Lionsgate has eleased a new featurette for Joss Whedon’s upcoming mystery adventure horror film The Cabin in the Woods.
The video includes excerpts from an interview with Whedon, the producer and co-writer of the film, in which the famous genre filmmaker answers questions sent in by fans.
Most interestingly, he offers up an answer about why the set and film details have been so closely guarded. When asked if this film would truly be ruined by spoilers, he said “Yes, I can say that you will have a great deal more fun the less you know. It’s a film that actually unfolds within the course of the film instead of just setting up the premise and then paying it off. And that’s something that doesn’t happen that often, particularly in horror. I would definitely recommend staying spoiler free.”
He also gives his own opinion of the film, and its place in the genre, which seems pretty high. “I think Cabin is a classic horror movie and then it is the least classic horror movie I’ve ever made,” he said. “It really explodes the genre at the same time as it celebrates it. And to me it’s not the final statement but a final statement on the genre – in a way that I think is very new.”
We also have this new TV spot for the film, though there is no new footage:
And, for reference, here is the most recent theatrical trailer:
A Cabin in the Woods truly does seem like not your typical horror flick.
Indeed, the production values are very high, and the plot apparently does not rely solely on gore or startle tactics.
It actually looks like the film will be an attempted amalgamation of the slasher and sci-fi thriller sub-genres, which has been attempted many times before, but only really pulled off well once or twice – Alien and Pitch Black come to mind off the top of my head – and are almost always extra-terrestrial in setting. It’ll certainly be interesting to see just where Whedon has gone with this story, and if he’s managed not to turn it into a startle flick.
The film’s official synopsis is mockingly brief:
Five friends go to a remote cabin in the woods. Bad things happen.
The Cabin in the Woods stars Chris Hemsworth, Jesse Williams, Kristen Connolly, Anna Hutchison and Fran Kranz as the friends, supported by Richard Jenkins, Bradley Whitford and Amy Acker as the supposed villains.
The film hits theaters on April 13, 2012.
