If anyone has launched onto the horror scene and made a name for themselves in the last few years, it’s director Rob Savage. The British filmmaker – along with collaborators Jed Shepherd and Gemma Hurley – struck on a genius idea in lockdown to conjure up Zoom seance hit Host, before following it up with the controversial, confrontational DASHCAM. Made with spit, sawdust, and considerable ingenuity, those films marked the arrival of a considerable new talent. And now, Savage is stepping up to the big-time with Stephen King adaptation The Boogeyman – his first major Hollywood movie.
But if you thought Savage heading to LA might see a softening of his signature scares, think again. “You’ve got to try and make a classic movie,” he tells Empire of his aim with The Boogeyman. “And I think this is the scariest movie I’ve ever made. I think this is scarier than Host.” Now that is a big claim. Despite its perhaps generic-sounding title, Savage set out to make something that horror fans will talk about for years to come. “I’ve been at stuffy industry parties, and everyone’s been asking me, ‘What have you been up to?’” he says. “And I say, ‘I’ve just made The Boogeyman.’ And you can see the look of disappointment in their eyes. There’s something about reclaiming that title and making a movie that could be considered the definitive take on this character; to take what could be a relatively stupid title, and make an absolutely terrifying, iconic movie out of it.”
Drawing from a King short story, the tale of The Boogeyman is a terrifying one, stemming from David Dastmalchian’s shifty Lester Billings. “He comes to visit a therapist, and spins this story of a creature that’s been lurking in the darkness of his home, preying on his kids,” Savage explains. “And with Lester’s appearance, this creature seems to infect the household of the therapist, including his two children. They’re still grieving the loss of their mother, and they’re a prime target for this creature, which seems to feed on human misery and discord and live in the shadows of your subconscious.” Sweet dreams, everyone.
Read Empire’s full The Boogeyman feature in the upcoming June 2023 issue, on sale Thursday 13 April. Become an Empire member now to access the issue in full on launch day, or pre-order the issue online now here. The Boogeyman comes to UK cinemas from 2 June.