DVD Verdict Interviews Director Ronny Yu

Judge Patrick Naugle

January 13th, 2004

Some directors would be slightly hesitant about directing a horror film starring two classic 1980s slashers and a boatload of blood, babes, and B-movie clichés. Career suicide? Not for director Ronny Yu, who'd already cut his teeth on the hit horror sequel Bride of Chucky. With Freddy vs. Jason raking in over $85 million domestically at the box office, Yu proved that while he may toil in an underappreciated genre, he does it with energy and enthusiasm to spare.

DVD Verdict sat down with Ronny and discussed his preference for Freddy or Jason, his elation at how well the film did theatrically, what it was like talking to Kane Hodder about his "dismissal" as Jason...

Patrick Naugle: How surprised were you with the film's success? I know that New Line and the industry's predictions were exceeded beyond anything they'd anticipated...

Ronny Yu: After I read the script and talked to people I realized how big the fan base was. I realized that if it does a decent job on the opening weekend it won't be too embarrassing. I never realized it would do that much business. What increased my confidence was after that giant promotion with Ain't It Cool News in Texas [Harry Knowles infamous "Camp Hack 'N' Slash" event]. That was the first time I really showed the finished product to the public and the hardcore fans. From their reaction, and the Q&A afterwards, I felt like my confidence in the movie rose a lot because I got a lot of positive reactions and kids saying they were going to go back again and again to watch it. But I never thought it would do so much business. It was a pleasant surprise. My thinking all along: I said to myself that my obligation and mission is to satisfying the fans who've been waiting ten years. I think every decision I needed to make was based on that. Would the fans enjoy this? Will they be entertained by it?

PN: How did you get involved in directing Freddy vs. Jason?

RY: I got a call last year [2002] around May from New Line that they have a project for me and they were going to send the script and see if I liked it. Then my agent called right away and said, "You've got to read this script because you've always wanted to make a Hollywood movie that will sell tickets." After Bride of Chucky I shot a movie with Samuel L. Jackson called Formula 51 that didn't come out well, at least the audience in America didn't like it that much even though in Europe people seemed to enjoy it. So my lawyers and my agents are saying that there's something here that will get the American audiences interested. So I read Freddy vs. Jason and thought it was a lot of fun. Then I went to Los Angeles and met with the chairman of New Line and told them my thoughts on how the movie should be, the tone and everything, and they really liked what I said. And I got the job.

PN: Had you watched all the movies in both the Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street series before you started directing Freddy vs. Jason?

RY: Yes, but not before. The only one I'd seen before I signed on was the original Nightmare on Elm Street and the original Friday the 13th. The rest I hadn't really followed. But after I signed on I said I had to do my homework, so I spent two weeks watching all seventeen of the films.

PN: Which series did you enjoy more?

RY: I really kind of liked the Freddy movies because of the premises of the films. I think it's ingenious that a monster can come into your dreams and harm you. I think that's a great idea. I'd never seen anything like that before. I think the Freddy movies are scarier. There's nothing you can do when you're asleep, and people have to sleep and dream. And that's how Freddy comes in to kill you.

PN: I suspect one of the most challenging aspects of the film was linking Freddy and Jason's pasts together. Did you feel pressure to have to continue each series' mythologies?

RY: My wife was saying that I was a bit naïve going into it without knowing much about the franchise. I told New Line that if you want me I have to be honest that I know nothing about the franchise but I am willing to go back and learn about it because it will make a really entertaining movie. And they said that's the whole idea of having you here. They wanted a fresh eye into this twenty year old franchise. So, I only had one thing in mind: I couldn't just deliver a horror movie; I had to deliver a little bit more. Make it almost like a ride so when the audience comes out of it they think, "Wow!," because there's a lot of mixed genres in it...comedy, a lot of action, and some scary parts. There's a whole mixture in it. In the beginning, people were a bit worried about me mixing genres.

PN: Prestige isn't usually associated with these kinds of movies. Did you have any reservations in directing this film?

RY: No, no, no. In all the twenty years I've been making movies I've never worried about it. My guideline of doing a movie is based on putting myself in the audience. I'll say to myself after I read the script, "If I was a paying audience would I pay to see this movie?" I usually base my decision on that. If I say, "Well, I'm the audience and I don't buy this." Every movie I make I try and put myself as a paying audience because I know that I am making a mainstream movie and not an art house movie. So it has to satisfy that commercial element. Even with Freddy vs. Jason, I never worried that I might not deliver because I read the script and after watching all the movies I thought there were a lot of elements in it for an entertaining movie.

PN: Did you get a chance to talk with Kane Hodder about the fact that he wasn't coming back to play the role of Jason?

RY: Yes, I met with him. The whole reason of finding another actor for Jason was really a studio decision because they thought this was a brand new franchise. All throughout the history of the Jason movies they have five or six people playing Jason already. Unlike say Robert Englund playing Freddy—all along it's only Robert playing Freddy. So the studio was thinking they could have another guy with a new freshness to it. So yeah, I met with Kane and explained to him that this was really a studio decision and nothing against his acting abilities.

PN: Finally, What kind of input did Robert Englund give you?

RY: Oh, huge! When I went back and watched all those Freddy movies and everything I'd have a question I'd go to him because he knows everything about Freddy. I don't think any other actor could play Freddy as good as he does. What's amazing about Robert is after playing this same character for so many years he still has this fire in him. Everything he talks about Freddy his eyes all light up. He still has this huge fire in him to try and make it better and more cynical and scary.

PN: Ronny, thanks for taking the time to talk with us!

RY: Thanks, and enjoy the movie!