Connect with us

News

Henry Zaga Says Now is the Perfect Time to See ‘The New Mutants’

Published

on

For Henry Zaga, the fact that The New Mutants is finally hitting theaters after a three year wait seems almost like a dream.

“At some point, I was like, is this a marketing stunt? Is there any movie at all?” Zaga said, laughing, in an interview with iHorror this week. “We’ve been so excited for three years. If anything I think the delays have only gotten fans more passionate and more excited about it. It’s basically become an urban legend on its own. It’s my first movie in theaters so it couldn’t be more weird and awesome at the same time.”

Not only is this Zaga’s first film getting the theatrical treatment, but it’s also the fulfillment of more than one dream.

He admits he did not grow up reading The New Mutants, but was a fan of the X-Men cartoons and anything that involved Spider-Man and Batman. Like many kids, he grew up wanting to be super-powered, fighting criminals and taking down the bad guys.

What he didn’t expect was for the movie to check off more boxes than he first imagined.

Henry Zaga’s Sunspot in full-power mode in The New Mutants.

“I was even talking to Charlie [Heaton] about it after we watched it in March and you forget things,” he explained. “Like, I didn’t totally forget it but for a minute I blanked that I spoke Portuguese in the movie. I was like, ‘Oh my God, I am speaking my native language, playing a Brazilian person in a superhero Marvel movie. This is so awesome!’ So, I think that the ten-year-old in me went really crazy for a moment.”

Zaga also appreciated that his character Roberto da Costa aka Sunspot was a layered character that gave him more to dig into while playing the role.

 

For those unfamiliar, da Costa’s powers emerge, unfortunately while he is with his girlfriend in Brazil resulting in the girl’s death. When we meet him in the film, he is terrified of himself, but he hides it behind a veneer of jokes and bravado.

“I think a lot of people will see themselves in my character because we all make mistakes that we’re not even to blame for and we have to live with them,” Zaga pointed out. “We can’t live in spite of them, we have to live with them and they’re a part of who we are and our story. So, without giving too much away, Roberto uses fake confidence to really hide a very sensitive, broken side of his love-craving 17 year old self.”

As the actor’s description of da Costa might explain, much of the horror of The New Mutants is born from the unresolved issues of these mutants’ pasts before they arrived at the hospital. Over-powered teens trying to navigate adolescence with abilities they don’t understand and cannot fully control naturally lends itself to a scarier story.

“Josh [Boone] put it beautifully,” the actor said. “We never tried to make a horror movie. The comics are scary. Our history is scary. There’s no other way of doing this movie except to show our young side with the teenage years and the horror aspect just comes naturally. We’re too powerful for our own good. Can you imagine lighting yourself on fire every time you kiss someone? Bad stuff would happen. It’s really more of a necessity than a gimmick.”

Henry Zaga as Roberto da Costa and Anya Taylor-Joy as Illyana Rasputin in 20th Century Studios’ THE NEW MUTANTS. Photo by Claire Folger. © 2020 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Still, there were moments on set, filming in an abandoned mental hospital, that sent chills down Zaga’s spine from time to time.

In particular, he says, from time to time, when he was in a quiet corner by himself between takes, there was a noticeable smell that would seemingly come from nowhere.

“It was just like a punch in the gut,” Zaga said. “It was almost like something is looming. It’s weird how smell affects you in that way. It creeps into you before you even notice it. I was like, oh yeah, we are in a place that people have died in and have a tough time in. It’s not okay. We’re in a real, abandoned mental hospital. So that would be the punch in the gut for me.”

Despite the creepy location, the actor says he wishes he could go back and relive the experience of making the film. His time with his fellow cast members and the experience of working with director Josh Boone is one he won’t soon forget.

He also thinks that all of the delays and various setbacks have actually managed to bring the film to theaters at the perfect time.

“I’m glad it’s coming out in a moment where we’re understanding this pandemic a little more,” Zaga said. “We understand the guidelines a little better. We couldn’t’ have released this in April of this year. In a weird way I think it’s coming out at a perfect time. We’ve been quarantining so long and these characters in the movie are quarantining in a secret institution in the middle of nowhere. Maybe the world is finally ready for us.”

We here at iHorror are certainly ready to see The New Mutants, and it’s out in theaters today! Check out the character video for Henry Zaga’s Roberto da Costa below and let us know if you’ll be watching in the comments.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Movies

The Original ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel Had an Interesting Location

Published

on

beetlejuice in Hawaii Movie

Back in the late ’80s and early ’90s sequels to hit movies weren’t as linear as they are today. It was more like “let’s re-do the situation but in a different location.” Remember Speed 2, or National Lampoon’s European Vacation? Even Aliens, as good as it is, follows a lot of the plot points of the original; people stuck on a ship, an android, a little girl in peril instead of a cat. So it makes sense that one of the most popular supernatural comedies of all time, Beetlejuice would follow the same pattern.

