The long-awaited release of The Cabin in the Woods is finally over as the film hits theatres this week. The project, which had initially wrapped filming in 2009, was delayed indefinitely after MGM filed for bankruptcy; it eventually sold to Lionsgate, resulting in its release nearly three years later.
Fans of horror and Cabin producer Joss Whedon have braved a painful wait, a wait far more excruciating for the cast and crew themselves. MUSE sat down with cast members Kristen Connolly and Fran Kranz (who portray characters Dana and Marty, respectively) to talk about the production– and the wait.
On the three years of anxiety, Connolly humorously remarked that “We’re all gonna be like the Golden Girls walking on the red carpet [when the film releases].”
Kranz stated, “I didn’t lose faith, but you definitely sometimes feel like the crazy person talking about Cabin in the Woods.”
How was it auditioning for a reputable writer/producer? Kranz shed a little light on the subject by elaborating upon an on-set conversation with producer and co-writer Joss Whedon during the filming of Dollhouse, another of Whedon’s projects in which Kranz was involved.
“Joss pulled me aside one day and was like ‘Hey, you did a really awesome job with your reading. I want you to read with Drew,” quotes Kranz of Wheadon. “When I read the script, it was painful. I realized what a major opportunity I had. The idea of not getting the part was so painful and so scary.”
Kranz opened up on the horror genre itself. “I’m such a horror film fan. It’s everything you could ask for in a fun crazy entertaining movie. It’s that and then some. I was a mess. I couldn’t believe I might get this.”
Before his directorial debut in Cabin, both Kranz and Connolly had common ground in working with Drew Goddard, (Cloverfield, Lost) a common Whedon collaborator. “He [Goddard] loves these movies. Everything was impeccably detailed. He gave us a lot of guidance, and let us play a lot within that. He would come and he’d go ‘Guys. This is so awesome. Let’s do another take just for fun,’” recalled Conolly.
“[Goddard’s] passion was contagious. You’d never know he was a first-time director,” Kranz added. “He has such an encyclopedic knowledge of horror. You were always confident that he would get what he wanted. It was never a question of experience with him. [Drew] That was inspiring, to be around people that cared and to have a great project and a great script.”
Goddard’s emotional investment in the film was also a centerpiece of the discussion. Kranz elaborated on the last scene of the film, commenting that, “Drew was just so involved with that last scene when we were filming it. It was a hard thing to move on to because it was one of the last days of shooting.”
What impact will Cabin have on the horror genre as a whole? “It was fun just to get into that mindset, you know? There’s kind of great history of horror films. It’s a great genre. It’s a part of film,” Kranz said. “Cabin, I think, is kind of a horror film unlike any other. It kind of transcends the genre. I hope it sets a new standard for horror films.”
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