Ciaran Foy is one of Ireland's most gifted young directors and with one just feature-length film under his belt, he's already tipped for big things.
His second film, the follow-up to 2012's Sinister, sees Foy team up with horror powerhouse Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill for another stab at the franchise. We talked to Ciaran about his first film, Citadel, how he managed to snag the directing gig for Sinister 2 and some of the influences he tapped for making Sinister 2.
1. There's a rumour that Blumhouse contacted you about taking this job via Twitter? Is that true and what can you tell us about the early stages of development?
Yes, I follow the director of the previous Sinister (Scott Derrickson) on Twitter and in Janurary 2014 he tweeted that he'd just seen this movie, Citadel, on Netflix and he was raving about how much he loved it. I replied to that tweet and just said "Thanks!". So then he started following me and DM'd me questions about Citadel - what was my schedule, what was it like working with kids, what was the budget? etc. Then he said he thought I'd be the perfect director for Sinister 2 and would I like to read the script. He had been looking for a director for quite some time and he couldn't do it himself due to commitments to Marvel for Doctor Strange. So that's how it came to me. I read the script a little apprehensively that it would just be a quick cash-in sequel that just repeated the first movie with a different character, but what surprised me was how different and unexpected it was. It expanded upon the mythology and the drama of these twin brothers (played by real twins Robert and Dartanian Sloan) and their mother (Shannyn Sossamon) was gripping. So, later that year on was on a plane to Los Angeles to meet the producers and in August we shot the movie in Illinois.
2. Your last film, Citadel, was very much an original work whereas Sinister 2 is, obviously, a sequel. How do you approach someone else's work, considering you're coming from an independent background with something original?
I think one of things that led Scott to thinking I was a good choice was my aesthetic sensibilities and tastes. We share a number of similarities but we are also very different directors. So that gave him a confidence that I could certainly make this feel a part of the same universe but I was free to bring my own flair to it too. Otherwise what's the point in doing it? If I had been asked to do direct a sequel to Tucker and Dale Versus Evil, I simply couldn't have done it. That movie is one of my favourite horrors of the last few years, but it's not close to my aesthetic sensibilities. So I approached Sinister 2 like I'd approach any work - you need to find a personal way in, a connection to the characters that you can relate to. I don't suspect I'll write everything I direct and some of my favourite movies were not written by the director. So the approach is the exactly the same.
3. Do you see yourself continuing in the horror genre for the time being? What have you got lined up next?
I'm developing both a sci-fi and another horror. The horror is set in Ireland and the sci-fi would require a bigger budget. Sci-fi and horror are why I wanted to be a filmmaker. When those genres are treated with respect and intelligence, you get my favourite movies.
4. What films did you watch during or pre-production?
Well the first Sinister obviously. I watched horrors where I felt the kid performances were great, like The Devil's Backbone and Let The Right One In. I watched Night of The Hunter for lighting references and The Mothman Prophecies for composition and sound design / score. And then all my favourites for other influences and inspiration - movies that have little to do with the genre or exact tone you are trying to create - early Spielberg, some Polanski, Hitchcock, Fincher, Raimi etc. I always try watch a movie a night in pre-production.
Sinister 2 is in Irish cinemas on August 21st.