In 1991 Tim Burton was interested in doing a sequel to his 1988 original, it was called Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian:

“The Deetz family moves to Hawaii to develop a resort. Construction begins, and it’s quickly discovered that the hotel will be sitting on top of an ancient burial ground. Beetlejuice comes in to save the day.”

Burton liked the script but wanted some re-writes so he asked then-hot screenwriter Daniel Waters who had just got done contributing to Heathers. He passed on the opportunity so producer David Geffen offered it to Troop Beverly Hills scribe Pamela Norris to no avail.

Eventually, Warner Bros. asked Kevin Smith to punch up Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian, he scoffed at the idea, saying, “Didn’t we say all we needed to say in the first Beetlejuice? Must we go tropical?”

Nine years later the sequel was killed. The studio said Winona Ryder was now too old for the part and an entire re-cast needed to happen. But Burton never gave up, there were a lot of directions he wanted to take his characters, including a Disney crossover.

“We talked about lots of different things,” the director said in Entertainment Weekly. “That was early on when we were going, Beetlejuice and the Haunted MansionBeetlejuice Goes West, whatever. Lots of things came up.”

Fast-forward to 2011 when another script was pitched for a sequel. This time the writer of Burton’s Dark Shadows,  Seth Grahame-Smith was hired and he wanted to make sure the story wasn’t a cash-grabbing remake or reboot. Four years later, in 2015, a script was approved with both Ryder and Keaton saying they would return to their respective roles. In 2017 that script was revamped and then eventually shelved in 2019.

During the time the sequel script was being tossed around in Hollywood, in 2016 an artist named Alex Murillo posted what looked like one-sheets for a Beetlejuice sequel. Although they were fabricated and had no affiliation with Warner Bros. people thought they were real.

Perhaps the virality of the artwork sparked interest in a Beetlejuice sequel once again, and finally, it was confirmed in 2022 Beetlejuice 2 had a green light from a script written by Wednesday writers  Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. The star of that series Jenna Ortega signed on to the new movie with filming starting in 2023. It was also confirmed that Danny Elfman would return to do the score.

Burton and Keaton agreed that the new film titled Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice wouldn’t rely on CGI or other other forms of technology. They wanted the film to feel “handmade.” The film wrapped in November 2023.

It’s been over three decades to come up with a sequel to Beetlejuice. Hopefully, since they said aloha to Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian there has been enough time and creativity to ensure Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice will not only honor the characters, but fans of the original.

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice will open theatrically on September 6.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Continue Reading

News

Russell Crowe To Star in Another Exorcism Movie & It’s Not a Sequel

Published

on

Maybe it’s because The Exorcist just celebrated its 50th-anniversary last year, or maybe it’s because aging Academy Award-winning actors aren’t too proud to take on obscure roles, but Russell Crowe is visiting the Devil once again in yet another possession film. And it’s not related to his last one, The Pope’s Exorcist.

According to Collider, the film titled The Exorcism was originally going to be released under the name The Georgetown Project. Rights for its North American release were once in the hands of Miramax but then went to Vertical Entertainment. It will release on June 7 in theaters then head over to Shudder for subscribers.

Crowe will also star in this year’s upcoming Kraven the Hunter which is set to drop in theaters on August 30.

As for The Exorcism, Collider provides us with what it’s about:

“The film centers around actor Anthony Miller (Crowe), whose troubles come to the forefront as he shoots a supernatural horror movie. His estranged daughter (Ryan Simpkins) has to figure out whether he’s lapsing into his past addictions, or if something even more horrific is occurring. “

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Continue Reading

Movies

New F-Bomb Laden ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Trailer: Bloody Buddy Movie

Published

on

Deadpool & Wolverine might be the buddy movie of the decade. The two heterodox superheroes are back in the latest trailer for the summer blockbuster, this time with more f-bombs than a gangster film.

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Movie Trailer

This time the focus is on Wolverine played by Hugh Jackman. The adamantium-infused X-Man is having a bit of a pity party when Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) arrives on the scene who then tries to convince him to team up for selfish reasons. The result is a profanity-filled trailer with a Strange surprise at the end.

Deadpool & Wolverine is one of the most anticipated movies of the year. It comes out on July 26. Here is the latest trailer, and we suggest if you are at work and your space isn’t private, you might want to put in headphones.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Continue Reading