Insidiousgot off to a solid start this weekend.
The Hollywood success of James Wan and Leigh Whannell reads like one of the towns inspirational screenplays.
Just before graduation, a professor even tells their departing class that none of them will succeed.
Cut to a down-and-dirty 18-day shoot in an abandoned L.A. warehouse.
The run is truly impressive for a project initially made for $700,000.
Of course, all that success comes with a backlash.
Some critics say Wan and Whannell use gore, not skill, to scare audiences.
However, this is the pairs first PG-13 rated film and less violence doesnt mean fewer scares.
In fact, theyre getting the best reviews of their careers.
The pair tapped social networks to help promote the film.
We started our conversation with their decision to join the Tweeting masses.
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Leigh Whannell: We finally gave in.
James Wan: Gave in.
I gave in sooner than Leigh did, though.
Collider: What was (the reason for) the choice?
(Laughs)
Yeah.
Well,Sawhas such a passionate following of fans.
How are you incorporating social networking in terms of your promotion for (Insidious)?
Wan: We think its such an important part, you know, of the process these days.
Like, marketing has taken such a complete shift, thanks to the internet.
Whannell: Yeah, that direct, one-to-one contact is pretty good.
Wan: And partly because, you know, were very appreciative of what theyve done.
(Laughs) Its as simple as that.
The reason why you had two guys in a room (inSaw) is because of budgetary constraints.
How do we make $5,000 work?
So everything kind of flows from there.
Here (withInsidious), you make silence work to scare people.
You make things that you dont need huge effects through the first-
-half of the film-
-to scare people.
And this may sound bizarre, but how freeing are budgetary constraints?
Whannell: They can be really freeing.
(Pause) So, so we didnt actually…
Far less than $700,000?
Wan: (Pause)Sawwas shot for $700,000.
Then, Lionsgate came in and finished it off at about $1,000,000.
Its about the first, initial price ($700,000).
Thats whatInsidiouswas made for, right?
You have to sting it with a loud musical cue.
We dont acknowledge it in the filmmaking.
We dont have the character acknowledging it by knowing that theres something there.
The audience watching it, all of a sudden, will go, Did I just see something?
Because youre not sure, right?
Whannell: In terms of writing, (it) definitely is freeing to have some budgetary constraints.
Hold on a second, youre like, what am I gonna write a story about?
Whannell: If I tell you, Give me a five page story about a scuba diver.
All of a sudden, it frees you up.
Keep the locations low.
Keep it in two houses.
I told Leigh, Write me a scary movie, but we set it only in two houses.
Wan: Well, thats the thing, right, about horror.
No, Im not saying it as an insulting thing.
I mean it as-
Wan: No.
Weve got this much to do.
This is how we can make it work.
Wan: Uh huh.
And you make it work.
And its fun and (Leigh), youve talked about your influences.Jawsand-
Whannell: Yeah.
-how you dont see the shark through the first (half) of the film.
Whannell: They come from the mundane, really.
Nothing on the soundtrack, yet somehow theres a- (Laughs)
Yeah.
-its something where all the drama comes out of silence.
Wan: Yeah, and that was one of the things we really wanted to giveInsidious.
We wanted a lot of the scare sequences to play really silent.
And then youre following a character through a house and its just dead silent.
Piercing alarm that goes off.
Then, when he switches it off, its just (barely audible for effect) dead silent.
And your actors [are] screaming away.
Its not just about that.
Those are both movies that are very controlled.
Whannell: That restraint is great.
Wan: That, that restraint.
And I dont think thats how you make scary movies.
Scary movies are not like action films.
Wan: (Trying to move on)Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
(Laughter)
Whannell: I like your little plug forDead Silenceas well.
Its available on home video… (James laughs) on DVD… right now.
Whannell: Uh huh.
Now, you have the guys who ended up doing-
Wan: Doing that one!
-the third of that (set of ideas), yeah, with-
Whannell: WithParanormal Activity.
Collider & Wan (together):Paranormal Activity!
The producers on (Insidious).
One of the films got made by us.
