If you ask horror producer Jason Blum what fans can expect from The Invisible Man, his latest flick starring Elisabeth Moss, it’s simple: “A thrilling, scary ride.”
The proof is in Blumhouse Productions’ previous films, which include Split, Happy Death Day and Jordan Peele‘s Oscar winner Get Out. One thing his twisty terrifiers have in common is that they’ll scare the bejesus out of the audiences — but not Blum. “It’s hard to be scared from our own movies,” Blum, 51, exclusively reveals in the new issue of Us Weekly. “But sometimes I still jump at Get Out!”
It’s been a huge year for Blum Productions. In addition to The Invisible Man, the massive company released Fantasy Island, The Hunt, The Purge and Halloween — and they all have a common thread.
“I think what connects them is [that] we strive to make them feel kind of unusual or different from run of the mill horror movies and make the experiences feel different — more grounded, more visceral, more relatable,” he tells Us.
However, it’s not just horror movies that Blum feels passionate about; he is also a prolific producer in other genres, creating films like Whiplash and BlacKkKlansman. In fact, he admits to Us he doesn’t “necessarily love making horror films,” although that’s the assumption.
“I love making low budget films, and horror is very suited to low budget. So I love making low budget films because when you’re not risking a lot of money you can take creative risks, you can hire actors who aren’t necessarily famous and you can just do things that you can’t do in expensive movies,” he explains. And his method works, as he’s constantly creating truly disturbing films.
So, what’s the secret? Well, it’s not at all about the actual scary moments.
“I think people who don’t understand horror movies think the scare is the most important. I think the scare is the least important,” he reveals. “The most important is the performance, the drama and the story. You have to have a suspenseful story. If you have those things, the scares will be easy. If those things don’t work, you can have the best scares in the world and it won’t feel scary.”
For more from Blum, pick up Us Weekly, on newsstands now.
With reporting by Kayley Stumpe
