Renny Harlin has discussed how hectic filming The Strangers Trilogy was as he juggled all three entries at once.
The Strangers Trilogy Expanding on the Original
In an interview with ComingSoon’s Tyler Treese to promote new movie The Bricklayer, Harlin was asked about shooting three films concurrently.
”It was pretty crazy because we literally shared some of the locations between the three movies. Monday morning, we’re shooting episode two, Monday afternoon we are shooting episode one, and Tuesday morning we are shooting episode three,” Deep Blue Sea and Cliffhanger director Harlin responded. ”So it took tremendous concentration from every department — from wardrobe to make-up to continuity. ’cause I wanted to put a little bit of a different spin and style in every chapter. For the actors, a real challenge [to always be] in the right frame of mind.”
Harlin also explained how the trilogy is something of an expansion on the original 2008 film starring Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman.
”It’s really Madelaine [Petsch]’s story.
It’s kind of a remake of the original. We pretend that the sequel doesn’t exist at all. We just pretend that it’s all based on the original movie, and it’s Madelaine’s story. She survives the first home invasion, barely. Then, it’s her journey. What happens to her after that. All three movies basically take place in five days. It’s a very extreme story of a young, ordinary woman in extraordinary circumstances and what happens to her. It’s also a chance for me — as a fan of the original movie – to look for answers for unanswered questions left open in the first.” said Harlin.
”So, I tried to answer a lot of those and create new questions along the way in the next two. But yes, to answer your question, it was schizophrenic to shoot three movies at the same time. It took a lot from everybody, from the actors to the crew. But I had a great time doing it. I’m a prepared director. I plan every shot beforehand. So, I always have a really clear roadmap in my head. So I hope that will be clear when people are watching the three movies.”
The Strangers: Chapter 1 stars Madelaine Petsch (Riverdale) as a young woman named Maya starting a new life with her fiancé Ryan, played by Froy Gutierrez (Teen Wolf, Cruel Summer). During a road trip stop at a remote vacation rental in the woods, they become the prey of a mysterious gang of masked strangers who attack without warning or reason. Harlin explains that the first film, written by Alan R. Cohen & Alan Freedland, “is close to the original movie in its set-up of a young couple in an isolated environment in a house and a home invasion happening for random reasons.”
The Strangers Chapter 1 is being released on May 17, 2024.
