Adaptation of Stephen King book made audiences scream so much it had to be recut
An upcoming movie adaptation of a Stephen King work was recut after audiences screamed with such volume that they “completely missed the next lines”. According to the director, the bits missed by the screams were “vital” to the plot.
The Boogeyman is directed by Rob Savage, the man behind 2020’s Host. Based on Stephen King’s 1973 short story of the same name, it follows a grieving high school student, Sadie Harper – played by Sophie Thatcher – and her sister, Sawyer (Vivien Lyra Blair), who are haunted by a monster.
Now in a new interview with Empire, Savage has explained that a sequence where the titular monster is shown had to be recut after the impassioned response at test screenings.
“The first time you see the creature, the audience screamed so loud, and then immediately started talking with their neighbours and chattering, that they completely missed the next lines,” the director said. “So we had to recut it and build in 45 seconds of padding, just so they didn’t miss any vital information.”
He continued: “And the next morning I get an email saying, ‘From Stephen King’. And he says, ‘Robert, I’m still thinking about your movie the next morning.'”
The broader cast of The Boogeyman includes Chris Messina, Marin Ireland, Madison Hu, LisaGay Hamilton and David Dastmalchian. It is scheduled for theatrical release on June 2nd this year.
Never Miss A Scene
The Far Out Film Newsletter
All the latest film news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.