Although his new movie is a remake, James Watkins thinks audiences will be satisfied with his take.
The Speak No Evil director recently explained that his Universal remake of the 2022 Danish psychological horror by Christian Tafdrup, which premieres Sept. 13 in theaters, is a “fun” and unique update on the film that he compared to “a great roller coaster ride.”
“There’ll be people that see the original movie and go, ‘Why hasn’t he remade that movie? Why hasn’t he made this incredibly punchy, unrelenting ending?’” Watkins told SFX Magazine.
“But I would argue, with my characters and their journey, I’m following through their journey in terms of agency and how they would react,” he added. “What I’ve taken from Christian’s film is the satire, the exploration of the social rules, and how we react.”
The 2022 satirical thriller, co-written by Christian and wife Mads Tafdrup, follows a Danish family on vacation to Tuscany, where they quickly bond with a Dutch family. Months later, they accept an invitation to visit their new friends in the Netherlands, but the stay quickly becomes uncomfortable.
James Watkins poses in the IMDboat Exclusive Portrait Studio at San Diego Comic-Con 2024 on July 27, 2024 in San Diego, California. (Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for IMDb)
Watkins’ remake stars Mackenzie Davis and Scoot McNairy (reuniting a decade after Halt and Catch Fire premiered on AMC) as an American couple who spends a terrifying weekend with their daughter (Alix West Lefler) at the idyllic country estate of a British family, played by James McAvoy, Aisling Franciosi and Dan Hough.
The director also changed one of original film’s most poignant scenes. “I’ve made an incredibly bleak movie before, so I didn’t feel I needed to make another one,” he explained.
“You can give people an incredibly tense roller coaster ride that has thematic nourishment and things to take away and talk about in the pub, but it can be fun.
“People need fun… Fun in inverted commas,” added Watkins. “I’ve sat with audiences and people come out of this absolutely rinsed, like you would on a great roller coaster ride. I wanted to make a film that is tense and has people screaming at the screen.”