Universal Pictures’ newest horror release Abigail is now obtainable to watch on-demand at dwelling, for these who missed it in theaters or wanted to wait for a scary film evening in. The kidnapped vampire ballerina romp directed by Radio Silence filmmakers Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin is a bloody bonkers ride that does not hold back, and is a have to-add to watchlists.

The directors not too long ago sat down with io9 to speak about reinventing Universal Monsters lore and functioning with their killer ensemble, such as Alisha Weir (Matilda) as Abigail, the ballerina vampire, alongside a motley crew of heist thieves led by Melissa Barrera (Scream). The cast also characteristics Dan Stevens (Godzilla x Kong), Kathryn Newton (Lisa Frankenstein), Giancarlo Esposito (The Mandalorian), Angus Cloud (Euphoria), William Catlett (Black Lightning), and Kevin Durand (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes). We did get into some spoilers, but there’s a warning beforehand for everyone who hasn’t observed the film however.

Sabina Graves, io9: When you guys had been announced as creating an as-however untitled Universal Monsters film, I was like, “What is this going to be?” What was the approach with Universal—do they have a Universal Monsters bible with all the classic mythology in their canon? Did you evaluation various components of the IP? And what created you settle on the threads of Dracula’s daughter to eventually use as a jumping-off point to do your personal issue?

Tyler Gillett: What we discovered definitely early on with Universal was that for as significantly as they worth and enjoy these pretty certain monsters and these properties, they’re also definitely interested and excited to get a new method or take on what these classic monsters may possibly be. Even pre-dating Abigail, we went in to pitch a Creature From the Black Lagoon film, and we had been like, “Look, we enjoy the original. We’re not definitely positive what a [different] version of it is that is not The Shape of Water. So we’re going to pitch you guys one thing that feels like it is perhaps inspired by [Creature].” We pitched this original film that ended up getting sort of adjacent concepts in it, but with a entirely new creature. They had been like, “Yes, we enjoy that and enjoy that monster.” So I sort of say that in a way of framing just how interested and excited they are by original concepts.

And so although we had been in the writing of that, this script—called Abducting Abigail at the time—already existed at Universal. It definitely was at its core the concept of what we went out and created. It is a heist film that gets hijacked by a vampire film. And it was just a different instance of the studio loves the globe of these monsters, but they’re attempting to discover a new way into into that lore. The complete way along the approach, Universal was excellent about just steering us into the most original and exciting and exciting version of what the film and that monster could be.

io9: Some of my favourite scenes involve the introduction the ensemble cast. They all worked definitely effectively. I loved how we got Melissa Barrera as Joey reading them in what felt like a pretty Hitchcockian way. Can you speak about the casting for the film and your ongoing collaboration with Melissa? 

Matt Bettinelli-Olpin: So glad to hear you like that scene, due to the fact that for us was the initial day of shooting. We had just gotten to meet everyone and get to know them, and they had been receiving to know each and every other. This was like a run and gun issue for us. We had been on a plane a couple weeks immediately after Scream six came out and we had been casting as we had been going—and Melissa was the initial piece of that puzzle. Since a single of the points that we loved about the script was that the characters are type of unknown by design and style each and every single actor brought a ton of concepts and a ton of contributions to what these characters eventually turn into. We joked on-set a lot that it is like we’re creating Breakfast Club, but a horror film. You fall in enjoy with them even even though they’re terrible, and the initial issue you see them do is kidnap a 12-year-old, you know? But they all have so significantly humanity that it comes via, even when they’re becoming total assholes. I feel there’s just one thing in that alchemy that we really feel like we got definitely fortunate with this cast.

Gillett: Yeah. I feel speaking especially to that scene exactly where Joey calls every person out—we say all the time that that is the scene in the film when the film type of casts its spell on the audience. There’s true characters in this, and this is definitely about a dynamic amongst all of these incredible, weird, wacky folks.

io9: For positive. And I feel it type of sets that tone, to type of make the pretty, violent and humorous moments for these characters be all the much more true and operate.

