Renny HarlinEvery podcast appearance, updated as new ones drop

I’m very excited about this week’s BEHIND THE LENS because I get to talk about RENNY HARLIN and his new film DEEP WATER! After 33 years of chatting with Renny and talking about his films, he truly is not only one of my favorite filmmakers, but one of my favorite people. His intelligence, his skill, his dedication to the craft of moviemaking and storytelling, his directorial vision, and his kindness. I adore him. Chatting with Renny is always a joy and no matter how long we talk, it’s never long enough. And that’s what happened last week when we sat down for an exclusive interview to discuss DEEP WATER. Renny wanted an hour. Publicists said no and offered 4 minutes. I begged and got 15 minutes. BUT, undeterred, when the formal interview (which ran 20 minutes) ended, Renny and I spent another 30 minutes together on our own, talking about the film, filmmaking, and other things. For those who aren’t familiar with the film as yet, DEEP WATER is the story of an airline flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai that goes down in the middle of the Pacific. After surviving the crash, the survivors soon discover they’re not alone, and they must survive the shark-infested waters. Simple right? Not the way Renny Harlin tells it. DEEP WATER is directed by Renny Harlin, written by Pete Bridges and John Kim, and stars, among others, Aaron Eckhart, Sir Ben Kingsley, Molly Belle Wright, Angus Sampson, Kelly Gale, Elijah Tamati, and Kate Fitzpatrick. Cinematographer is D.J. Stipsen, with editing by Geoff Lamb, with Fernando Velazquez providing the score. As usual, Renny was engaging and insightful. Unfortunately, due to the limited interview time, we didn’t get to cover all the aspects of the making of DEEP WATER, including the physical production design that gives the film so much realism and immersion. Did you know Renny built an entire plane that seated 300 passengers for this film? And then broke it into three main sections - the cockpit, the fuselage, and the tail? The tail was built vertically and then dropped 30 feet underwater, as when the plane crashes into the ocean and breaks apart, the tail lands on a coral reef - an unstable coral reef that the weight of the plane keeps crushing further. Filling the plane with extras and strapping everyone in their seats, he then used stuntmen as those passengers sucked out of the plane when there are explosions and the plane breaks apart. He also used stuntmen as the dead bodies in the plane and under water in submerged portions of the plane. This is beyond realistic and immersive. But what we did get to cover was Renny’s meticulous approach to filmmaking, particularly highlighting the film's exceptional sound design, score mix by Marc Blanes, DJ Stipsen’s cinematography, Fernando Velazquez's composition, noting the emotional impact of the single piano note motif that recurs throughout the film, and of course, Geoff Lamb’s editing. As comes as no surprise in a film of Renny’s, the soundscape is crucial, including details like muffled underwater sounds, ticking clocks, and the sizzle of fire, all of which contribute to the film's tension and realism. Renny dives into his extensive research and planning that went into the film, especially in creating authentic cockpit procedures and realistic character reactions during moments of crisis. He also explains his deliberate choices in sound and music, such as reducing audio in key moments to heighten emotional impact and focusing on melodic elements rather than traditional suspense cues. Shifting to film's visual grammar, there’s plenty of praise for the cinematography by DJ Stipsen, noting the dynamic camera work that moves through different sections of the plane and into the water, creating a sense of immediacy and danger. A key component of the film is Renny’s work not only with DJ in detailing how they planned lens choice

I'm very excited about this week's BEHIND THE LENS because I get to talk about RENNY HARLIN and his new film DEEP WATER! After 33 years of chatting with Renny and talking about his films, he truly is not only one of my favorite filmmakers, but one of my favorite people. His intelligence, his skill, his dedication to the craft of moviemaking and storytelling, his directorial vision, and his kindness. I adore him. Chatting with Renny is always a joy, and no matter how long we talk, it's never long enough. And that's what happened last week when we sat down for an exclusive interview to discuss DEEP WATER. Renny wanted an hour. Publicists said no and offered 4 minutes. I begged and got 15 minutes. BUT, undeterred, when the formal interview (which ran 20 minutes) ended, Renny and I spent another 30 minutes together on our own, talking about the film, filmmaking, and other things. For those who aren't familiar with the film as yet, DEEP WATER is the story of an airline flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai that goes down in the middle of the Pacific. After surviving the crash, the survivors soon discover they're not alone, and they must survive the shark-infested waters. Simple right? Not the way Renny Harlin tells it. DEEP WATER is directed by Renny Harlin, written by Pete Bridges and John Kim, and stars, among others, Aaron Eckhart, Sir Ben Kingsley, Molly Belle Wright, Angus Sampson, Kelly Gale, Elijah Tamati, and Kate Fitzpatrick. Cinematographer is D.J. Stipsen, with editing by Geoff Lamb, with Fernando Velázquez providing the score. I also give you some pearls and fun takeaways from this weekend's TCM Classic Film Festival. http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com

