The Blackening Cast and Writers on Subverting Horror Tropes and Cracking Up on Set | TIFF 2022
9One of the most exciting groups to stop by the Collider Supper Suite and Media Studio at Marbl during the Toronto International Film Festival was the cast and writing team of the horror-comedy The Blackening. They brought the easy-going energy you get from funny people and talked about how they couldn’t keep it together during filming. They were interviewed by our own Editor-in-Chief Steve Weintraub, who celebrated that the subversive comedy had been made.
The Blackening is based on a laugh-out-loud Comedy Central sketch that aired back in 2018. The concept is simple: Seven friends decide to go away for the weekend and are surprised by the visit of a killer. In the sketch, they debate who is the Blackest in the group so that they can die first. In the movie, the all-Black cast has to use their horror movie knowledge and street smarts to figure out how to survive this ordeal.
The interview featured the duo of screenwriters Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip) and Dewayne Perkins (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), who also stars in the movie, as well as cast members Antoinette Robertson (Dear White People) and X Mayo (American Auto). The group talked about being able to tell this story where Black characters are brought front and center, subverting famous horror clichés and how much the movie industry has been changing over the last few years.
You can check out the full interview in the video above to learn a lot more about The Blackening and have a good laugh with the cast as they talk about the following:
Tracy Oliver reveals she couldn’t keep a straight face while watching the cast in action;
The cast reveals which of them have watched the finished movie;
Screenwriter and star Dewayne Perkins outlines the story and talks about the “fun in trying not to die” in the story;
Antoinette Robertson breaks down how to make a character unique in a short runtime;
X Mayo reveals how improv factored into the dialog and story;
Perkins and Oliver talk about subverting the “gay best friend” and “black person in a horror movie” tropes;
Perkins praises the Scream horror franchises' legacy;
Perkins discusses the symbolism of The Blackening;
Perkins and Oliver talk about figuring out who the villain is (without spoilers);
Robertson reveals when she was most terrified while filming;
Mayo talks about filming the lake scene;
Perkins walks us through what went through his mind in the first day of shooting;
The group celebrates the energy behind the cameras;
Mayo and Perkins reveal what they liked most about working with director Tim Story;
Oliver reveals how Girls Trip was a game changer in her career;
Mayo discusses the difference it makes having people of color in positions of power;
Antoinette talks about the importance of having plural Black characters.
Special thanks to our TIFF 2022 partners A-list Communications, Belvedere Vodka, Marbl Toronto, COVERGIRL Canada, Tres Amici Wines, Toronto Star, and Blue Moon Belgian White beer.
#TheBlackening #DewaynePerkins #TracyOliver #AntoinetteRobertson #XMayo
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