'scaring People Is Addictive': The Creator Of 'wolf Man' And 'saw' On Monetizing Your Nightmares

"Scaring group is addictive — it's an addictive drug."

So says Leigh Whannell, nan caput and co-writer of nan caller movie Wolf Man, which opens connected Jan.17. I saw an precocious screening, and if you want to adhd immoderate nightmares to your playlist of boring dreams, I highly impulse checking it retired yourself. This is simply a earnestly freaky return connected nan classical furry beast. Teen Wolf it ain't.

Horror movie fans cognize Whannell arsenic nan co-creator of Saw and its iconic main character, that nosy connection feline Jigsaw. Whannell's extended movie credits too spot penning nan caller Invisible Man remake starring Elizabeth Moss, nan Insidious franchise, and a ton of different gore-tastic stuff. The man really knows really to make an effed-up flick.

I said pinch Whannell astir Wolf Man and his blood-curdling occupation connected nan caller conception of How Success Happens. I wanted to find retired really he's gotten truthful damn bully astatine monetizing panic and too to inquire him constituent blank, "What nan hellhole is incorrect pinch you?" Listen to nan afloat reside beneath aliases connected nan level of your choice. Enjoy nan nightmares!

On monetizing terror

" Well, location was ne'er a determination to monetize terror. After I vanished movie school, wherever I met Saw co-creator James Wan, he and I were dedicated scary fanatics, but we surely didn't spot immoderate money successful it. We conscionable wanted to make a film, and nan scary genre is not only 1 we love, but it's too truthful friends to first-time filmmakers and low-budget filmmakers. You don't petition a personage to play nan lead. You don't petition a batch of whizbang effects — scary is point that you tin do connected a shoestring budget. And we proceed to emotion scary and we conscionable kept going. Scaring people, I guess, is nan aforesaid emotion that a comedian gets erstwhile they get a really ample laugh. I personification dragged an involuntary audible consequence retired of value beings without their consent! To me, a shriek and a laughter are conscionable different sides of nan aforesaid coin. It's very addictive. It's an addictive drug."

Related: 'I Lost My Mind': Erin Andrews Explains What It's Like to Be successful nan Middle of nan Taylor Swift Effect

On freaking himself out

" There personification been a mates of moments successful nan early days of penning these films wherever I was like, 'I petition maestro help.' But pinch fictional characters, you tin termination them disconnected without guilt. I get to execution group and not personification to net a penalty, truthful it's a batch of fun. And pinch Wolf Man,  I was reasoning astir what I hadn't seen pinch this characteristic — I felt for illustration it needed point a mini spot new, a mini driblet of caller blood. I wanted to make point really terrifying and intense."

On moving connected from nan Saw franchise

"It is very different to personification sat successful my enclosure successful Melbourne, Australia, and created a character, and past this constituent that I've created now belongs to different people. If I spot a advertisement for different Saw movie that I had point to do with, that is simply a very different experience. I tin only liken it perchance to watching your kid clip disconnected nan nest and spell connected and do something. You're like, 'Well, I brought this personification into nan world arsenic champion I could, but now they're connected proceedings for execution aliases they're nan CEO of a Fortune 500 company!' It's like, 'You're your ain person, but I had a batch to do pinch you existing.' There personification been moments wherever I don't emotion wherever nan franchise has gone, but I consciousness for illustration it doesn't beryllium to maine anymore. This happens a batch successful nan movie world. You create something, but you don't often ain nan authorities to it. It's a very different experience, but look, it's not a bad experience. The Saw movies mean a batch to people, truthful I'm thankful. I astir apt wouldn't beryllium sitting coming talking to you if those movies hadn't made their measurement into people's hearts, you know?"

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About How Success Happens

Each conception of How Success Happens shares nan inspiring, entertaining, and unexpected journeys that influential leaders successful business, nan arts, and sports traveled connected their measurement to becoming family names. It's a reminder that down each big-time career, location is simply a personification who persisted successful nan look of self-doubt, failure, and point different that sewage thrown successful their way.