Stranger danger can be very real, like in “The Strangers” horror movie franchise. Chapter Three slices its way into theaters, and a few victims, this weekend! Deco’s Alex Miranda caught up with the film’s star, Madelaine Petsch, and director, Renny Harlin, for the premiere at The Plaza Coral Gables.
What could be scarier? “The Strangers: Chapter 3” starring scream queen Madelaine Petsch…
Alex: “Or Miami drivers?”
Madelaine Petsch: “Today, Miami drivers. I just got into a car accident on the way here.”
Alex: “I heard.”
Madelaine Petsch: “Is this normal?”
Alex: “This is normal for us.”
Madelaine Petsch: “OK. It’s not normal for me.”
Renny Harlin: “By the way, she’s injured.”
Alex: “Are you OK?”
Madelaine Petsch: “Mentally, I am traumatized. It was so fine, it was the other driver’s fault. Our driver handled it so well, but he was in the car behind us and he saw the whole thing happen.”
Renny Harlin: “Yeah.”
Alex: “So what’s running through your head right now?”
Madelaine Petsch: “I love a moment of just really being able to pull out the drama. Everyone was like, ‘I don’t know if I’m OK right now, it’s been really traumatizing. I need extra time.'”
Alex: “Such a warm welcome. I’m so sorry, I’m gonna personally apologize.”
Renny Harlin: “By the way, we saw the hubcap go flying off one of the cars in front of us ’cause we were behind. Then suddenly it went like this and this thing just came right across the freeway and we’re like, ‘Oh, my God.'”
Madelaine Petsch: “‘Happy New Year!'”
Back to work, let’s talk about the movie in theaters now, which concludes Maya’s fight for survival against the remaining masked killers in one hell of a strange town.
Director Renny Harlin shot all three films simultaneously.
Renny Harlin: “I love when movies are shot all at the same time
Alex: “Because if you know you like the first.”
Then you know what’s coming. And in this case, it’s…
Alex: “Some twisted [expletive]. Literally and figuratively.”
Renny Harlin: “This is the most twisted by far. At this point, it goes down a whole different wormhole and that was always the intent.”
Madelaine Petsch: “They get to the see the finely completed film. I think when you look at it like one long film, which is the way we looked at it when we shot it, they got to see act one first movie, act two second movie and this is the final act. They get to see everything tie up and they get to see everything unravel at the same time.”
Renny Harlin: “It’s interesting; the movie came out in parts and the first part was, like, a big distance between the second part. Thankfully, the third part is really close to the second part, but now you get to see what we were going for.”
Like if she can’t beat ’em, will she join ’em?
Madelaine Petsch: “My personal hope is that fans are feeling a level of kindred spirit with Maya through the entire journey with her so that when they get to that final scene, they’re hooting and hollering and they’re cheering. Also, I think a lot of female audience members are going to know exactly what Maya’s doing before it gets revealed.”
You can watch “The Strangers: Chapter 3” in theaters now! Hopefully with family or friends — not any hitchhikers you picked up on the way or anybody like that.
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