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At that time on speaking about working with Leigh Whannell, James Wan and the cast of the Insidious films she stated: “I hope to keep these people close to my heart and a creative force for a long time.” True to her word and five years on, she returns once again for the fifth entry in the franchise, Insidious: The Red Door which is directed by and stars Patrick Wilson as Josh Lambert. The film sees Josh’s son Dalton (Ty Simpkins) head off to art college to battle literal and metaphorical demons.

We spoke to Shaye about returning to the franchise, reuniting with Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne, the importance of family in horror movies and her interest in art…

Was there anything in particular that persuaded you to return to the franchise, or was it an easy decision?

It was a very easy decision! I love Elise. I love the people involved. Knowing Patrick and Rose [Byrne] and Ty were there. I’m in! I would go anywhere with those people, even on a Ferris Wheel! There are so many elements that make you want to do a film or a play or whatever and it usually has to do with story or your character but it also has to do with the people.

There’s nothing I wouldn’t do with those guys. Patrick is really a force of nature. He is just really incredible. Watching him, even just in this last film, being the director and giving me some notes about something we were doing… we were doing that very last scene which is an important scene in the film, and just like that he turned on Josh! I got chills watching him. That’s how he is in terms of transformation. He goes from one thing to another with such ease and such commitment. And Rose is like that too. She is just the sweetest human being you would ever meet. Those are prizes to work with.

The Insidious franchise really digs into family dynamics. I think the reason the franchise is so popular is because the films do something similar to Poltergeist by making you care so much about the family aspect that you’re terrified for them – why do you think they are so loved in horror circles?

I think you just said it. It’s because it’s relatable. Everyone has a family, even if it’s a fractured family. Even if it’s a family of friends or family of blood relatives. That community or that pod of security that we all try to gather around ourselves.

We somehow need the pressure of that community to keep us feeling well and I think you seek that. When that’s part of a film or part of a storyline you’re attracted to that in a way, too, because you identify with the needs that they have and to what happens to them.

It was very smart of James [Wan] when he…I don’t even think he thought about it like that because James is a very warm, family person and really a brilliant guy. When he developed that first family, the whole beginning of the film is that the family is in jeopardy. They’ve got a baby and there’s a baby crying… those are all cosmic sounds that penetrate us in a very certain way. I think that’s part of the attraction.

The atmosphere and look of the film is very inspired by classic art, including Saturn Devouring His Son, by Francisco Goya. Are there any pieces of art that strongly speak to you or inspire you in some way?

Yes! I was actually an art history major in college. When you mention Goya and you mention Francis Bacon… there are scenes of horror in particular that are interpreted by great artists that are very powerful. The Scream is a classic. I mean everybody’s afraid of that painting! It evokes things in people that nothing else quite does. I guess that’s great art.

My dad actually started painting when he was in his 50s. I have pieces of his that inspire me so that has a personal connection which is great art also. There’s something that penetrates you visually. I remember going to the Rembrandt museum in Amsterdam and you just can’t walk away. It’s almost unnerving. I’d find myself walking away and then I’d be back. And the same thing with Van Gogh.

That to me is great art – to be able to penetrate anyone and everyone who takes the time to look. And I think that’s the big clue about life; you have to take the time to look and let it enter you.

Insidious: The Red Door will be in cinemas on 7 July.

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Asleep for much of the film with his dad Josh (Patrick Wilson) battling for his soul, Simpkins sported a range of delightful pyjamas including a matching pair of monkey and banana ones with his mum, Renai (Rose Byrne). It was a delightful touch from the pair behind the film, director James Wan and writer Leigh Whannell, and one that has stuck with fans of the franchise.

So the pressing question has to be: Does he still have those pyjamas? Simpkins laughs at this, saying, “I remember them being very comfy. I don’t remember if I got to keep those ones in particular. There were a lot of pyjamas and I did keep some of them but I can’t remember if I kept the banana and monkey ones. Those were my favourite though. Would I still wear them now? If they were a lot bigger then yes, I would!”

For the fifth entry in the franchise Insidious: The Red Door, directed by Patrick Wilson in his feature debut, Simpkins returns as Dalton who is heading off to art college. The family are now fractured, with Josh and Renai separated, and the film explores a tumultuous father-son dynamic.

Wilson has reunited the original cast which says a lot about the kind of relationships formed on this horror franchise, and Simpkins reveals he was first handed the outline for the film (written by Leigh Whannell) when he was still in high-school.

