prequel. Not really. What we did is we took the DNA of the original setup, and wanted to use that because you really can’t do better for a setup, we’re using that as the jumping off point. Our characters are different. Our scares and our beats are very different. It’s all setting up a bigger story. You’re following these characters, and you will really get to know the protagonist, and antagonist, and as they go through, it’s like they almost know each other. 

I will also say that as crazy as it was to do three films at once, everybody was – it’s like if you do a successful movie, it does well and the studio wants a sequel, that’s probably twelve to eighteen months to reassemble that cast and crew, and nobody has that same drive they had the first time when they were so amped up about doing it. So, what’s great about this is you get all three movies, with all that drive because they were all done at once, and you can feel that in the movies. I think it was so cool to do it that way. It’s more consistent. They look exactly the same age. 

So, it’s not “Stranger Things.” 

(Laughing.) Right. Or, Harry Potter! 

Like, I swear,  that’s a thirty year old man…

But not that much time had really passed. (Laughing.) 

We really appreciate your time, Courtney, it’s been a pleasure! 

THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 1 stars Madelaine Petsch, Gabriel Basso, and genre stalwart, Richard Brake. In theatres May 17th! 

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