Zach Cregger Reveals The Terrifying Scene That Was Cut From Barbarian - Exclusive
Zach Cregger's "Barbarian" is shaping up to be one of the most terrifying horror films of the year. Yet somehow, the movie was almost scarier. The unlikely Disney movie puts viewers through more than a few twists and turns in the terror department, and the studio backed writer and director Zach Cregger's vision throughout the process.
When it comes to subverting expectations throughout the movie, Cregger was a pro. But sometimes, filmmakers have to sacrifice a scene for time or plot reasons. Especially during movies with big reveals, it's important not to let too much on too soon. Writers have to keep the mystery alive up until a certain point. As a result, one of the movie's most terrifying moments didn't make the final cut.
During an exclusive interview with Looper, Cregger teased the one scene that he decided cut during "Barbarian" — and it will probably give you more nightmares than the movie itself. He also explained why actors like Bill Skarsgård were the perfect choices to take on their roles.
Escape from the rats
Zach Cregger told us about the scene that got scrapped, saying, "There was a scene where someone gets baby birded with a rat." Without any elaboration on this unsettling notion, he added, "Now, I'll let that sentence linger, and you can think about it however you want." As for why the scene had to go, he noted, "We did have to cut that, and it was the right move to take it out ... It was intense, but the only way to keep that scene in would be to reveal too much, too soon, so we decided it was best to hold off."
Though the scene would have undoubtedly been horrifying, the movie is creepy enough without it — and actors like Bill Skarsgård (Keith) and Justin Long (AJ) bring the film to the next level. Cregger wasn't shy about how much he appreciated what the cast brought to the table. "Bill is the perfect combination of attractive and terrifying, so I knew that the moment Bill Skarsgård opens that door, people are going to be like, 'He's bad.' That's a joy."
Meanwhile, Justin Long is a pro at playing boy-next-door characters, but he really brought his A-game to his awful character AJ. "Justin is hysterical, and he plays a pretty despicable character," Cregger explained. "The idea of the charming guy next door, America's sweetheart, Justin Long, playing a complete dumpster fire, I thought was a pretty fun thing to do. Watching him breathe life into that character was really exciting."
"Barbarian" is now playing in theaters.