Courtesy of Cineverse
Dread Central Digital Features gives us the chance to spotlight the creators, projects, and talent pushing horror in bold new directions. These profiles allow us to dig deeper into the genre stories we can’t stop thinking about. Rohan Campbell caught the attention of horror fans everywhere with his tragic portrayal of Corey in Halloween Ends. No easy feat to enter into a beloved franchise, in the third film of a new trilogy, and play the pivotal role of Michael Myers’ potential surrogate.
Since Halloween Ends, Campbell has slashed his way into the genre with the force of John Carpenter’s Boogeyman. Earlier this year, we saw him as a troubled youth in the outrageous The Monkey. He has a few other projects in the works, including Connor Marsden’s Violence. And soon, we’ll see him step into the black boots of iconic killer Santa, Billy, in Mike P. Nelson’s Silent Night, Deadly Night remake, now in theaters. Today, we catch up with the modern scream king to learn more about his process and his relationship with genre.
The premise of a murderous Santa infuriated parents and the government. That led to Silent Night, Deadly Night getting pulled from theaters just days after opening. Despite that bump in the sleigh ride, the film has grown an enormous fanbase while spawning multiple sequels, a soft reboot in 2012, and now the new remake. Campbell didn’t see the original until recently. He wasn’t scarred by the film as many of us were as kids. But he’s a fan.
“Quentin Tarantino has a theater in Los Angeles called the New Beverly Cinema and a month before I signed on to do this movie and got the script, I went to the theater to watch the original Silent Night, Deadly Night. Watching that movie with a crowd is a treat, and everyone should do that,” Rohan tells me. As for the sequels? “The sequels are interesting. I’ll be honest, I’ve only seen certain clips or chunks of those movies…they’re just amazing.” We both quote “garbage day” from the infamous Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2. And yes, the reference of course finds its way into Nelson’s film.
Courtesy of Cineverse
Having seen the original SNDN so soon before accepting the job, it felt like a sort of “cosmic” destiny for Campbell. “I read the script and I thought Mike did such a good job of taking it somewhere new but still having that crazy tonal stuff in there.”
That new direction is one that should excite fans of the franchise. In Nelson’s take, a young Billy once again witnesses the murder of his parents at the hands of a man in a Santa suit. All grown up, he has become a drifter with a decade under his belt of killing naughty souls throughout every December. This time around, Billy is guided by a voice in his head named Charlie (voiced by Mark Acheson). Think of it like a Dexter-esque Dark Passenger, only more Christmas-y. When Billy gets a job at a Christmas-themed shop and falls for the owner’s daughter, Pam (Ruby Modine), the secret of his annual hobby threatens to emerge.
See Our Exclusive Clip of Rohan Campbell as Billy
This marks the second time that Campbell has entered into a major horror franchise in a big way. But he isn’t intimidated by that. “I hear a lot of actors and they’re so articulate about specifically why they pick stuff and what they’re doing in their career,” says Campbell. “I’m such a fan of movies and horror films. I love going to the movies. And so, any time someone calls me and says, do you want to go be a part of this movie, I can’t imagine saying no. I have to go and do it…And then it just goes to a place of okay, scene by scene, how do we make this work? How do we make this funny? How do we make this scary? By the time the movie comes out, it’s too late to worry about my life choices anyway.”
It doesn’t hurt that Nelson’s iteration of Billy sparked an exciting prospect for Campbell. “The inner dialogue of Billy was the thing that I found so interesting off the top. Getting to know Billy and his rules and how he feels about himself through this third party (Charlie) that has no definitive existence in the movie so to speak said so much about him. I thought about that loneliness a lot, but never actually getting to be alone and have your own thoughts.”
Courtesy of Cineverse
Indeed, this version of Billy shares some similarities to the original. Both are troubled yet sympathetic victims of their trauma. Yet there’s a stark difference that drew Campbell to the character. “So much of Billy is in the hope that he feels when we see him meet Pam. That was such a big thing for me because…with someone like Corey in Halloween, it just felt like it was always going to end bad. There wasn’t much hope in that, and he was damaged beyond repair. With Billy, it just feels like a mailman who has got to do his job while trying to be a normal person. It just turns out his job is chopping people to pieces. So, it’s a confusing experience. But there’s just, like, this every-day guy side to that character that was really fun to do.”
It’s a job that this Billy takes quite seriously. Unlike the original, where Billy went after victims simply for having sex, Campbell’s character takes on some truly awful people. That change is best displayed in a wild scene that sees Billy encounter Nazis during their “White Power Christmas Party”. “I read it, and I was like, okay, this is amazing, says Campbell. “We’re never going to get to do this, but it’s amazing. And then we actually did it. We showed up to set, and I don’t know what I was expecting, but we open the door, this barn door, and there’s a Nazi party happening.” (Laughs). “I remember turning to Mike and being like, what the fuck are we doing with our lives? This is insane. For two days we shot that and just went crazy. That was some of the most fun I’ve had in a long time.”
Watch the Retro-Trailer for the New Silent Night, Deadly Night
I ask Campbell if he’s surprised that they got away with quite literally saying “fuck Nazis”. He can’t help but chuckle in response. “Not so much surprised as just, like, I’m constantly facing how weird the day to day of my job actually is. You know, it’s like, you call your family and they’re like, what’d you get up to today? And you’re like, oh I was just, you know, chopping up Nazis. How about you? It’s just so insane. I don’t know if I was shocked we got away with it in that sense, but I was happy we had a chance to try and put that into the world. Also, I think it just sort of falls into the tonal insanity of this franchise. We need these things to happen. You need to take a swing.”
He’s not wrong. Even if Campbell hasn’t seen all the sequels, he’s more than aware of just how absurd they get. We’re talking about the same franchise that has a victim killed with an umbrella. Giant bugs. Weird orgies. And Mickey Rooney of all people playing a killer Santa. This new Silent Night, Deadly Night keeps that tradition alive, leaving the doors open for a sequel. Something Campbell would be up for if it happens. “I would love to get into it because…just the way it ends…I’m dying to see that movie. It would be so much fun to do that. I’m there.”
I’m not going to reveal here how the new Silent Night, Deadly Night concludes. I don’t want to end up on Billy’s naughty list. But let’s just say, there’s some exciting potential that would create a fascinating dynamic for Campbell and his character. I, too, would love to see it.
What’s Next for Campbell?
I ask him if he has any other horror tropes or franchises he’d be eager to take on. His answer may surprise you.
“I’m really eager to do some sort of monster movie. I’d love to do a Swamp Thing or to play a camp counselor or a Chad or a nerd, and do some very 90s or 80s throwback to fun creature slashers. That’d be such a joy for me.” The one Campbell would most prefer a shot at, though? “I’m dying to do a Gremlins movie. I love those movies.” We share our excitement over the upcoming Gremlins 3 and the writing team that Campbell refers to as “talented guys.”
No matter what waits under the tree for Campbell in the future, whether it’s another Silent Night, Deadly Night, an appearance in the next Gremlins film or something else, one thing is for sure for him when it comes to the horror genre. “I have so much fun making these movies.”
Don’t miss Rohan Campbell as Billy when Silent Night, Deadly Night opens in theaters on December 12th from Cineverse and Bloody Disgusting.
Categorized: Dread Central Digital Feature News
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