Screamfest Interview: Cast & Crew of 1922

(L-R) Thomas Jane, Dylan Schmid, Kaitlyn Bernard, Zak Hilditch and Ross Dinerstein for 1922

The Netflix original film 1922 had it’s World Premiere on October 14, 2017 at Screamfest 2017. The film is an adaptation of a Stephen King short story directed by Zak Hilditch and stars Thomas Jane.

The tale is told from the perspective of Wilfred James, the story’s unreliable narrator who admits to killing his wife Arlette. But after he buries her body he finds himself terrorized by rats and as his life begins to unravel he becomes convinced that his wife is haunting him from beyond the grave.

Director Zak Hilditch was a huge fan of the short story. “Never in a million years did i think that I would be the one who would be allowed to adapt it and actually turn it into a film through Netflix!”

Hilditch explained that the film started to come together once Stephen King gave the adaptation his blessing. As soon as producer Ross Dinerstein became involved with the project he knew he wanted to bring the film to Netflix. “They said yes and off we went!”

Actor Thomas Jane was the first person Hilditch saw for the lead role and knew right away he would perfect. “It was meant to be because he had already done two other King adaptations and he has a bloodline that goes back to the Nebraska dust bowl farmers.”

When asked about his thoughts on making a film for Netflix as opposed for a theatrical run, Hilditch stated that “When we set out to make this film, we knew it was a Netflix original and it wasn’t going to have a theatrical release but that didn’t stop us from trying to make something that’s as cinematic as possible.” Kaitlyn Bernard who portrays Shannon in the film is also very excited about the film debuting on Netflix.

Bernard, who is a big horror fan was very excited to appear in 1922 because of it’s unique take on the genre. She explained that “It’s very rare to find a film that still has the gore, it still has the jump scares but is also psychological and that’s what drew me to the script.”

After the film an very informative Q & A session took place hosted by film pundit John Campea. Zak Hilditch, Dylan Schmid, and Kaitlyn Bernard were joined by the film’s producer Ross Dinerstein and Thomas Jane who was barefoot for some unknown reason!

Jane’s performance was inspired by his grandfather from Alabama who he spent a lot of time with as a child. “The way he would sit there and carve an apple and just sort of chew on it, I loved watching him do stuff like that.” When discussing the opportunity to play such a role Jane went on to say “The South has a unique flavor of people that is rarely captured on film.”

My quick thoughts on the film are that I was blown away the incredible performances and the eerie vibe the film has throughout. And if you are grossed out by rats like I am, 1922 will definitely make you squirm! The score by man of a thousand bands, Mike Patton (of Faith No More fame) enhanced the entire viewing experience!

Stay tuned for a full in-depth review of 1922 on Nightmarish Conjurings and be sure to check it out when it hits Netflix on October 20th!