Exclusive Interview With Director Adam Green On Hatchet III

When talking about successful modern-day slasher films, it's impossible not to mention 2006's Hatchet. Introducing us to the Louisiana legend of Victor Crowley, writer/director Adam Green seamlessly blended grotesque practical effects work, schlocky 80s style slasher camp, and a darkly comedic tone, which is leading many to deem Victor Crowley a horror icon of our time. Spawning a sequel in 2010's Hatchet II, Green returned to Honey Island Swamp with bigger kills, bigger laughs, and and a drive to keep his franchise afloat - which he did with this year's Hatchet III. While Adam decided to pass directorial duties off to camera operator BJ McDonnell this time around, Mr. Green still wrote the script and stayed on as a producer so he could still be heavily involved in production.

AdamGreenKillerPizza-620x314

Recommended Videos

We Got This Covered: Moving on to your future projects, the first one I’m really interested to see what you do with is your adaptation of Killer Pizza

Adam Green: [Laughs] Yeah, me too…

We Got This Covered: So I assume that means you’re still working everything out?

Adam Green: Yeah, I mean the script is done and it’s been done for a while. Originally MGM had optioned the project, I did countless rewrites, and ultimately it came back around to where it was, which is frustrating. The good thing is that it’s a big studio movie, but on one hand the bad thing is that they take forever, and who even knows what’s going to happen. But when you have a powerhouse like 1492, Chris Columbus’ company, once they had enough with MGM’s development, it was totally amicable, but it was like “Let’s call it a day, we’re going to take this back now.” That was awesome, to see somebody stand up for me like that. A lot of people wouldn’t do that. You usually get more of a “Fuck man, this is a big budget movie, we’ve got to get this thing made. It’s a lot of money at stake, if it’s got to be a version we’re not really that happy about, fuck it.” He didn’t do that.

Now the script is back in their hands, and the process will start of thinking up another way to do it. There was a point when we were making Hatchet III that Killer Pizza was set up and ready to go, and that was one of the reasons I didn’t direct this Hatchet – but then it obviously didn’t happen. It’s very common and it’s nothing unusual, I’m just waiting for that phone call again. Every time my phone rings and it’s 1492 I answer “HELLO!” all excited like, but nothing yet. Hopefully soon.

We Got This Covered: I think I know the answer to this already, but what rating are we looking at with Killer Pizza?

Adam Green: Definitely PG-13. It’s in the vein of Ghostbusters and Monster Squad, think a big spectacle summer coming of age movie. I don’t want to say family movie, because it’s dark and scary, but in that Amblin way we used to get in the 80s. Even with a movie like Gremlins, Chris Columbus’ first script of that film was a hard R, it was a violent, sick movie. I love that when Steven Spielberg produced it and made it PG, he still left that stuff in there. The kitchen sequence with the Mom, blender, microwave – that stuff is awesome. You would never see that now.

That’s what we’re going for with Killer Pizza, and that’s what we’re trying to do, so we’ll see. I don’t even know if I’ll be the one who ends up directing it. That’s always been the plan, but I can’t say.

I also have this project called Digging Up The Marrow which I’ve been shooting the last year off and on, which started as a documentary, but then turned into something completely different. We don’t even know where it’s going, we’re just sort of following the movie at this point.

Once I’m done with these last ten days of press and Hatchet III is out, I’m going to take ten days to go heal and recover. Everyone’s asking where I’m going to go on vacation, but I’m just going to my parent’s house so my Mom can make me soup and baby me and heal me because I’m a fucking wreck right now. [Laughs] I’m going to heal, and starting July 1st we’re shooting Digging Up The Marrow every day for the rest of the summer, so expect that to be the next feature of mine that comes out.

*I’d like to thank Adam Green for Skyping in for this interview, and be sure to catch Hatchet III starting June 14th! Oh yeah, also be sure to catch Adam on Season 2 of his FEARnet television series Holliston, which premiered June 4th at 10:00EST.

The show follows Adam and horror pal Joe Lynch playing two down and out aspiring filmmakers struggling with a multitude of life’s problems. This season’s guests include Bill Moseley (Texas Chainsaw), Kane Hodder (Hatchet III), Sid Haig (The Lords of Salem), David Naughton (An American Werewolf in London), Danielle Harris (Halloween IV and V), Bailee Madison (Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark) and James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy), so don’t miss a single week!


We Got This Covered is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more
related content
Read Article ‘Trap’ eyes an August release, and M. Night Shyamalan looks to have something special here
Read Article ‘One-Punch Man’ live-action release window, plot, and more
One Punch Man Saitama
Read Article Latest Marvel News: ‘The Fantastic Four’ casting twist upends everything we thought we knew as Chris Evans’ legacy is confirmed to live on in the MCU
Chris Evans as Human Torch in Fantastic Four
Read Article Review: ‘Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver’ is a nadir for Zack Snyder, and streaming cinema as a whole
1 stars
Read Article Step aside, Anthony Mackie: Chris Evans’ true successor in the MCU has been revealed
Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America in Avengers: Endgame
Related Content
Read Article ‘Trap’ eyes an August release, and M. Night Shyamalan looks to have something special here
Read Article ‘One-Punch Man’ live-action release window, plot, and more
One Punch Man Saitama
Read Article Latest Marvel News: ‘The Fantastic Four’ casting twist upends everything we thought we knew as Chris Evans’ legacy is confirmed to live on in the MCU
Chris Evans as Human Torch in Fantastic Four
Read Article Review: ‘Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver’ is a nadir for Zack Snyder, and streaming cinema as a whole
1 stars
Read Article Step aside, Anthony Mackie: Chris Evans’ true successor in the MCU has been revealed
Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America in Avengers: Endgame
Author
Matt Donato
A drinking critic with a movie problem. Foodie. Meatballer. Horror Enthusiast.