News

Interview: Justin Min on Life, Death, and Family in Netflix’s ‘The Umbrella Academy’ [SPOILERS]

Published

5 years ago

March 14, 2019

If you ask Justin Min what sets The Umbrella Academy, based on the Dark Horse comics written by Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance, apart from other superhero movies and series we’ve seen in recent years, he’ll tell you that, at the end of the day, it’s because it isn’t about superpowers at all.

The actor, who plays Ben Hargreeves in the Netflix series, contends that what really draws viewers in is its relatability.

“It’s not about all the craziness they find themselves in,” he pointed out in a recent interview. “It’s about family. I think, no matter who you are, you can relate to the dynamics of a family and even a dysfunctional family. I love that our show highlights the underdogs and the people who don’t really have their lives together who can still come together to do good.”

It was this crazy, dysfunctional family dynamic that ultimately drew the Asian-American actor to the project, though he admits he did not even know what he was auditioning for when the process first began.

Justin Min a Ben Hargreeves in *The Umbrella Academy*

In fact, from the first audition, he was, in a sense working blind. He had been given fake scenes to audition with, even during numerous callbacks. It wasn’t until after he had booked the job and was a week out from getting on a plane to fly to Toronto to begin filming that he was finally given the title of the show and his character.

Min practically flew out of his home to the local comic store to gather as much information about his character as he could only to discover what was perhaps the biggest shock of all.

“Lo and behold I found out he [Ben] was dead,” he said, laughing. “I was even more confused. I had no idea what was going on.”

It wasn’t until he finally arrived in Toronto to join the rest of the cast when he had the chance to speak with writer Steve Blackman that things began to come together for him.

Ultimately, he points out that this worked in his favor because he, along with the show’s writers, were able to build the character from the ground up with some of that development coming well into the shooting schedule for the series.

Through a bit of retconning and tweaking to the original plotting of the comics, the showrunners had given new life, or rather a new afterlife, to Ben. Of course it helped that Klaus Hargreeves, played by the delightful Robert Sheehan, happened to be a medium!

Justin Min Robert Sheehan — Ben (Justin Min) and Klaus (Robert Sheehan) in *The Umbrella Academy* on Netflix. (Photo by Netflix)

Still, the fact that Ben was only there in spirit presented its own challenges to filming.

“It’s really funny because there were multiple times where we would have to re-shoot scenes because one of the other actors made eye contact with me or ‘see me’ when they weren’t supposed to,” he explained.

This dynamic allowed him to really work on developing the relationship between himself and Sheehan, whom he refers to as the “perfect partner in crime,” during the shoot. Ben is still Klaus’s brother, even in death, but he is also is some ways Klaus’s conscience.

“We thought it would be interesting to see how the fans would react” he said. “If they would think that Ben was a ghost or functioning as Klaus’s conscience. Our characters are very much extensions of who we are as people. When Robbie, on or off set, would do something hilarious, I would just roll my eyes and laugh at him.”

That dynamic came in handy shooting with Sheehan, and Min admits that many of their scenes together contain various improvisations from the Irish actor.

Neither Ben nor Klaus were ever entirely comfortable with their powers in The Umbrella Academy, at least in part because there seemed to be so little they could do to control them.

Ben, who was also known as The Horror while he was still alive, went through a horrific transformation each time his powers manifested with giant, lethal tentacles springing from his body that could easily kill everyone in a room.

“I thought it was so ironic that this character known as The Horror who has these monsters under his skin is actually the shyest and sweetest of the group,” Min said. “He doesn’t enjoy being a superhero and he really doesn’t want the attention. I just wanted to create a character that would be memorable enough that the audience would believe that because of his death, the entire family split apart.”

Justin Min Umbrella Academy — Even as a teenager, Ben, far right covered in blood, was uncomfortable with his powers. (Photo by Christos Kalohoridis/Netflix)

Looking back on the project now that it has been released and become a sensation among fans old and new, Min’s gratitude is almost overflowing for a multitude of reason, not the least of which was the fact that The Umbrella Academy showcased some diversity in its casting.

“It’s one of the issues that I’m most passionate about as an Asian-American actor and I couldn’t be more grateful to the creative team and for Gerard who has admitted this was one of the things he wanted to change most,” he said. “A diverse cast that represents the world we live in today? I think that diversity is still lacking in the superhero genre space so it was really exciting.”

He’s also excited for the extended family he gained by working on The Umbrella Academy pointing out that there was an instant chemistry between all of them, and that even when the cameras stopped rolling, it still felt like they were a great big family.

