Madelaine Petsch on breathing new life into a cult classic

Get a sneak peak of our cover story with Madelaine Petsch, where she sits down with HUNGER in the aftermath of 'The Strangers' trilogy to discusses the challenges and rewards of shooting (and producing) three films at once.
  • PhotographerAndrew Yee
  • WriterChris Saunders

In a cinematic landscape where horror often finds its strength in reinvention, Madelaine Petsch steps into the spotlight to discuss her journey through the eerie realm of The Strangers trilogy. From navigating the intricacies of simultaneous filming to the visceral experiences on set, the 29-year-old Washington state native shares the essence of reviving a beloved cult classic.

Chris Saunders: Your latest film, The Strangers: Chapter 1, is part of a wider trilogy, and you filmed all three films at the same time. What was that process like and what challenges did you face in that unorthodox scenario?

Madelaine Petsch: Yeah, it was quite an insane task to take on. We cross-boarded all three films, which meant I could shoot the final scene of movie three in the morning, pop over and film the middle of movie one halfway through the day, and then shoot something from movie two to finish off. Luckily, all three movies are set over a very short timespan so, once I started to look at it like one very long film, I was able to tackle it like I would any other project. I also had copious amounts of notes. I’d say the biggest challenge was the time constraint, though. I think we had only 55 days to shoot all three films, so we were really up against the clock.

Madelaine wears dress by VALENTINO GARAVANI and earrings by GIVENCHY.
Madelaine wears jacket by PHILIPP PLEIN, dress by ROBERTO CAVALLI, hooped earrings by RINA OTK and other earrings Madelaine’s own.
Madelaine wears jumpsuit by MAX MARA, hooped earrings by RINA OTK, other earrings Madelaine’s own and rings by PIANEGONDA.
Madelaine wears coat, top and skirt by TOM FORD, boots by AGL, hooped earrings by RINA OTK and other earrings Madelaine’s own.

CS: You’re also an executive producer of the trilogy. How was it balancing that?

MP: I fell into the producer role pretty naturally. It started with me rewriting the scripts with Courtney Solomon [the producer] and Renny Harlin [the director], and it evolved from there. The balance was only difficult to find a handful of times, like when, after a long day of shooting, we would have to stay up and crack the next day’s scenes.

CS: That’s a lot of work. Did you ever find yourself getting into any mental ruts?

MP: I usually try to use preventative measures so that I don’t get into a rut in the first place. But when I do, I’m a huge believer in therapy and meditation. I also read a lot, so I’m a really big fan of escapism in the form of literature. Spending time with the people that ground me helps too.

This excerpt was taken from HUNGER Issue 31: The Dreamers. Full story is available in stores worldwide now. 

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