Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Barbarian

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘Barbarian’ Director Explains Film’s Title

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘Barbarian’ Director Explains Film’s Title

    Barbarian, an inventive new horror film from the mind of Zach Cregger, continues the longstanding tradition of giving spooky movies a one-word title. From Us to It to Misery, there are countless mononymous thrillers with a whole lot of meaning packed into only a few syllables. Ever since Barbarian was announced, internet sleuths have done their best to crack the code and figure out just how the title relates to the plot. However, according to the director, they may never truly get an answer.

    In an exclusive interview with Murphy’s Multiverse, Cregger was asked if he could break down exactly how his latest directorial effort found its name. The creative, who also wrote the film, began by stating he enjoyed the mystique of not giving a direct answer. Luckily, Cregger did decide to explain the moment “Barbarian” was selected as the project’s label and how that impacted the movie going forward:

    I think it’s an intriguing title. I like the idea that when the movie is over it could inspire a debate as to what it’s referencing. There’s been a lot of theories online about how I probably landed on it. None of them are especially accurate. [laughs] Truth be told, I had to name the document something when I saved it the first time. I was writing the script and I had to write something to save it, or it was going to be called ‘Untitled Screenplay’, and so I wrote ‘Barbarian’ and then I got attached to it. Then the more I wrote… maybe the movie just sort of wrapped itself around that title. I’m really happy with it. I think it’s the right title, but it is mysterious.

    Zach Cregger

    After it was pointed out that most of the film takes place at 476 Barbary St., which feels like a potential play on the movie’s title (“Bar-bar-y-an”), Cregger conceded that might have been done on purpose. He elaborated, giving his most solid answer:

    I think that was probably what I was thinking. The first time I started writing, I named the street “Barbary Street”. So that probably was in my head. Like ‘Barbarian’, an inhabitant of this place.

    Zach Cregger

    Barbarian hits theaters on September 9th.

  • Zach Cregger Explains the Origin of ‘Barbarian’

    Zach Cregger Explains the Origin of ‘Barbarian’

    Barbarian is one of the year’s great mysteries. Aside from a few vague hints in the film’s marketing, nobody really seems to know what’s going to happen before the credits roll. The only definite is this – a woman is forced to confront a rather uncomfortable situation when the AirBnB she booked turns out to be inhabited by a complete stranger. Once she goes inside, all metaphorical Hell breaks loose, in a story crafted by the mind of director Zach Cregger.

    During a recent press conference promoting the movie, Cregger detailed how the basic premise came to be. He explained it was a specific chapter in a book that lead him to his original idea:

    I had read a book called the Gift of Fear by the security consultant, Gavin de Becker. There was a chapter in the book that was really primarily directed towards women and he was encouraging women to pay attention to these little minor red flags that men can give off in day-to-day situations. They can be very innocuous things that you might not notice. Things like complimenting you when it’s not necessarily appropriate or doing you a favor that you didn’t ask for or touching in a nonsexual way that’s not initiated by you. All these little things that seemingly don’t matter, but he was basically saying the gift of fear, it’s important to pay attention to these little red flags because you’re equipped with that to identify potential threats.

    Zach Cregger

    He continued, elaborating on how the selection grew to become an epiphany:

    As I was reading it, I just kind of had this epiphany that I don’t ever have to think about that kind of a thing, because I’m a man and because I have this level of privilege where I just don’t have to consider that half the population might be somebody that means to do me harm for no reason. I just realized I occupy a completely different psychic landscape than most women do. It was kind of a big moment for me.

    Zach Cregger

    It was at this point that Cregger formulated his film, taking the concept of red flags and stretching it into a feature-length script. From there, Cregger claims, the story began writing itself. The creative couldn’t give much more information without entering spoiler territory, but it’s still interesting to hear how a seemingly innocuous book excerpt could spiral into one of the year’s most unexpected movies.

    Barbarian hits theaters on September 9th.

  • ‘Barbarian’ Star Georgina Campbell on Working with Bill Skarsgård

    ‘Barbarian’ Star Georgina Campbell on Working with Bill Skarsgård

    Barbarian has a lot going for it, and that includes a bonafide horror star in Bill Skarsgård. The actor, who reached international fame for his portrayal of Pennywise the Clown in the most recent It adaptations, has been a major selling point of the film’s marketing. Working alongside him is Georgina Campbell, who achieved recognition with roles in projects like Black Mirror and His Dark Materials. During a recent press conference in support of Barbarian, the actress was asked what it was like to act with Skarsgård – with whom she shares plenty of scenes. Her response was nothing but positive:

    Well, honestly, it was just really exciting. I was very excited when I got the job. And then when I heard that Bill Skarsgård was going to be in it, and Justin Long, I was like, “Oh my God.” Jesus Christ, I’ve got to bring my A-game. So, I was just so excited when I met him. I’m a really huge fan of all of his work, and he’s just a dream to work with. He’s a really charismatic, charming guy. So, it’s very easy in those early scenes to kind of slowly be charmed by him. And also, we had just met each other, and then we went into a scenario where two people had just met each other. So, it’s quite easy in that situation to just let it naturally flow, and also naturally, as we are filming it, we are getting to know each other personally, as well as in work. So, it just kind of all worked really well, which, yeah, I’m glad I love those scenes at the beginning of the film

    Georgina Campbell

    Director Zach Cregger also commented on the pair’s natural chemistry, mentioning a scene in the film where both characters have to interact for a long period of time. According to the filmmaker, much of the scene was improvised, and the good vibes lasted even after the cameras stopped rolling. Hopefully, audiences are able to pick up on the duo’s success when Barbarian hits theaters on September 9th.