Director Reveals Making Thriller Was ‘Cathartic’ After Scream 7 Controversy

Christopher Landon has revealed to GaptekZonethat directing Drop was ‘cathartic’ for him following horrific online abuse during the controversy around
Scream 7
.

Starring
The White Lotus
actress
Meghann Fahy
and
It Ends With Us
actor
Brandon Sklenar
“Drop” is a thrilling new story set during a first date that spirals disastrously out of control.

In the movie, Violet (played by Fahy) faces a threat where she must either kill her date, Henry (portrayed by Sklenar), using digidrop (similar to AirDrop), or risk having her son attacked during a home invasion. She can watch this happen live through her home’s CCTV system.
phone
.

The high-stakes thriller seems completely unfathomable, but for the director, he revealed that be threatened by an invisible force was sadly something he could relate to.

Landon was appointed
the filmmaker of Scream 7
in 2023 and described the job as a dream, but quickly things turned sour as
It has been reported that Melissa Barrera was let go from her position.
From her starring role as Sam Carpenter following remarks she made about
Israel
’s war with
Hamas
on
social media
.

Jenna Ortega
who portrayed her sibling, Tara,
stepped away from the project shortly thereafter
, and following an overwhelming wave of online harassment, Landon also withdrew from the project.

Even though he suffered terrible mistreatment, the director has stated that “Drop” was a ‘therapeutic’ experience for him, enabling him to express what he had gone through.

In response to the dispute that resulted in his exit from Scream 7, he stated

GaptekZone

: ‘I’ve said to people that the movie met the moment for me. I was feeling a lot of things about that [situation], and I really related to Violet’s predicament.’

‘You understand, it feels as though there’s someone assaulting you, but you can’t see them, and you can’t actually talk directly to them.’

‘And that was definitely what I was experiencing back then.’

‘This turned out to be a very therapeutic method for addressing some of those issues.’

Speaking to
Vanity Fair
He elaborated on the scale of online harassment and disclosed that this was the reason he ultimately decided to step back from helming the movie.

People were making threats against my life and my family’s lives to such an extent that the FBI had to intervene,” he stated. “I received messages stating, ‘I will locate your children and harm them since you advocate for child murder.’

Landon and his spouse of nine years, Cody Morris, are parents to two boys who are five and eight years old.

‘The individual responsible for security across multiple studios as well as the FBI needed to assess the threats. The situation was extremely intense and genuinely frightening.’

The script was penned by Jillian Jacobs and Chris Roach. Landon disclosed to

GaptekZone

he became part of the project after getting thoroughly captivated by the action-packed narrative.

‘I bit my nails down to the quick while reading the screenplay. I adored the idea, the characters, and the chance to be part of something special. It reminded me of a contemporary Hitchcock film, and I enjoyed exploring those themes.’

The movie addresses issues of domestic violence and abuse, as Violet struggles to move beyond a traumatic previous relationship during which both she and her child were threatened with a firearm. Landon stated his belief that films serve as an effective medium for conveying significant messages.

‘It’s an incredibly challenging topic to discuss and explore within a film, yet it’s also deeply personal for me. I’ve witnessed individuals very close to my heart experience comparable circumstances, which is why I felt compelled to address it with genuine sincerity.’

‘And to convey the message that numerous survivors of domestic violence are among the strongest individuals on Earth, and that there is hope. That is truly the main theme of the film.’

He stated, “I believe this sends an excellent message to viewers; it provides a constructive means of discussing the topic.”

The director behind “Happy Death Day” mentioned that although his primary objective is to create movies that are enjoyable, they frequently contain strong underlying themes within their storylines.

‘I’m constantly attempting to sneak significant messages into my work, much like concealing them within a Trojan horse. I prefer embedding these profound ideas within highly engaging films. This approach allows me to connect with the widest audience.’

The movie centers around the use of technology for harmful purposes, a theme that has also been explored in various other well-known films and television series, adding to the growing concerns as technological advancements continue.

‘I believe ‘Black Mirror’ is a series that has truly resonated with our shared cultural unease regarding technology.’

‘I believe each of us has experienced this sentiment, encountering situations where an invention meant to simplify our lives ends up being potentially harmful. This feeling is something everyone can relate to.’

‘It makes no difference what type of technology we’re talking about; the real danger has nothing to do with the tech itself. The true threat lies always in people.’

‘There will always be individuals with malicious intent who might exploit such situations to hurt others or gain an unfair advantage. What truly frightens me is the existence of dangerous people who aim to misuse these circumstances for harmful purposes.’

Landon also mentioned that, naturally, Apple didn’t want them utilizing AirDrop in the film, so they created an app called ‘Digidrop’ specifically for the production.

‘We needed to develop our own kind of application and technology since it’s exclusive. Many of these firms prefer not to have their products utilized for malicious intent.’

He mentioned that this caused him concern because he worried fans might not grasp the technology involved.

‘I was quite anxious initially, but as soon as we began screening the film for audiences, everyone understood it perfectly.’

Horror movies have generally proven to be reliable performers at the box office, and Landon believes that audiences are eager to move away from sequels and support fresh narratives—a classic 90s-esque suspense film could fit this bill perfectly.

‘At present, we find ourselves in a stage where everything seems to be driven by intellectual property, sequels, or remakes, making it challenging for new movies.’

Fortunately, horror films have enjoyed a successful period at the box office, whereas I believe thrillers may have fallen out of favor lately.

‘I continually told everyone that I believe the 90s thriller genre should make a comeback, and I think it’s high time for that to happen. This sentiment definitely influenced the creation of this film.’

He mentioned that he hopes this movie marks the beginning of a revival of entertaining thrillers—a genre he thinks viewers are eagerly anticipating.

‘Using Drop, I’m genuinely hopeful that we’re leading into an exciting thriller era for movie theaters. This would be fantastic since I believe audiences are craving something distinct.’

Drop is currently showing in theaters now.

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