Interviews
#SDCC Roundup: ‘Blair Witch’, “Walking Dead”, “Evil Dead”, and “Preacher”
San Diego Comic-Con proved to be a big weekend for horror. It helps that so many shows on television are horror. Bates Motel cast Rihanna as Marion Crane. I actually interviewed the casts and creators of Walking Dead, Ash Vs. Evil Dead and Preacher below. On the movie side, three horror movies screened: Lights Out, Don’t Breathe and one big surprise I’ll get into below. Here’s a roundup of the biggest Comic-Con stories.
Blair Witch Reveal
It was enough that Lionsgate was screening the new Adam Wingard/Simon Barrett movie at Comic-Con. The team that brought us You’re Next and The Guest had a new movie titled The Woods. When the movie started with text of Burkittsville, MD and some very familiar climactic footage of an abandoned house in the woods, we all knew what it was before they mentioned Heather and the Blair Witch. By the time it was over, the true title Blair Witch was revealed.
Bravo to Lionsgate for committing to marketing The Woods as a huge misdirect. The movie delivers as a standalone and a follow-up to The Blair Witch Project and you know Brad loved it. He’s quoted all over the trailer too.
The Walking Dead Promises New Zombies
After seven seasons, how can The Walking Dead keep it fresh? Even George Romero only made six zombie movies. The show’s producer Greg Nicotero told us in a press conference that season seven will feature walkers unlike any we’ve seen before.
“We also don’t want to see the same zombies every single episode,” Nicotero said. “So my team and I spend a lot of time just finessing things and fine tuning things. We did a walker on Wednesday on set and my guys were like, ‘This is my favorite walker we’ve done ever since the beginning.’ They still bring the same enthusiasm to the job and that’s critical. I would’ve thought at some point that they were like, ‘F***, do we have to do another zombie?’ But they’re still in it and they’re still committed every day.”
The show also revealed a glimpse of Ezekiel in a new trailer, and Shiva the tiger, which Robert Kirkman promises is a CGI tiger. Maybe it’s Richard Parker from Life of Pi. And no, they still won’t say who Negan shot in the finale.
Ash Vs Evil Dead Goes Back to Evil Dead 2
Starz did a panel for season two of Ash Vs. Evil Dead, and we interviewed Bruce Campbell, Lucy Lawless and producer Robert Tapert. Tapert, part of the original Evil Dead films with Sam Raimi, said there’s a scene this season that mirrors Evil Dead 2. With Ted Raimi guest starring it was even more deja vu.
“Bruce and Ted and myself found ourselves back in 1986 in the exact same scene, at the exact same moment going, ‘Oh my God, what has happened to our life?,” Tapert said.
Those still hoping for an Evil Dead 4 will have to wait. Campbell hopes to do at least five seasons of Ash Vs. Evil Dead. “I wish we could’ve done this a long time ago because that’s the only way you can get to inhabit a character,” Campbell said. “It’s not making a movie every decade. It’s doing him every day for weeks and weeks and weeks, season after season. I hope we get five seasons out of this because there’s so much I feel like we can do with the character.”
Campbell assures fans that they’ve topped even the record breaking amount of blood from season one. This was a bit of a shock to guest star and TV veteran Lee Majors. “I think we did [top it] because there’s more characters to get it,” Campbell said. “Lee Majors had his first experience with blood and he’s like, ‘What the hell is this?’ You can’t predict what it’s going to be like if you’ve never done it before. I know what it’s like to get slimed so it was a big eye opener. So yeah, we had more characters, more opportunities to bloody them all, so we did.”
Lawless previewed a subplot where Ruby would team up with Kelly (Dana DeLorenzo). “There’s a bit of firepower going on, girl power,” Lawless said. “They go on a rampage so [Ruby]’s kind of brought into the fold which just means you get shot with a lot more mucous. You get vomited on, you get blood, brain matter. That means you’re in the game, you’re in the family. We’ll see how that goes.”
Tapert also spoke to figuring out what an Evil Dead TV show would be. After season one, they have a much clearer idea. “I can say from a creative point of view, the show was harder than I ever thought it would be,” Tapert said. “I think we were all surprised that it was hard. Hard adapting these small movies into television shows that want to cram as much as you can in a half hour. So it was a real clash of what works in horror which was telling a small story in a very elongated fashion as opposed to a very big story in a compacted fashion. That’s been a creative challenge.”
