SciFiNow - 06.2020

ANTLERS

Of Myths And Monsters

W W W.SCI FI N OW.CO.U K |^049

it as the public health issue it is, we’re going

to continue to see drug epidemic after drug

epidemic. I set this in a rural town for a

reason, because those are the ones that

are most being ravaged. Essentially

Americans are dying from what we call

‘deaths of despair’.”

Bursts of disturbing gore and the

occasional jump scare are effectively

handled. The creation of the monster was

seeded from ideas concerning the pillaging

of natural resources and the impact of

other things, we wanted to include all of

those things that you would believe would

come out of a mine because they strip

mountain tops, they build these mines and

take all the resources.”

Certain visuals recall del Toro’s early work

from The Devil’s Backbone, with sickly, pale

and innocent children anxiously waiting for

help and tragically affected by things that

are out of their control. The abusive family

elements are not only prevalent in young

Lucas’ story but also presented as friction

between Julia and her brother Paul, which

was something Cooper added in his rewrite.

“I wanted the film to feel as grounded as

possible while also using light supernatural

feelings. I wanted the story to work even if

there was no Wendigo. Which is difficult to

do, because you’re taking a drama about the

breakdown of the nuclear family, addiction,

child endangerment, sibling separation, and

then you’re also drawing to make a horror

film, and on top of that a monster film.

“Any time I had anything that dealt

with the supernatural I would always ask

Guillermo for his opinion. He let me make

the film I wanted. Any questions I had [I’d

ask him because] who better to learn from

than Guillermo? Monsters are his life. He

has more connection to monsters in films

and just in his general everyday life than I

ever will.”

Antlers will be released later in 2020.

Scott Cooper wanted the

film to feel grounded.

Julia and Paul are

concerned about Lucas.

environmental disaster. “I worked with

some Native American advisors to better

understand the Wendigo,” explains Cooper.

A mythological beast born out of desperate

times that turned to cannibalism and which

in the film, feeds on the despair and flesh

of the vulnerable. “Guillermo and I, and his

regular team, created the Wendigo’s look.

We wanted it to feel like it was born out of a

mine, like an iron or coal mine, something

that has embers. Because we’re using it as

a metaphor for avenging nature, among

046-049_SFN_170 Antlers.indd 49 18/03/2020 08:14

ANTLERS

Of Myths And Monsters

W W W.SCI FI N OW.CO.U K |^049

it as the public health issue it is, we’re going

to continue to see drug epidemic after drug

epidemic. I set this in a rural town for a

reason, because those are the ones that

are most being ravaged. Essentially

Americans are dying from what we call

‘deaths of despair’.”

Bursts of disturbing gore and the

occasional jump scare are effectively

handled. The creation of the monster was

seeded from ideas concerning the pillaging

of natural resources and the impact of

other things, we wanted to include all of

those things that you would believe would

come out of a mine because they strip

mountain tops, they build these mines and

take all the resources.”

Certain visuals recall del Toro’s early work

from The Devil’s Backbone, with sickly, pale

and innocent children anxiously waiting for

help and tragically affected by things that

are out of their control. The abusive family

elements are not only prevalent in young

Lucas’ story but also presented as friction

between Julia and her brother Paul, which

was something Cooper added in his rewrite.

“I wanted the film to feel as grounded as

possible while also using light supernatural

feelings. I wanted the story to work even if

there was no Wendigo. Which is difficult to

do, because you’re taking a drama about the

breakdown of the nuclear family, addiction,

child endangerment, sibling separation, and

then you’re also drawing to make a horror

film, and on top of that a monster film.

“Any time I had anything that dealt

with the supernatural I would always ask

Guillermo for his opinion. He let me make

the film I wanted. Any questions I had [I’d

ask him because] who better to learn from

than Guillermo? Monsters are his life. He

has more connection to monsters in films

and just in his general everyday life than I

ever will.”

Antlers will be released later in 2020.

Scott Cooper wanted the

film to feel grounded.

Julia and Paul are

concerned about Lucas.

environmental disaster. “I worked with

some Native American advisors to better

understand the Wendigo,” explains Cooper.

A mythological beast born out of desperate

times that turned to cannibalism and which

in the film, feeds on the despair and flesh

of the vulnerable. “Guillermo and I, and his

regular team, created the Wendigo’s look.

We wanted it to feel like it was born out of a

mine, like an iron or coal mine, something

that has embers. Because we’re using it as

a metaphor for avenging nature, among