This week is a fun week for me with BEHIND THE LENS, given the two films that we’re talking about and the two filmmakers I’m speaking with. It’s a great way to kick off my 44th year as a film critic, although I was published with reviews going back 5 years before that! Today you’ll hear from one of my all-time favorite directors, RENNY HARLIN, as we talk about THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 3, which now completes his trilogy of the rebooted classic. And, then there’s writer/director BRYAN FULLER, who makes his feature directorial debut with the sumptuous and fun visual feast, DUST BUNNY. So, let’s get started! First up - RENNY HARLIN and THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 3. The Strangers began back in 2008 thanks to w/d Bryan Bertino, who treated us to the tale of James Hoyt and Kristen McKay, who visit an isolated vacation home to enjoy some time together. Hopeful bliss turned into terror, making their stay a bloody nightmare. In 2018, director Johannes Roberts, with a script by Bryan Bertino and Ben Ketai, rebooted the franchise with The Strangers: Prey at Night, starring Bailee Madison, Lewis Pullman, and Christina Hendricks. It was always Johannes’s intent to do a sequel, but that didn’t pan out. But then in 2024, RENNY HARLIN stepped into the franchise with what has become a three-chapter series with all three films shot at the same time over 53 days of principal photography, with a cast led by Madelaine Petsch. In The Strangers: Chapter 1 , we met Maya and Rory, whose car breaks down in the creepy and eerie small mountain town of Venus, forcing them to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive. In 2025, Renny gave us the next chilling chapter with Madelaine Petsch returning as Maya, and joining her are, among others, Gabriel Basso and Richard Brake. Chapter 2 picks up the morning after Chapter 1 ended, where we find Maya as the sole survivor of The Strangers’ murdering spree of the previous night. But the night’s events aren’t over as she must now do everything in her power to survive the continued, relentless attacks from the masked killers. The film expanded from a cabin to the town and forested areas, becoming very physical, very tactile, and very visceral. Now, we have the final piece of the puzzle with THE STRANGERS CHAPTER 3. Maya is again the last woman standing. She survived what she thought was the worst of the worst, but now she must move on. But how to do that, when she must face the masked killers one last time in a brutal, full-circle reckoning of survival and revenge. This final chapter is very internalized, very observational as Maya tries to absorb what all has happened while trying to understand the psyche of these masked psychopaths. Where lighting and lensing were the key tools in the cinematic toolbox for Chapter 2 , sound becomes all-important with CHAPTER 3. And that’s what Renny and I focus on in this exclusive interview, once again very short on time for real in-depth analysis, but we did our best. Highlighting the film’s psychological depth and sound design, Renny emphasizes not only the importance of sound in creating tension, such as a diner scene and Maya's limping footsteps in an underground, stoned tunnel, but also describes the meticulous process of recreating sounds and auditory context. We delve into the significance of a saw mill location and how that inspired Renny to alter the story with some creative additions. We also talk about his use of needle drops, like Heart’s “Crazy On You” and "Knights in White Satin," to enhance the story's impact. The film's internalized psychological aspects and the seamless integration of sound and visuals are extremely well done. So take a listen as RENNY HARLIN talks THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 3. <

