Peter Herro Talks WTF
Matt Boiselle
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There’s nothing more inspiring for a director on any project than the dedication and passion they infuse into their work, especially when it comes from a hungry young talent, eager to make a large splash in an already overcrowded pool. First-time feature filmmaker Peter Herro is at the starting gate and ready to sprint with his sure-to-be-bloody slashfest WTF!
Currently shooting an exhaustive schedule, he managed to sit down to discuss what the film is all about, and a few other topics as well, so put your engine in “park” and get a lesson in dogged determination from a lensman that should have his name in lights very shortly.
DC: All right – give us the complete lowdown on the film: its creation, plot, and all the details!
PH: Well, it’s about this young girl named Rachel, and she has survived a massacre once already, so it’s a little bit different than what you’re normally used to. We go into the story where she’s finally come to terms with the previous massacre and she’s trying to start her life over again. She then decides to go off to this house out in the woods while on Spring Break, and while she’s initially hesitant about it, her friends manage to talk her into going, and she realizes that it’s something she needs to do in order to get over everything in the past. After a while some bad stuff starts to happen and she realizes that something’s following her, so at this point it’s not just about survival and trying to figure out what’s trying to kill her and all of her friends. The cool thing that I like about this is that we don’t just start at the beginning – we start at the sequel where she’s already survived something, and we see that process come to life, and we see her character develop over time, and she goes through these moments where you can see her flashing back and seeing the original killings, so it’s kind of different I think.
DC: Let’s step back in time – can you tell us how you got your start in the business?
PH: I came out here (Los Angeles) a little over two years ago, and I started off at a company called Spyglass Entertainment – I started as an intern over there back in 2002 and worked myself up through the company and then ended up at Warner Brothers for five years of my life doing theatrical marketing, and that’s where I learned about marketing in general, and my focus was movie trailers. I was a movie trailer producer for a while, so learning marketing was very essential to me getting into this film, especially films in general. I actually wrote this film based on my marketing background – I sat down and wrote out a marketing campaign for it first, and then I decided to write the script. I took a little bit of a different route, and I wanted to give people something that they would love and have fun with it while the story was being brought to life.
DC: You started off directing a couple of shorts, and this is now your first feature-length film – how has the transition been? Noticing a change between the two?
PH: Oh yeah! The hours definitely add up – I literally woke up about 15 minutes ago (laughs). We’re pulling 12- to 14-hour days, and this is a very ambitious project – we’ve got a 12-day shoot for a full-feature and we’ve got all of the blood rigging and the makeup, but we’ve got a really passionate group of people on this project, and that’s really what’s making this all come together. I’ve spent about two years putting together my team, and it really was a huge transition, and it took a lot of passionate people coming together to make this happen – it’s been a challenge without a doubt.
DC: After this film releases, what might you be working on for the future?
PH: I’m writing two different things – I’m transitioning a little bit more into dark comedy, and I’m also talking to the investors that I’m working with now, and they’re composing for me to direct their next feature, which would be more of a drama. However, I want to stick to doing another horror film, so it’s definitely something that I’m looking forward to, and it’s one of the projects I’m working on now, as well as I’ve already started writing the sequel to this movie.
Herro is directing from a script he co-wrote with Christopher Centanni and Adam Buchalter. Callie Ott (The Horror), Sarah Agor (Hatchet II, VH1’s “Scream Queens”), Andrea Hunt, Ben Norris, Johnny James Fiore, Nick Reilly, and Adam Foster star.
Synopsis:
Three years ago, 22-year-old girl-next-door Rachel (Ott) barely survived a brutal massacre that left her friends in pieces. Time has passed and Rachel has moved on, but unfortunately history has a way of repeating itself. Her close friends are spending spring break in a secluded house in the woods, and they have cordially invited her to join. Little does she realize that another bloodbath will be showing up as plus one. Once Rachel and her friends arrive at the cabin, the partying, sex, and terror begin.
From girls’ only pillow fights to debauchery in the bedroom, it’s going to be a blast… until the stabbing, flesh melting, and castration starts. Seven friends will go into a secluded house for the best spring break of their lives, but only one will be alive to post about it on Instagram the next week, as Rachel’s biggest fears become a reality once again. Will Rachel survive another bloody massacre?
Categorized:News
