SXSW 2018: Chris Caldwell and Zeek Earl Go Sci-Fi With Prospect
Jonathan Barkan
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The mutability of horror and its ability to blend and shapeshift its way into other genres has long been known. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, oft-considered the first true sci-fi novel, is an enduring tale with strong roots in the realm of horror. Edgar Allan Poe’s ability to fuse melancholic grimness in his romantic poetry has set many a goth’s heart aflutter.
Enter Prospect, a sci-fi/western from directors Zeek Earl and Chris Caldwell, who adapted their short of the same name into a feature film. We caught up with the duo at this year’s SXSW Convention to discuss the ways in which sci-fi and horror can overlap, how to create a believable world in which their story can take place, what kind of story they wish to tell, and more.
“A teenage girl and her father travel to a remote alien moon, aiming to strike it rich. They’ve secured a contract to harvest a large deposit of the elusive gems hidden in the depths of the moon’s toxic forest. But there are others roving the wilderness and the job quickly devolves into a fight to survive. Forced to contend not only with the forest’s other ruthless inhabitants, but with her own father’s greed-addled judgment, the girl finds she must carve her own path to escape.”
Starring Sophie Thatcher, Pedro Pascal, Jay Duplass, Andre Royo, Sheila Vand, and Anwan Glover, Prospect had its world premiere at SXSW this year.
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