Legendary action director Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger) is our guest this week to talk about the latest chapter of his Strangers reboot trilogy, his collaboration with Steven Spielberg early in his career, and how much of an impact Jaws has had on many of his films, including his own killer shark flick Deep Blue Sea. We talk color theory, visual storytelling, how and when you can lose an audience, and what can be learned from watching Spielberg's films. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a fun week for me on BEHIND THE LENS, given the two films that we're talking about and the two filmmakers I'm speaking with. It's a great way to kick off my 44th year as a film critic (although I was published with reviews going back 5 years before that)! Today you'll hear from one of my all-time favorite directors, RENNY HARLIN, as we talk about THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 3, which now completes his trilogy of the rebooted classic. And, then a new fave writer/director BRYAN FULLER, who makes his feature directorial debut with the sumptuous and fun visual feast, DUST BUNNY. First up – RENNY HARLIN and THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 3. The Strangers began back in 2008 thanks to w/d Bryan Bertino, who treated us to the tale of James Hoyt and Kristen McKay, who visit an isolated vacation home to enjoy some time together. Hopeful bliss turned into terror, making their stay a bloody nightmare. In 2018, director Johannes Roberts, with a script by Bryan Bertino and Ben Ketai, rebooted the franchise with The Strangers: Prey at Night, starring Bailee Madison, Lewis Pullman, and Christina Hendricks. It was always Johannes's intent to do a sequel, but that didn't pan out. But then in 2024, RENNY HARLIN stepped into the franchise with what has become a three-chapter series with all three films shot at the same time over 53 days of principal photography, with a cast led by Madelaine Petsch. Now, we have the final piece of the puzzle with THE STRANGERS CHAPTER 3. Maya is again the last woman standing. She survived what she thought was the worst of the worst, but now she must move on. But how to do that, when she must face the masked killers one last time in a brutal, full-circle reckoning of survival and revenge. This final chapter is very internalized, very observational as Maya tries to absorb what all has happened while trying to understand the psyche of these masked psychopaths. Where lighting and lensing were the key tools in the cinematic toolbox for Chapter 2, sound becomes all-important with CHAPTER 3. And that's what Renny and I focus on in this exclusive interview. Switching gears into a film that I absolutely love is my conversation with writer/director BRYAN FULLER, talking DUST BUNNY. This is a cacophony of creativity and truly a sumptuous visual feast! How the work of production designer Jeremy Reed was ignored by the Academy members in Oscar nominations is beyond me. His work, in concert with that of costume designers Olivier Beriot and Catherine LaTerrier, and cinematographer Nicole Hirsch Whitaker, is vibrant, alive, and magical. Written and directed by Bryan Fuller, DUST BUNNY stars Mads Mikkelson, Sigourney Weaver, and a scene-stealing performance by Sophie Sloan as the precociously adorable Aurora. http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com

An amazing chat with Renny Harlin, director of The Strangers: Chapters 1-3 ! From Die Hard 2 to Deep Blue Sea , his filmography is insane. What struck me most was his love for movies and the art of storytelling. His characters leap off the screen, especially Maya's journey in this trilogy. We heard what he wanted the audience to walk away with, how it was for him to work on the full trilogy, and so much more. It truly was an insightful look at the huge project as a whole. This movie will surprise a lot of people, and I think it did an amazing job ending this story. Out in Theaters February 6th! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’m excited for this week's #BTLRadioShow thanks to director RENNY HARLIN and THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 2, and writer/director MATTHEW BISSONNETTE, who brings us DEATH OF A LADIES' MAN. THE STRANGERS began back in 2008 with the tale of a couple who visit an isolated vacation home to enjoy some time together. However, three masked assailants make their stay a nightmare. In 2018, director Johannes Roberts rebooted the franchise with THE STRANGERS PREY AT NIGHT. Then director Renny Harlin stepped into the franchise in 2024 with what has become a three-chapter series. All three films were shot at the same time over 53 days of principal photography, with a cast led by Madelaine Petsch. In THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 1 - we met Maya and Rory, whose car breaks down in a creepy and eerie small town, forcing them to spend the night in a remote cabin where they are terrorized by three masked strangers. Now we have THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 2, again directed by Renny Harlin and written by Alan R. Cohen & Alan Freedland. We now find Maya in a hospital as the sole survivor of The Strangers’ murderous spree of the previous night. But the night’s events aren’t over as she must now do everything in her power to survive the continued, relentless attacks from the masked killers while reckoning with the ways that these events are transforming her into someone else. With CHAPTER 2, we go from one home to an entire town, expanding the terror and violence AND letting Renny embrace the environment of the town and fuel the character development of Maya as she fights to survive. An insightful and enlightening conversation, we dive headfirst into not only the evolution of the franchise but the challenges, along with Renny’s creative freedom in the second chapter as he develops and broadens not only the characters of Maya and The Strangers themselves, but the visual tonal bandwidth and visual grammar; emphasizing the importance of real environs, adding a tonally different - and beautiful - backstory, developing cinematographer Jose David Montero’s more challenging gorgeous and textured lighting and lensing, carreful planning to maintain tension without dialogue, the complexity of the editing with Michelle Harrison’s rapier edge-of-your-seat seamless integration of new and original material, and Justin Caine Burnett’s impeccable score that adds tonal elements that connect it to Chapter 1, but are enhanced and expanded to musically embrace the wider scope of the story. THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 2 is currently in theatres. Then we turn to DEATH OF A LADIES' MAN with writer/director MATTHEW BISSONNETTE. Described as a “lyrical dramedy”, DEATH OF A LADIES' MAN is poetic and emotionally charged, infused with the music and spirit of Leonard Cohen, tackling multiple themes that evoke heartbreak, absurdity, and hope. Gabriel Byrne stars as the hard-drinking, twice-divorced professor Samuel O’Shea whose life seems to be going into the toilet. First, he starts seeing things - Frankenstein at the bar, strangers breaking into Leonard Cohen songs, and conversations with his long-dead father, Ben O'Shea. He chalks it up to stress. But a terminal brain tumor diagnosis sends him reeling into a surreal, darkly funny odyssey through memory, regret, and an unexpected romance in Ireland. Retreating to his family’s remote Irish cottage, Samuel tries to write the novel he’s always avoided—and instead begins rewriting his own story. In terms of thematic elements, we see father-son, father-daughter, husband and ex-wife, husband and ex-wife number two relationships, punctuated by self-doubt, the refusal to grow up or age. And part of that refusing to grow up or grow old often involves drinking copious amounts of alcohol daily, making Samuel a functioning alcoholic, destroying all of the relationships in his life. But as he navigates all of that, it brings forth such light and realization so that by the time we get to

