Zach Cregger on Comedy and Horror, Swearing Off IP, Pitching J-Law, and Handling Hollywood Power
The Town with Matthew BelloniSummary
Zach Kreger, a former sitcom actor turned horror filmmaker, reflects on his unexpected rise in the entertainment industry. After years of working in comedy, Kreger transitioned to directing and writing horror films, achieving significant success with titles like "Barbarian," "Weapons," and the recently released "Resident Evil," which has grossed nearly $400 million globally. Kreger attributes his ability to blend comedy and horror to the similarities in eliciting emotional responses through timing and tone, emphasizing that both genres rely on a careful buildup and payoff.
Kreger discusses the challenges and pressures of working with established intellectual properties (IP) like "Resident Evil," noting that the expectations from fans can overshadow the film itself. He expresses a desire to focus on original stories, feeling liberated by the creative freedom they offer. As he prepares for his next project, a sci-fi thriller titled "The Flood" starring Jennifer Lawrence, Kreger remains committed to crafting narratives that resonate with his artistic vision rather than merely chasing commercial success.
Throughout the conversation, Kreger highlights the importance of maintaining a protective space for creativity, emphasizing that personal time and relaxation are vital for artistic inspiration. He also reflects on the collaborative nature of filmmaking, valuing input from actors and crew members to enhance the final product. As he navigates the upper echelons of Hollywood, Kreger remains focused on storytelling and the joy of creation, rather than the pressures of box office performance.
Show Notes
The Town College Film School is back with a visit to LMU, where Matt sits down with filmmaker Zach Cregger ('Barbarian’, ‘Weapons’, ‘Resident Evil') to discuss his transition from comedy to horror, whether he prefers IP or original material, his philosophy on screenwriting, the benefits of working with smaller budgets, pitching Jennifer Lawrence on his new film, the difference between good and bad studio execs, and more (02:11).
Host: Matt Belloni
Guest: Zach Cregger
Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Stefano Sanchez
Theme Song: Devon Renaldo
The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit https://fanduel.com/playwithaplan to learn more about the resources and helplines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
More from The Town with Matthew Belloni
Matt is joined by legendary showrunner Chuck Lorre to discuss his new memoir ‘Sitcom’, the heyday of network television, the decline of the general sitcom and if it can be revived, working with difficult people, how to build a perfect writers room, replacing Charlie Sheen with Ashton Kutcher on ‘Two and a Half Men’, working with Les Moonves, leaving Scientology (02:50). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about Universal Studios (31:55).
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss why Elon Musk invested $1 billion in the new Skydance mega studio, if the new Hollywood superpower is a threat to Netflix, and if any streamer has a shot competing against YouTube (02:47). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the World Series ratings (18:42).
The Town College Film School is back with a visit to USC, where Matt and Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw are joined by writers-producers-directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller ('Project Hail Mary', 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse', '21 Jump Street') to discuss making ‘Project Hail Mary’, how they work together as a director duo, why the 'Spider-Verse' movies take so long to make, the difference between good and bad studio executives, getting fired from ‘Solo’, their thoughts on the state of 'Star Wars', and more (01:57).
Matt is joined by Jason Brenek, CEO of Fathom Entertainment, to discuss why the creators of the new big-budget animated film 'Wildwood’ are bypassing a traditional studio to distribute and market the film with Fathom Entertainment instead. They get into the growing popularity of going to the theater for things other than first-run movies, like rereleases, digital creator–led projects, and sports viewing, and what the advantages are of skipping a traditional movie studio to distribute your idea independently. (00:43)
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the big executive shakeup at Netflix, which included the firings of chief content officer Bela Bajaria and head of film Dan Lin. They break down why this happened now, what to expect from new chief content officer Peter Rice, how will this affect Netflix content going forward, and more (02:53). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the new hit documentary ‘You Can See Everything’ (30:20).