Patrick Wilson is also in great spirits when we speak to him via zoom from New York, and is particularly passionate about why he decided he wanted to make this film. It was a labour of love carved from the original outline that he has been working on for years. It’s also a film where, just like in The Conjuring 2, he couldn’t resist exercising his famous vocal cords, so don’t jump out of your seat at the end as Wilson belts out his version of Shakespears Sister ‘Stay’ – which he performs with metal band Ghost – over the closing credits.

When he brought the outline to screenwriter Scott Teems, he explained what he wanted for the film: “I want to talk about fathers and sons. I want to talk about the violence of men. I wanted to make Dalton an art student. I picked all these themes that I knew I related to.

“I went to a theatre school, I know what it’s like to have someone grill you to be the best you and all this stuff that happens at an art school where you’re trying to get to the truth of who you are. What a great metaphor for a coming-of-age story for a kid battling his own demons that we all battle in college… his are just actual demons.”

Alongside the original cast, a new character appears in the form of Dalton’s college roommate, Chris, who provides humour amid all the horror. Newcomer Sinclair Daniel takes on the role, and explains to us why she did: “I’m a long-term fan of this series and I think that Chris is such a cool character for these dark and heavy stories. She’s light and bright and I was excited to bring that into these movies.”

Indeed, for his feature debut, Wilson is playing with light and dark in both metaphorical and technical terms. “I wanted daylight scares. I will tell you some people did not want me to have daylight scares! But I wanted a different feel for this. I wanted to keep the audience guessing.

“Look, things at night are scary, we get that, and we get a lot of that, especially in the Insidious world. We are also going into the dark and into The Further so I knew we always had that. This whole movie really is about light and dark. So if I have these scares in the darkness I really wanted it in the daytime as well. That presents a different challenge as a director.”

He continues explaining, “I love In the Mouth of Madness. There’s a scene in that I love where the guy with the axe is coming across the street. You see that? It’s not scaring you, you see him coming the entire way but it’s also terrifying because you don’t expect him to come through the window. And he comes through the window!

“I wanted to open the door for Insidious movies and just do different stuff. I’m never gonna repeat the guy behind my back; James [Wan] has put people behind my back for a long time so… that’s probably one of the best scares ever in a horror movie… so I wanted to do something different.”

Insidious: The Red Door will be in cinemas on 7 July.

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Directed by Patrick Wilson, we’re once again going behind the red door in Insidious: The Red Door, for the final installment of the horror franchise.

Check out the final trailer…

The movie follows Josh and a college-aged Dalton, who must go deeper into The Further than ever before to put their demons to rest once and for all. They must face their family’s dark past and a host of new and more horrifying terrors that lurk behind the red door.

The original cast from Insidious is back with Patrick Wilson (The Conjuring) making his directorial debut. He’s joined by Ty Simpkins (Jurassic World), Rose Byrne (Spirited), and Andrew Astor (Insidious). The movie also stars Sinclair Daniel (One December Night) and Hiam Abbass (Hellraiser).

It is produced by Jason Blum (The Hunt), Oren Peli (Paranormal Activity), James Wan (Malignant) and Leigh Whannell (The Invisible Man).

The screenplay is written by Scott Teems (Halloween Kills) from a story by Leigh Whannell, based on characters created by Leigh Whannell.

Insidious: The Red Door will be in cinemas on 7 July.

Watch more trailers at the SciFiNow YouTube channel.

The post Insidious: The Red Door final trailer shows terrifying conclusion appeared first on Sci-Fi Tips.

Check out the new poster above and watch the trailer here…

The movie follows Josh and a college-aged Dalton, who must go deeper into The Further than ever before to put their demons to rest once and for all. They must face their family’s dark past and a host of new and more horrifying terrors that lurk behind the red door.

The original cast from Insidious is back with Patrick Wilson (The Conjuring) making his directorial debut. He’s joined by Ty Simpkins (Jurassic World), Rose Byrne (Spirited), and Andrew Astor (Insidious).

The movie also stars Sinclair Daniel (One December Night) and Hiam Abbass (Hellraiser).

It is produced by Jason Blum (The Hunt), Oren Peli (Paranormal Activity), James Wan (Malignant) and Leigh Whannell (The Invisible Man).

The screenplay is written by Scott Teems (Halloween Kills) from a story by Leigh Whannell, based on characters created by Leigh Whannell.

Insidious: The Red Door will be in cinemas on 7 July.

Watch more trailers at the SciFiNow YouTube channel.

The post Insidious: The Red Door: Original cast return for the terrifying next chapter appeared first on Sci-Fi Tips.