(Image credit: Getty Images)
Christopher Landon, a prominent figure known for his contributions to hits like Heart Eyes, Happy Death Day, Freaky, and the Paranormal Activity series, recently revealed his frustrations with creating a film for a ‘very big and popular’ horror franchise that faced rejection from a studio. The reason? It featured a gay lead character.
When speaking with SFX magazine, Landon expounded on the challenges of presenting LGBTQ+ characters in mainstream cinema. In his words: “Oh, fuck no!” This was his response to whether audiences might soon see a horror film with a gay lead. He shared an anecdote about writing a script for a notable intellectual property, which was halted by the studio over concerns that such a portrayal could alienate significant parts of the audience.
He continues: “[The studio] just couldn’t deal with it…” This internal industry struggle highlights the ongoing issue of catering to widespread acceptance versus maintaining authenticity and inclusivity. Landon laments the dismissal: “It was a shame as it was actually one of the best scripts I’ve ever written.”
Despite these hurdles, Landon has successfully included diverse characters in his work. For instance, in Freaky, Misha Osherovich portrays Josh, while Tim, played by Caleb Spillyards, in Happy Death Day, navigates his sexual identity with help from protagonist Tree, and Landon strives to continue this trend.
Looking towards future projects, Landon is anticipating the release of Drop, a gripping thriller unveiling on April 11. It stars Meghann Fahy‘s character, Violet, who is embroiled in a strange and dangerous game through which a mysterious texter, communicating via AirDrop, threatens her son unless she commits murder during their dinner.
Readers can find more about Chris Landon’s experiences and upcoming ventures in the latest issue of SFX magazine, now available, spotlighting exciting content such as Black Mirror season 7.