I'm excited for this week's BEHIND THE LENS, thanks to a director whom I adore and have been chatting with for multiple decades, RENNY HARLIN, who goes in-depth with me for THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 2, and writer/director MATTHEW BISSONNETTE, who brings us a film I immediately connected with, DEATH OF A LADIES' MAN starring Gabriel Byrne. THE STRANGERS began back in 2008 thanks to w/d Bryan Bertino, who treated us to the tale of James Hoyt and Kristen McKay, who visit an isolated vacation home to enjoy some time together. Hopeful bliss turned into terror making their stay a nightmare. In 2018, director Johannes Roberts, with a script by Bryan Bertino and Ben Ketai, rebooted the franchise with THE STRANGERS: PREY AT NIGHT starring Bailee Madison, Lewis Pullman, and Christina Hendricks. Now in 2025, we have the chilling next chapter of THE STRANGERS franchise with THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 2. Directed by Renny Harlin and written by Alan R. Cohen & Alan Freedland, Madelaine Petsch returns as Maya, and joining her are, among others, Gabriel Basso, Ema Horvath, Richard Brake, and Pedro Leandro. Now let's turn to DEATH OF A LADIES' MAN with writer/director MATTHEW BISSONNETTE. Described as a "lyrical dramedy", DEATH OF A LADIES' MAN is poetic and emotionally charged, infused with the music and spirit of Leonard Cohen, tackling multiple themes that evoke heartbreak, absurdity, and hope. Gabriel Byrne stars as the hard-drinking, twice-divorced professor Samuel O'Shea whose life seems to be going into the toilet. First, he starts seeing things – Frankenstein at the bar, strangers breaking into Leonard Cohen songs, a woman with a tiger's head and face, and conversations with his long-dead father, Ben O'Shea. He chalks it up to stress. But a terminal brain tumor diagnosis sends him reeling into a surreal, darkly funny odyssey through memory, regret, and an unexpected romance in Ireland. Retreating to his family's remote Irish cottage, Samuel tries to write the novel he's always avoided—and instead begins rewriting his own story. http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com

On the May 17, 2024 episode of /Film Daily, /Film editor Ben Pearson is joined by /Film editor Jacob Hall to talk about The Strangers: Chapter 1 and present an interview with the movie’s director, Renny Harlin. How is The Strangers: Chapter 1 ? In Our Feature Presentation : An Interview with Renny Harlin What is Jacob’s relationship to the Strangers films ? All the other stuff you need to know: You can find more about all the stories we mentioned on today’s show at slashfilm.com, and linked inside the show notes. /Film Daily is published every weekday, bringing you the most exciting news from the world of movies and TV as well as deeper dives into the great features from slashfilm.com. You can subscribe to /Film Daily on Apple Podcasts , Overcast , Spotify , and wherever you get your podcasts. Send your feedback, questions, comments, concerns, and mailbag topics to us at bpearson@slashfilm.com . Please leave your name and general geographic location in case we mention your e-mail on the air. Please take a moment to rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify - that helps us out a lot. And tell your friends about the show! Thanks to Sam Hume for our logo. Our Sponsors: * /Film Daily is sponsored by BetterHelp. Check out betterhelp.com/FILMDAILY * Check out Express VPN: www.expressvpn.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Here's what you'll hear in this week's episode: Reviews (05:50) Jungle Cruise (in cinemas now and Disney+) The Pursuit of Love (Amazon Prime Video) Woodstock 99 (HBO Max / Binge) The Toll (In cinemas) Interview: The Misfits director Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger, Deep Blue Sea, Cutthroat Island) (21:16) What's on this week - streaming and at the cinema (49:30)