Wan: (echoing the sentiment) We made it when we came together!
(Laughs)
Whannell: So, all three of those ideas ended up paying off.
That was a fruitful creative period!
Wan: Its pretty clever how that played out.
It- Obviously, nothing was planned like that.
Its in the cosmos, I guess.
Yeah, and we love working with these guys.
Jason Blum, great producer.
You know, like, these guys are such great people to work with.
Did you have that conversation?
Wan: I-
Whannell: (Jokingly stepping in) Its a lawsuit thats pending.
So, Barbara Hershey comes off ofBlack Swanwhere shes terrified, as a mother.
Hasnt she been through enough, as a mother?
Why are you putting her through this again?
(Wan & Whannell both smile)
Wan: And how much (she) went through inThe Entity!
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sfro7WO8YJg)
Whannell: She does play that afraid very well.
Its funny cause at the time we shot this, we hadnt seenBlack Swan.
Shes a much more malevolent figure inBlack Swan.
You were talking about the lack of respect.
So, you go and you end up making one of the most successful horror franchises of all time.
Youve had more success than you’re able to ever dream of.
Have you run into any of those students again?
(Leigh laughs)
Whannell: Not really, because we havent been back to Melbourne in a while.
Wan: See cause Leigh doesnt have a Facebook page.
So, YOU have-
Wan: I have (a page)!
Have they asked you for work?
Wan: (Pause) I dont want to say.
(Pause, then laughs)
So thats a yes.
Lets go back to the silence theory.
Restraint is key here.
Revenge plays a big-
Wan: Yes.
-I guess that is the sweetest revenge, is success.
Wan: It is.
Success is the- yes.
Whannell: I do remember.
You want to talk revenge, I will say this.
I have no idea why he said that.
We had a guy telling us, No one in this rooms gonna make it.
So, I like to think about that every now and again.
I like to think that he knows what were up to.
(Laughing) Yeah.
(Awkward pause, then laughter)
Thats your next film.
So, I know youre working on a sci-fi film, as well.
Wan: Oh, yeah.
Does it deal with outer space, then?
Whannell: Yes, theres outer space in it.
Wan: Yeah, its hard to talk about it, just because were still at the crafting stage.
Whannell: So, it might change, but yeah.
Its basically set in the future and its mostly set on Earth.
Wan: (With a sly, joking look) Theres monsters.
(Leigh stifles a laugh) And giant robots, all in it.
Whannell: (Piling on) Yeah, its got all that good stuff.
(James laughs)
Giants and monster robots.
(James and Leigh laugh)
Wan & Whannell: Yeah.
I cant tell whether youre kidding or not.
Thats one of my, um, you know, I have a few projects brewing away.
Thats one of them, yes.
Is that gonna be before the sci-fi film?
Wan: (Pause) Oh, dear Lord, I have no idea at this point.
Whannell: Theyre such early days.
Wan: Hollywood is just so strange.
Its like, everyone has a whole bunch of stuff boiling away and whichever one happens first, happens.
That one, were still in the process of, you know, trying to write the script.
So, its still very early stages at this point.
Whannell: I would say, Dont let other people tell you what you SHOULD be doing.
Make your own decisions.
Dont let other people say to you, Oh now you gotta make THIS kind of film.
As if theres the rules.
Wan; You mean, like, for young kids that are just trying to break into the business?
Well, for yourself.
Whannell: If you could go back in time and talk to your 24-year old self.
So, um, yeah, I guess Leighs kind of right.
I think I agree with Leigh there.
Its whatever youre FEELING like doing.
I was just thinking in terms of genres.
Are you now moving off to sci-fi?
At the end of the day, I guess, it really doesnt matter what genre it is.
Thats what it comes down to-
Whannell: Yeah, it is.
If its the best- Yeah.
I love action films.
I want to do action films.
I want to do romantic comedies.
I love all this stuff.
So, if I find the good material, Ill do it.
All right, great to see you guys again.
Wan: Likewise, man!
Whannell: Great to see you, mate.
Great to see you!
Wan: Good to see you, man!