The Umbrella Academy is currently streaming on Netflix, and while it isn’t official yet, there are rumors that the announcement of a season two is imminent and both Blackman and Way have commented on their hopes that the show will continue.

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Movies

‘The Strangers’ Invaded Coachella in Instagramable PR Stunt

Published

14 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Renny Harlin’s reboot of The Strangers isn’t coming out until May 17, but those murderous home invaders are making a pit stop at Coachella first.

In the latest Instagramable PR stunt, the studio behind the film decided to have the trio of masked intruders crash Coachella, a music festival that takes place for two weekends in Southern California.

This type of publicity began when Paramount did the same thing with their horror movie Smile in 2022. Their version had seemingly ordinary people in populated places look directly into a camera with an evil grin.

Harlin’s reboot is actually a trilogy with a more expansive world than that of the original.

“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said producer Courtney Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”

The movie follows a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who “after their car breaks down in an eerie small town, are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers: Chapter 1 the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.”

The Strangers: Chapter 1 opens in theaters on May 17.

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Movies

‘Alien’ Returning to Theaters For a Limited Time

Published

15 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Timothy Rawles

It’s been 45 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien hit theaters and in celebration of that milestone, it is headed back to the big screen for a limited time. And what better day to do that than Alien Day on April 26?

It also works as a primer for the upcoming Fede Alvarez sequel Alien: Romulus opening on August 16. A special feature in which both Alvarez and Scott discuss the original sci-fi classic will be shown as a part of your theater admission. Take a look at the preview of that conversation below.

^{Fede Alvarez and Ridley Scott}

Back in 1979, the original trailer for Alien was kind of terrifying. Imagine sitting in front of a CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube) at night and suddenly Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score begins to play as a giant chicken egg starts to crack with beams of light bursting through the shell and the word “Alien” slowly forms in slanted all caps across the screen. To a twelve-year-old, it was a scary pre-bedtime experience, especially Goldsmith’s screaming electronic musical flourishes playing over scenes of the actual movie. Let the “Is it horror or sci-fi?” debate begin.

Alien became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with kid’s toys, a graphic novel, and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also inspired dioramas in wax museums and even a frightening setpiece at Walt Disney World in the now-defunct Great Movie Ride attraction.

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The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. It tells the tale of a futuristic crew of blue-collar workers suddenly awakened out of stasis to investigate an undecipherable distress signal coming from a nearby moon. They investigate the source of the signal and discover it’s a warning and not a cry for help. Unbeknownst to the crew, they have brought a giant space creature back on board which they find out in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.

It is said that Alvarez’s sequel will pay homage to the original film’s storytelling and set design.

_{Alien Romulus}

^{Alien (1979)}

The Alien theatrical re-release will take place on April 26. Pre-order your tickets and find out where Alien will screen at a theater near you.

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News

Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton Returns with a New Friend, Plus New Life-Size Prop from Spirit Halloween

Published

17 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Cameron McFarland

Halloween is the greatest holiday of them all. However, every great holiday needs amazing props to go with it. Luckily for you, there are two new amazing props that have been released, which are sure to impress your neighbors and frighten any neighborhood children who are unfortunate enough to wander past your yard.

The first entry is the return of the Home Depot 12-foot skeleton prop. Home Depot has outdone themselves in the past. But this year the company is bringing bigger and better things to their Halloween prop lineup.

This year, the company unveiled its new and improved Skelly. But what is a giant skeleton without a loyal friend? Home Depot has also announced that they will release a five-foot tall skeleton dog prop to eternally keep Skelly company as he haunts your yard this spooky season.

This bony pooch will be five feet tall and seven feet long. The prop will also feature a posable mouth and LCD eyes with eight variable settings. Lance Allen, Home Depot’s merchant of decorative Holliday gear, had the following to say about this year’s lineup.

“This year we increased our realism within the animatronics category, created some impressive, licensed characters and even brought back some fan favorites. Overall, we are most proud of the quality and value we are able to bring to our customers with these pieces so they can continue to grow their collections.”

But what if giant skeletons just aren’t your thing? Well, Spirit Halloween has you covered with their giant life size Terror Dog replica. This massive prop has been ripped out of your nightmares to appear frighteningly on your lawn.

This prop weighs in at almost fifty pounds and features glowing red eyes that are sure to keep your yard safe from any toilet paper throwing hooligans. This iconic Ghostbusters nightmare is a must have for any fan of 80s horror. Or, anyone who loves all things spooky.