Gillett: So thank you for saying that. I feel it is an quick issue to say, “Well, just get to the vampire shit,” and all of that does not it does not operate if you do not invest time falling in enjoy with the folks who are in peril. And even if you do not, even if they are antiheroes and they’re all morally bankrupt—caring about them, and what occurs to them, is why that portion of the film operates.

Bettinelli-Olpin: That is the thing we talked about a lot—Alien as a structure that we type of followed. Tyler and I each, a single of our favourite scenes in Alien, in any film, is when they’re all sitting about the table speaking and you are receiving to know these folks. Getting in a position to do something that even, like, remotely emulates that concept of “let’s place the characters at the forefront of this movie” is one thing that was definitely appealing to us, and also one thing we had been afraid of.

io9: Was there ever a point exactly where you didn’t want to reveal that the monster was a vampire ballerina in the trailers? A lot of folks had been like, “Why did you give it away?” Certainly often that is not up to you—or did you see that reaction to a vampire ballerina as what lured folks in?  

Gillett: I feel it is with each and every film, there’s generally sort of a sliding door moment exactly where you go, “Man, what what would this version of the advertising and marketing have been and how would that have played out?” We knew going in that Alisha (Weir) in that costume covered with blood was going to be so iconic that there was just no way it wasn’t going to be utilised. There was no faster way to promote the tone and the crazy sort of absurdity of the film than to use that image. It felt like it was quite clear that it was like going to be the stickiest issue. And then I feel eventually what that meant is that it was our job to make all of the scenes that come ahead of and immediately after that twist—which is not necessarily a twist, if you have observed it and if you observed it in the trailer—really matter, and be exciting and critical to the story.

io9: Awesome. And just to touch on a huge spoiler right here. I’m surely telling on myself, I believed Dan Stevens was going to be Dracula or the father character. And when Matthew Goode shows up as the dad at the finish, it was hilarious to see him due to the fact of the Downton Abbey connection. Was that on objective? But also what created Matthew Goode the great selection for that character, and can you confirm if it is Dracula or not?

Gillett:  We can confirm that he was Dracula in preceding drafts of the script.

Bettinelli-Olpin: We eventually decided that we didn’t want to place that fine a point on it, that it didn’t pretty match the story that we had been telling. But we nonetheless wanted the father to come in and have a lot of a lot of grace, but a lot of gravitas. You had to pack a lot into a pretty smaller quantity of time as a character that is been constructed up as this mythical crime boss. And I feel for us, Matthew just hit that target due to the fact he’s so sophisticated, he’s so classy, but he’s also scary and a small weird. And that all comes via in such a such a streamlined way, the way he enters the scene. He’s in a position to do so significantly in such a quick period of time. And the truth that we have two Downton Abbey guys was an immediately after believed that was like, “Okay, that is type of funny.” How has Downton Abigail not been created? But Matthew came in, only shot for a day, but it was a true privilege to get to operate with him due to the fact he was amazing.

io9: Yes, and I was nonetheless happily fulfilled to see Dan as a vampire due to the fact he gave Close to Dark Severen (Bill Paxton’s character) vibes.

Gillett: When we had been shooting that scene, I imply, [Stevens’] reveal post Lambert [Giancarlo Esposito’s character]’s explosion, we had been like, we just went complete Close to Dark with this unintentionally. But it is a single of these points exactly where you are like, “Oh, the influence is so in us” that we couldn’t assistance but spend homage in some way.

Bettinelli-Olpin: When the blood turns his glasses into sunglasses, primarily, we had been like, “Oh, right here we are. Close to Dark, we’ve arrived.”

Abigail is now obtainable to personal or rent on digital from Universal Photographs Household Entertainment.

Want much more io9 news? Verify out when to count on the newest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s subsequent for the DC Universe on film and Television, and all the things you will need to know about the future of Physician Who.