Álex De La Iglesia is an underrated horror filmmaker who often melds horror and comedy is beautifully dark ways. Similar to other Spanish-language directors like Guillermo Del Toro, Demián Rugna, Gigi Saul Guerrero, and more, De La Iglesia knows how to make something deeply terrifying that also somehow brings a smile to your face. Such is the case in his hit HBO horror series, 30 Coins, which is now premiering in its second season.
In the upcoming second season of 30 Coins, most of the people of Pedraza have lost their minds and are confined to a psychiatric hospital. Elena lies in a Madrid hospital bed in a coma; Paco, shattered by remorse, tries to take care of her. As the horror intensifies around them, our group of heroes must face a new enemy—someone so perverse that even the devil fears him. But what about Father Vergara? Has he died along with his archenemy, Cardinal Santoro (Manolo Santoro)? Where do they hide, the tortured souls?
Dread Central spoke with De La Iglesia about what to expect from season 2, directing Paul Giamatti, and more!
Alex De La Iglesia: We have the plot written through three seasons. In this season, everything is a mess on purpose. My favorite trilogy is Back to the Future. The first film is the thesis, establishing everything. The second is the antithesis – there is more action and the plot advances more quickly—it’s more fast-paced. In the third one, you come back to the beginning.
ADLI: It was necessary. It was impossible to avoid that Barbrow is someone who lives in a big city. The character is similar to Elon Musk or L. Ron Hubbard or Steve Jobs. He’s a billionaire who wants to reset the world. The things we are imagining now become reality.
ADLI: I am very inflexible when it comes to scripts. I don’t like changing the dialogue, but Eduard is the owner of the character, so I respect that. We have a dialogue between each other thinking about the direction of the character and what he thinks in a particular sequence. Same thing with Giamatti. When you have an amazing actor, it would be rude to try to impose your own vision. It would be like telling a professional athlete how to run or jump.
ADLI: The beautiful thing about Macarena is that in the first season, you could sense that she’s an ambitious person. In season two, we said, go be ambitious. Do the things you feel your character should be doing.
ADLI: The end of the season. I hope the audience is going to think, what can happen next? What happens is very unexpected so I can’t wait to see the audience’s reaction.
ADLI: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre