The Godfather of horror films, Wes Craven, is back with The Hills Have Eyes II. Wes and his son/co-writer Jonathan joined The Muse for a phone interview last week to discuss their latest project.

The Muse: What made you want to write a sequel?

Wes: It was really a combination of the massive fan interest in the first film and this idea for a new twist on the story. We thought it would be a great idea to see how a government agency would react to the same situation.

Jonathan: In the last movie, the horror came from the idea these things could happen to a family. This one takes it up a notch in terms of horror and fear because it shows how a close military family can suffer the same fate.

The Muse: Did the current events influence the political aspects of the script?

Wes: None of us wanted to make a purely political film, but there is a powerful idea of American kids getting involved in situations they never could have prepared for.

The Muse: What was it like working together on this movie as a father and son team?

Jonathan: I’ve had a lot writing partners and even with the small amount of time we had to create the script, I’ve never had a smoother writing experience

Wes: It was a really great experience to work together and I think we created a great story.

— Mary Vitale, Muse Staff Writer