Preacher Creators Debate Religion
Even with only two episodes left to air this season (now only one when this story publishes), Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg wouldn’t talk about what’s coming in the finale or season two. Or maybe they did. This sounds like they’re joking, but you never know on Preacher.
“Space,” Rogen said. “We’re going to space. No, we can’t tease anything.”
Goldberg added, “We can’t say anything more than space and time travel.”
More substantially, they discussed dealing with religion on the series. The dark, violent adaptation of Garth Ennis’s comic features characters from heaven and hell. The main character is a preacher who uses a cosmic power to make people follow his word. Goldberg made a good point that the show gives a balanced argument.
“The trick to that is just having the argument on screen instead of telling people what we think,” Goldberg said. “Cassidy has his thoughts and Jesse has his thoughts. When they have their arguments, they’re having proper arguments and there’s two sides and they both have valid opinions. That’s kind of how you strike the balance, by having each side go for it as hard as they can but representing numerous sides.”
No one would accuse Preacher of being religious, but at least they’re not calling it sacrilegious. “As long as it feels like you’re exploring an idea rather than telling people your beliefs, I think it’s a lot easier to delve into subject matter maybe some people would think is very hard subject matter to delve into,” Rogen said. “It’s a conversation. It’s not a statement. It’s a dialogue, not a monologue. I think that is hopefully what keeps it from being alienating and what keeps it feeling preachy, for lack of a better word.”
Oh yeah, and Ennis himself was there. He revealed that he is considering writing an episode of the show. “Yes, a provision has been made for me to do so,” Ennis said. “I do have this ongoing feeling that I should just sit back and leave them to it. What they’re doing is so good, but yes, I would like to try my hand at it eventually.”
Interviews
The Work ‘Grind’ Is Hell, So Brea Grant & Ed Dougherty Made a Horror Anthology About It [CFF 2026 Interview]
Genre fans rejoice! Chattanooga Film Festival is back for its 13th year in 2026 with a killer lineup and once again offering audiences both in-person and virtual options. After having its World Premiere at SXSW this spring, the horror comedy anthology Grind is playing CFF 2026 opening weekend.
From a screenplay by Brea Grant (Torn Hearts, 12 Hour Shift) and Ed Dougherty (MLM) and segments directed by Grant, Dougherty, and Chelsea Stardust (Satanic Panic), Grind features four interwoven stories that parody the gig economy, hustle culture, and the evils of late-stage capitalism.
The anthology follows weary everyday people juggling side hustles just to survive, while going up against greedy oligarchs, and cleverly uses dark humor and bloody practical effects to portray a world much like our current economic nightmare.
Bloody Disgusting had the pleasure of chatting with Brea Grant and Ed Dougherty about the socioeconomic commentary in Grind, casting Barbara Crampton as a villain, and DIY filmmaking.
Bloody Disgusting: Every segment in this anthology feels relatable because people are actually struggling to survive in the gig economy right now. How did the two of you come up with the idea of creating Grind?
Brea Grant: Like you said, we were trying to come up with a cool idea that seemed relevant right now. The thing that everyone we know is talking about is the economy, the lack of work, and the nightmare hellscape that is late-stage capitalism. It felt like the right time to write something that really featured that as the main horror. As the main thing that people were scared of, this world sort of came to us over the course of a couple of years.
Ed Dougherty: We wanted to make a hit film, and we said, “Let’s make a horror anthology, that’s the most marketable thing there is.” [laughs]
BG: [laughs] Definitely not!
BD: I love anthologies!
ED: We do, too. We feel like it’s kind of an undervalued form of horror film, but it’s a hard sell.
BG: People told us not to make it. They said, “Don’t make an anthology. It’s too hard to sell.” But we did it anyway.
BD: I guess I’m just one of those weirdos who likes anthologies and watches them all.
ED: We believe that there are a lot of weirdos like you out there. It seems like every good horror anthology has a long life, but it’s just getting over the initial hump that’s difficult.
BD: Chelsea Stardust directed some of the segments with the two of you and serves as a producer. How did she first get involved with this project?
BG: The project has a long history. We shot the first segment, which is about multi-level marketing, a couple of years ago. We had decided we wanted to make a full anthology, but it took us about a year after shooting that initial segment to shoot the rest of the movie. When we did that, we knew we needed to bring on a producer aside from Ed and me, since we were directing the bulk of the movie, so that was how she came on board. I’ve been friends with her for a long time, and the one thing I know about her as a friend is that she is very organized, so it felt like a good fit. I just called her one day and said, “Would you want to produce these three segments that we have left to shoot of Grind?” and she came on board.
