23 May 2012 (released)
23 May 2012
Stefan Hutchinson is a writer of dark stuff and has worked on some truly scary horror comics… such as the recently released DEMONS 3 – a comic book sequel to the DEMONS and DEMONS 2 cult films.
Film-News already reviewed the ‘trilogy’ set recently released by Arrow Films, so it’s really fantastic that Stefan took some time off his busy schedule to answer some questions for us.
Film-News:
Stefan, you are an acclaimed writer, but you are also a producer/director (HALLOWEEN – 25 Years Of Terror). How come DEMONS 3 gave birth as a comic book as opposed to a movie – especially with all the CGI special effects available nowadays?
Stefan Hutchinson:
We were asked by Arrow Video specifically for a comic book to go with the DEMONS and DEMONS 2 DVD / Blu-ray releases. We pitched a DEMONS 3 based on that, so there was never any discussion of it being anything more. There have been several other films using the name DEMONS 3 – all of which were filmed as separate entities then marketed that way, but not actual sequels to the Demons storyline. So as a result we pitched our DEMONS 3.
Because we knew it was for a comic book, we wrote it specifically for that medium – so I’m not wholly sure it would work as a film without some significant changes.
FN:
How did you get involved with the DEMONS 3 comic book project, also, please tell me a bit about your collaboration with Barry Keating?
SH:
DEMONS 3 was a result of our previous work with Arrow Video – namely DAY OF THE DEAD: DESERTION and BATTLE ROYALE: PARENT’S DAY. Barry and I co-wrote all of them. We bounce ideas back and forth about what the storyline should be and how it can compliment the film its being released with. From there, I turn it into an outline and flesh it out, then script it. Then this goes to Barry and back-and-forth until we have something we’re both happy with. We’re schooled on the same films, mostly, so we share a lot of the same pop culture reference points which makes collaboration very easy.
FN:
The story of DEMONS 3 is set in the 16th Century, which is part of a story within the story in the original Demons. Do you feel a continuation of where DEMONS 2 left off in the film would have been wrong the comic?
SH:
DEMONS 3 is actually a continuation of DEMONS 2 in lots of ways. In fact, even though the majority of DEMONS 3 is in the 16th century, we begin with one of the final images of DEMONS 2 – Sally on the rooftop.
One idea that is central to DEMONS 3 is that of the story-within-a-story. We definitely address the movie-in-the-movie of the original film, but ultimately that’s just a part of the story we’re telling which is fairly complex in a lot of ways.
Another reason we didn’t do a straight-out follow on from the end of DEMONS 2, is because that film isn’t really a direct sequel to the original. It’s almost a remake but in a different location – a tower block as opposed to a cinema.
FN:
I have watched both DEMONS movies and feel most characters in it lack depth – is that something the comic book version will rectify?
SH:
With it being a different medium, we didn’t set out to replicate the films. That would have been a miserable failure. The films both work on their set-pieces mainly, and gleeful violence. Like with a lot of Italian horror, watching the films is a visceral experience where character identification isn’t needed, nor a detailed story.
In a comic, action set-pieces take up a lot of room and also, they lack the sheer kinetic energy (and music) that make the films actually work. So, as a result, our book became more story-driven.
Also, the films lack any one lead character. The ones that people remember the most from the films are the hilarious stereotypes (Tony The Pimp!), but again, it wouldn’t work in a comic.
With using Nostradamus as our lead, the story becomes much more character based. With the comic book format, it’s also easy for us to get inside his head, and give a unique perspective on the story as it unfolds. Hopefully, this will rectify your problems with the film.
FN:
Was it easy or was it a challenge to translate your written words into drawings which, by the way, look awesome!
SH:
Thank you – I’m glad you like them. I’ve worked with Jeff now for a while, so when I’m writing for him, I try to play to his strengths. So the script is very informal – like a letter to a friend almost, albeit one containing much death, destruction and carnage!
Having worked with someone a few times, it becomes a lot easier. They’re used to your writing style too, so it becomes much simpler to translate the panel descriptions into actual illustrations.
FN:
Did Jeff Zornow and Peter Fielding have their own vision regarding the look/style of the comic, or was it a true team effort between the four of you?
SH:
With the covers, we left it to Pete. I sent him the scripts for the issues and left it to him how he interpreted them. Like Jeff, I’ve worked with Pete several times now, so I know that what I’m going to get is going to be really good.
With Jeff, it’s a bit more restrictive because he’s telling the story itself. That being said, the script was written to be as ‘Zornowesque’ as it’s possible to be!
FN:
How do you think fans of the DEMON movies will react to DEMONS 3?
SH:
I hope they’ll like it. It’s certainly different, but it’s also very reverent to the source material. The scope of the story is huge and we’ve tried to expand the mythology in new ways, while also providing the visual shocks that the films are renowned for.
FN:
If it is a success (which I am sure it will be), can we expect a DEMONS 4 comic at some point?
SH:
Probably not – this story is pretty conclusive, and besides, I doubt we’ll get a chance to do this again. Realistically, the next DEMONS story we’ll see will be a remake. I wouldn’t mind that myself, and it’s one of the few cases where there’s a valid argument for 3D – Demons popping out of the screen, taken to the next level.
FN:
What are your next projects you’ll be working on, Stefan, what’s in the pipeline?
SH:
I’ve been developing a non-horror project with Malek Akkad (HALLOWEEN producer), so hopefully that will kick into gear soon. As well as that, I’ve just wrapped a short story and a comic series. I’m about to start on a new screenplay, and as it’s been a while since I’ve sat down to write something ‘pure horror’, this will fill that void and be very, very dark indeed.
FN:
Many thanks for the interview, Stefan, and best wishes for your future projects.
