Is it more fun to make a genre movie that’s limited to so few locations, like in The Lazarus Effect?
Jason Blum: I think they’re scarier. I think when you have less locations and you force characters to stay in one place, then the movie generally is scarier. I think the most effective horror movies can figure out a way that works in the plot to keep their characters trapped. Not all of them, but most of them. And it’s also cheaper so it’s practical, too, but I think it works out on both fronts; it keeps the budget down and it keeps everyone scared.
I really enjoy the Insidious and Paranormal Activity movies, and each of them are about to get another sequel. Is there anything you can tell us about them?
Jason Blum: Insidious 3 is Leigh Whannell’s directorial debut and he did an awesome job. I’m hoping he will direct Insidious 4 if we’re lucky enough to make it. I think the movie is great and I think everyone will be very, very pleasantly surprised. James Wan was also a loud voice in the room and he helped to guide it, but Leigh did a great job with it.
And with Paranormal Activity 5, Gregory Plotkin has cut every one of those movies but he’s never directed, so it’s a new chair for him. He also did a great job. It was a big learning curve for him but I think people will be psyched about the movie. I think a lot of people were tired of being teased with Paranormal Activity. We kept teasing these things out. So one thing I can promise is that this next Paranormal Activity will have answers to almost every question you have about the mythology of what goes on in the Paranormal Activity world.
With Paranormal Activity 4 it seemed like the filmmakers were starting to run out of ideas.
Jason Blum: Yeah, I think you’re right (laughs). The Marked Ones was good, though.
The release of Paranormal Activity 5 has been delayed a couple of times, but it is coming out this year.
Jason Blum: It comes out in October for sure. I guarantee it (laughs).
Do you see a sequel happening for The Lazarus Effect?
Jason Blum: I’d love to make one, but that’s up to the audience. If people come I will definitely make a sequel (laughs). The audience will have the final say on whether or not we make a sequel to The Lazarus Effect. I certainly hope to. I think there’s a lot of places you could go with it. You could start with new people or whatever. It’s a good and a rich idea.
Congratulations on your Oscar nomination on Whiplash, by the way, which you had a hand in producing, and you also had a hand in producing The Normal Heart for HBO. Are those the kind of movies you want to make more of in the future?
Jason Blum: I don’t want to get more into making those. I really want to continue our core mission, which is to make scary TV shows and movies, but if a great script comes across my desk that isn’t scary, I’m in the very lucky position that I can get it made. I can’t get them all made, but I can get a lot of them made. So we’re not gonna say no, but that’s not what we’re actively looking for. What we are actively looking for continues to be cool, new, scary things.
You come into the genre movies with a lot of enthusiasm, which is great because other studios approach them with a lot of cynicism.
Jason Blum: Yeah, I think they are cynical about them and I think that shows in the moviemaking process. If you were not psyched about what you’re making, you shouldn’t make it. I love horror movies. Sometimes they are not commercially successful and I certainly have some that are better than others, but if you don’t start at the starting line passionate about what you are doing, then you should not start. That’s my thought.
That concludes our interview, but we’d like to thank Jason very much for his time. Be sure to check out The Lazarus Effect when it hits theatres tomorrow.