Actor Max Thieriot, who you may know from 2008’s Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (just kidding), makes a big splash this weekend as the lead in Wes Craven’s My Soul to Take, a supernatural teen horror film that harkens back to the director’s A Nightmare on Elm Street days. Thieriot stars as Bug, a teenage boy who is unknowingly the son of an infamous, long-dead serial killer known as the “Riverton Ripper”. B-D recently chatted with the young thesp, who spoke about signing on for the role a mere ten days prior to the start of production after original lead Henry Hopper dropped out, his feelings on the 3-D post-conversion, and working with horror master Wes Craven. See inside for the full interview.
Bloody-Disgusting.com: This is being released in a really crowded month for horror movies. What do you think sets it apart from other films coming out this month?

I think what’s interesting is that it’s different from a lot of films that are coming out right now, in the way that this movie isn’t all about the killing, and the blood, and the gore and stuff. This movie kinda has a whole underlying story underneath it all. It’s got this coming-of-age kind of story, and it’s got a lot of psychological stuff with it too, which I think is really cool. This sort of different stuff that’s going on in a few people’s heads and stuff, which is kinda neat. So I think it’s definitely different from a lot of the stuff out there, which I think makes it neat.

B-D: I’m assuming that since it’s R-rated, there are some pretty bloody deaths in here.

There are, there’s some great blood dustings…my favorite is…there’s a scene where this blood keeps spraying all over these feet. And that for me, was probably my favorite part. But definitely, there’s plenty of blood in there. Everyone likes blood. It’s kind of got that old-school slasher aspect in there, and knife stabbings, and stuff like that. So there’s some of that cool old-school stuff along with some new-age blood mixed in that people will really like, I think.

B-D: This is your first horror movie, right?

It is, yeah.

B-D: Were you a fan of the genre before you signed on?

I was a fan, but I didn’t really ever see myself doing a horror movie, just because I’d never really thought about it. I watched a lot of horror movies growing up as a kid. I was always a big fan of `Scream’ and of course `Nightmare on Elm Street’. But I was also a big fan of like `Leprechaun’, and Chucky, and `The Exorcist’. Those are my top five right there.

B-D: Talk about working with Wes as a director.

Working with Wes is amazing. You know, at first I didn’t really know what to expect, you know? This guy who kind of created all these horror masterpieces and huge icons in the horror genre. And his name, his name just kind of stands out to me. Like [when] we were meeting, I really had no idea what to expect. Honestly he’s really just a great, sweet, nice, extremely smart human being. He was super insightful. He knows so much about not just horror but just the film industry, and all the tricks and everything behind film in general, that I really learned a lot from.

B-D: Just in its general description, the movie sounds like a cross between `Scream’ and `Nightmare on Elm Street’. It has supernatural elements like `Nightmare on Elm Street’, but it’s also like `Scream’ more about a mystery in that you’re not sure who’s committing these murders.

That’s right on. Yeah, it has this supernatural thing that’s going on, but at the same time you don’t know who it is, you don’t know if it’s someone…you really have no idea what’s going on. Who the killer is, what the killer is. So that’s kinda neat. And it has that same feeling, you know, that ensemble cast…it kinda has a little bit of both in there, along with some new Craven stuff, so it’s cool.

B-D: You came onto the project after the original lead dropped out. So how close to production were they when that happened?

About ten days before.

B-D: So was that pretty intense preparing for it in only ten days?

It was pretty intense. You know, I flew out to New York and met Wes…basically met with him here in New York City, and he was like, `alright, we’re gonna do this.’ And I went straight to Connecticut from there. So I kinda had to have people send out my clothes and everything. I kinda had to jump right into it, you know? Jump right into figuring out what this guy is like, and what’s going on in his head at certain times…it was definitely tough. It kinda all happened so fast, but I think it worked out.

B-D: Talk about your character more. I know he’s the son of the Riverton Ripper though he doesn’t know this. From what I understand he’s been having nightmares since he was a kid?

Yeah, he has these nightmare, and migraine headaches, and all this stuff kinda goes on with him…he doesn’t know about this past and stuff…he kinda starts off as being really scared all the time and kind of nervous, has these dreams, and all this stuff. And he really takes a big step in the film in that by the end of it, it’s like he’s transformed so much as a character, as a person, and in the beginning he kinda can’t deal with anything, all of the sudden he’s got the weight of the world on his shoulders. He’s dealing with these problems…they’re much bigger than anything he ever imagined.

B-D: What were your feelings on the 3-D post-conversion when you first heard about it?

Initially, honestly I was confused and I didn’t know why, and stuff. But you know, Wes sent me an email explaining basically that this is kind of the way that the film industry is going, you know? And I saw it in 3-D, and I think it’s really neat, I think the way that the D.P. [Petra Korner] shot the film too, and how shit lit it and everything, the film’s also really beautiful in a sense. And a lot of the way she lit it, and a lot of stuff in the film, a lot of stuff really pops out. And stuff with the knife, with the Ripper’s knife, and all this stuff, is really cool. I was actually really pleasantly surprised about the 3-D, to be honest. I actually enjoyed it more than I [would’ve thought]. I think that was also the first time I’d seen a film other than an animated film in 3-D. In general, I don’t get out to the theaters much. But I enjoyed it, I think people will like it.

B-D: I know there were some pretty extensive reshoots a few months after the film wrapped. Can you tell me what the nature of the reshoots were?

Yeah, I was definitely involved with reshoots. I was there for all of them. Basically, there was stuff that…every time you make a film, you’re so caught up in shooting you don’t realize there’s things you’re missing, small things here and there. You know, key elements or points of the film that you need to verify or something didn’t work out. And of course, you always have problems with sound and stuff. But other than that, you know, the film kinda changed a bit from what it originally was. I know people can get scripts online…it became kind of a little more supernatural…I think Wes [did] some rewrites and changes and stuff, and I think all of his decisions were awesome, and I think all they did was improve the film. I think now at the end of the day, they really have it at a point where they really like it, and they’re really happy with the way everything turned out and the decisions they made.

B-D: A lot of Wes’ films have an element of comedy. How serious is this film, and how much levity is there to break up the tension?

Yeah, there is some of that comedy. Wes likes to put some of those humor moments in there, they’re definitely…in this film. Wes really writes his characters from where you kind of…you can really relate to a lot of the people. And I think it kind of connects the audience and the viewer more with the characters, which brings you to like them more, which makes it a little more interesting. It kinda makes it so you have more of a hand in the whole thing that’s going on. But there’s some humor, there’s a lot of different aspects. Like I said, I think this movie, underneath it all, there’s really a story, other than just killing, which I think is cool.

B-D: It seems like this is an attempt of creating a new slasher icon with the Ripper. Have they talked to you at all about the series continuing on if this one is successful?

Wes and I talked about it when we were shooting…obviously, all that really kinda hinges on how the film does. But there’s definitely sequel potential in the film, for sure. When you see it, you’ll see…I think it would be great, to watch him come up with something. The man’s a genius…I think it’d be neat.

B-D: What kind of kills can we expect? Is there anything more creative, or is it more your standard stabbings?

I can’t really give out a whole lot of info on that, but definitely the knife is his signature weapon.

B-D: What can we expect about the look of the Ripper that we wouldn’t know from the trailers?

I think people really like how he looks. He’s kinda like this dark, scary figure. I mean, Wes really always has a way of making these icons in the horror genre. So I think that the Ripper definitely has the potential of being one of those. He’s got a really interesting look, and definitely a frightening look to him. I think the knife is really cool and stuff…you know, Wes has created so many icons that I think the Ripper could potentially obviously be another one.