BD: There are some fun cameos in Grind, but we have to talk about Barbara Crampton. She’s so good as a villainess. Why did you want her for this role, and what was it like working with her on this film?
BG: She’s in her villain era, which is so fun. [laughs] Obviously, we’re huge Barbara Crampton fans, and when we were making MLM, it was a smaller part of the movie that we knew we needed to call on people who could do a good job but were also friendly to us [laughs]. I’m friends with Barbara Crampton, and we’ve done three movies together before this. So, it felt like someone within our reach, but could also really draw a horror crowd. She has a huge fanbase, and she’s also super supportive of all the projects that she’s been in, so that was also really exciting. She’s a great actress, and she’s super funny. I think a lot of these horror actresses, especially those who came up in the eighties and nineties, weren’t given an opportunity to be funny. I think she was ready to jump on an opportunity that was different than what she was used to; it’s not running around and screaming. She is a cult leader, and she is quite funny in it. She just takes the comedy so well and seriously, and she does such an amazing job with it. She has a scene across from Rob Huebel, who is obviously a comedy master, and I feel like the two of them together were hilarious. It’s been fun to watch Barbara go from these iconic roles to a different kind of role at this point in her career. We’re super happy to be a part of that.
ED: And she loves the movie and has been so supportive. Every time she posts about it, I’m like, “I can’t believe this. This is amazing.”
BD: This is an accurate parody of the current socioeconomic situation in this country, as well as our obsession with online culture. It repeatedly asks the question, “What are you willing to do to make money,” in a world with wealth inequality and evil oligarchs. It’s fun, and it’s a horror movie, but it’s thought-provoking. What do you hope audiences take away from Grind, besides having a good time?
ED: I read every review and every Letterboxd review; Brea does not. So, I’ve seen it all. I’ve seen some reviews that say, “Good movie but doesn’t propose a solution.” I think we do propose a solution, which is that the power of unions and organizing is the only way that we will be able to fight back against oligarchs. I do think that is the message of the film. Organizing is the only way to defeat these villains. I do think we have a lot to say in the film. I’d want someone to say, “Man, I’ve never seen a horror anthology that had a political message before.” [laughs]
BG: I think the other thing is that what is currently happening is that we live in a world in which people kind of feel alone in this. They’re like, “Well, I’m doing bad, “or “I’m having trouble paying my rent.” We wanted to hang a lantern on the fact that this is happening to everyone, that wealth disparity is at an all-time high. We’re pointing out to people that you aren’t in this alone; you’re not the only person doing side hustles. Every filmmaker friend I have is working a side job of some sort at this point, and that is just in Los Angeles. Outside of this city, I think things are more dire. I think it was about infusing some politics into something that could make people realize that they aren’t alone and that there are ways of fighting back and fighting the system that has been set up against them.
ED: I think the tone of the movie, which is darkly comedic, also really matches the tone of life right now. Everything seems almost at a parody level as far as the disconnect between oligarchs and trying to make a living and reality. The absurdist nature of the film kind of captures the real tone of life.
BD: There are some cool creature effects and makeup effects in this movie. Can you talk a little bit about the practical effects and makeup?
ED: I think especially because of the message of the film, which is pushing back against the current hellscape we’re in, we wanted to use as many practical effects as possible. We used matte paintings, miniatures, and practical creature effects. I’m always afraid of the matte painting because we used the old school matte painter, but they do look a little AI. I heard someone make a noise behind me during one of the shots, and I was like, “I hope that noise wasn’t them using AI because that’s a matte painting.” [laughs] There’s also the fact that it’s pretty DIY. It’s a film that we financed ourselves and shot in our houses as much as possible. We wanted the whole thing to feel handmade and very tactile.
BG: We’re old school horror fans, so we love seeing practical effects. The practical stuff is really fun for us. It’s the stuff that we think is actually cool. [laughs] So, practical stuff made the most sense for us. We both grew up in the punk scene in the nineties, and I think it just kind of comes naturally to us to try to do things ourselves. And we both work on projects for big companies, with smaller companies, but always for other people, so trying to do something ourselves to see what that felt like was also part of the experiment of Grind.
ED: This was our chance to do everything we wanted our way.
Grind screens at the Chattanooga Film Festival on June 20.
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