Interviewed by Michael Juvinall – Horror Society
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The Woman in Black 2 Angel of Death reawakens in theaters on January 2, 2015.
Director Tom Harper is at the helm of the new gothic horror film from Hammer Films, The Woman in Black 2 Angel of Death. In the sequel to the hit 2012 chiller which starred Daniel Radcliffe, we find the setting 40 years later during the height of the London Blitz in WWII. A group of children are evacuated out of the city for their safety and are relocated to the country. The children and their custodians played by Phoebe Fox and Helen McCrory are set up to stay in the derelict Eel Marsh House. Shortly after arriving, a series of terrible events begin to occur. With the help of a British pilot played by Jeremy Irvine, the group realize they have reawakened something so sinister they have to get the children out of there before it’s too late or else suffer the wrath of The Woman in Black!
She never forgives…she never forgets…she never left!
Horror Society had the pleasure of speaking with director Tom Harper as he discusses the mechanics of making a horror film, working for Hammer and set recollections.
Horror Society: I watched The Woman in Black 2 and wanted to say that I really enjoyed the film.
Tom Harper: That’s fantastic; I’m so thrilled you liked it, thank you.
Horror Society: How did you want to set this film apart from the first movie?
Tom Harper: That’s a good question. Obviously the first film was a great success. If you’re making a film that follows on from a previous movie people are going to come to it with an expectation of what they liked about it. I wanted to take what was great about it and move it forward and to give it its own identity as well. Obviously, it’s set 40 years later which immediately helps do that because you have a different decade, different costumes, and different hair. It all comes back to the story; the style of the piece will always come back to story anyway.
Horror Society: Yes, I totally agree. In this movie you had a great cast to work with, Phoebe Fox, Jeremy Irvine and Helen McCrory. How were they to direct in the film?
Tom Harper: Magnificent, working with Phoebe was wonderful because it’s very rare that you get to make a movie and get to work with a new actress in the lead that the people are less familiar with. Having an opportunity to work with Phoebe who is a relative newcomer was so wonderful and I think she is sensational in the movie. Jeremy is a Second World War fanatic and is very interested in pilots and is making a documentary I believe. Then Helen McCrory I’ve worked with previously on Peaky Blinders and she is a formidable actress I think is just wonderful. We had a lovely cast to work with and I felt very luck to work with such great talent.
Horror Society: Yes, they all did such a great job in the movie. There are some genuinely creepy moments in the film. Were you under pressure to maybe ramp up the scares for this film?
Tom Harper: Certainly one of the reasons I think part of working a horror movie in the cinema is the collective experience from being scared while watching the movie. You want the movie to be scary. Fundamentally, if you’re making a horror film, you need it to be scary.
Horror Society: While you were shooting, did you develop a certain style on how to elicit scares from the audience?
Tom Harper: I don’t know if I developed a style. It’s a fascinating thing to do. How do you make someone scared, how do you make someone tense, how do you make them jump? Ghost stories have been around for hundreds of years, if not thousands. They come with conventions and we’re drawn to them and we tell different variations of a story again and again and again. Fundamentally, in order for that to work you need have people on the edge of their seat already. It all factors into characters, if you care about these characters and you care about what happens to them you can empathize with them then it is much easier to bring fear and scares into the movie.
Horror Society: Most definitely. Well, this is a Hammer film after all. Was it daunting at all to live up to the standards that Hammer films are known and loved for?
Tom Harper: Yes, I mean definitely, but certainly it’s an honor to be working for such an iconic brand. At the same time, if you think too much about it, it can get a bit daunting, so I just try and make a movie like I would tell any other story and just concentrate on telling this particular story for its own merits to the best of my ability.
Horror Society: During the shoot, was there a part of it that was more difficult to work on?
Tom Harper: Shooting on the causeway was pretty tough because as a location it’s very isolated. The tide is only open for about four hours a day. The time with which to shoot is very limited. It’s an amazing location, it’s wonderfully atmospheric.
Horror Society: Yes, you’re very right. It is a great location, brooding and atmospheric, it works so well in the movie. We’re running out of time, I just have one last question for you. What inspires you the most in your filmmaking endeavors?
Tom Harper: I don’t know. That’s a really good question. Life I suppose, life in general, to somehow search for its meaning. But, I don’t know, that’s too difficult.
Horror Society: Is there anything that you’re working on now that you want to talk about?
Tom Harper: I’m working War and Peace at the moment for the BBC and the Weinsteins.
Horror Society: I wanted to say it was great speaking with you Tom and I wish you the best of luck with the film and wish you and your family Happy Holidays.
Tom Harper: Great thank you very much; I really liked speaking to you.
