SXSWORLD

Goddard to chase his directorial debut: "I was working on other stuff , and I was not sure if doing a straight horror movie was the right move for me." Goddard hears this and snorts, remembering things diff erently. "About halfway through writing it, [Joss] said, 'You know what, I think I want to direct this one!' " It didn't take long, however, for Whedon to movie fads (i.e., torture porn). So during their three-day writing retreat, they set out to make a fi lm very classical in its approach, evoking shades of John Carpenter and Sam Raimi with a pinch of the classic Universal Monsters fi lms (i.e. Th e Phantom of the Opera, Dracula, Frankenstein etc.). Th eir combined love of vintage horror resulted in a script that excited the 12-year-old in both of them, but next, the pair had to fi gure out how to actually make the fi lm. And more to the point, who would actually make the fi lm. Whedon says it was an easy decision to allow in the summer of 2011 that it had acquired the fi lm. As Goddard began to see the light at the end of the tunnel, he gained some perspective. "In a weird way, this might have been the best possible thing that could've happened to us. We are so happy where we are right now." And the feeling is more than mutual. Joe Drake, President of Lionsgate's Motion Picture Group, said in a state- realize that his friend was not only up for the challenge, but also the best choice for the gig. Th is is not to say Whedon doesn't have pangs of jealousy. "Many times I have gone, 'Oh man, that looked like fun.' " In addition to their script, Whedon and in a series of eff orts to alleviate some of the studio's $3.7 billion in debt. Th e studio fi led for bankruptcy in November 2010, and Cabin sat on the shelf while the creative team waited for word on a potential release. And waited, and waited … Whedon "didn't really worry" about the bankruptcy proceedings, saying that he simply "moved on" to another project before adding, "that is something I don't think Drew was able to do …" For his part, Goddard cops to some "depressing days." Th ere was an ill-fated marketing campaign. "I've seen some trailers that might be the worst things you've ever seen …" he groans. Th ere was talk of converting the fi lm, purposely shot with an old school aesthetic, to 3D. "Neither of us believed in 3D at all," Whedon admits. "But [MGM was] adamant that you couldn't release a movie that wasn't in 3D." Goddard began wondering when and how (and if) his directorial debut would ever see the light of day. After months of speculation, Lionsgate, which was interested but outbid by MGM during the initial bidding war, announced movie than we thought we ever would," con- cedes Whedon. "So it's been a little blessed if not a little delayed." When the fi lm is fi nally released this April (on Friday the 13th, no less), it will be over two years since its original scheduled release date of February 5, 2010. After an unusually quick start, Th e Cabin in the Woods wrapped production but just as quickly found itself in limbo while, as Whedon puts it, "the (MGM) tower was crumbling." Just a few months later, MGM was offi cially on the market, the fi rst Goddard prepared a budget, commissioned conceptual art and went about pitching the project around Hollywood. Not surprisingly, a bidding war ensued, with MGM eventually winning the rights. Despite its high-profi le acquisition, the studio was surprisingly comfortable with Goddard, a fi rst-time director, taking the reigns of the fi lm. Of course, it didn't hurt that their proposed budget wasn't very high. "Th ere was a level of comfort knowing if I totally shit the bed, at least it didn't cost very much," explains Goddard. "Basically we got more money to make the Joss Whedon (left) with director Drew Goddard "… we just wanted to make a 'cabin movie.' It wasn't any more complicated than that." – Drew Goddard ment they expect Th e Cabin in the Woods to "be a major zeitgeist movie and an instant horror classic." And what happened to those crummy trailers? "Every trailer [Lionsgate has] shown us proves they love the movie and under- stood how it was supposed to be experienced," says Whedon. Th e pointless 3D? "One of the fi rst things Lionsgate said was, '3D? Are you kidding?' " Goddard takes a deep sigh of relief. "Th ey saw it and got it." Now, at long last, Goddard and Whedon are ready to premiere their movie at SXSW and they couldn't be happier. Th ey both have only seen the movie with friends and family, but Whedon says, laughing, that he knows better: "I don't trust those people." After the many delays, Whedon says the SXSW premiere is "the most exciting thing. Th e fact that we get to go to SXSW and show it … that's Christmas for me, I cannot wait." Goddard, too, has a hard time hiding his excitement. Th e fi rst- time director gets to unleash his debut fi lm to the "perfect audience," which, like him, who grew up watching movies like Godzilla and Big Trouble in Little China or, like Whedon, grew up watching Th e Bride of Frankenstein. "Th is," says Goddard proudly, "is the crowd Cabin was made for." ■ The Cabin in the Woods will world premiere at the Paramount Theatre (713 Congress Ave) on opening night of SXSW Film 2012: Friday, March 9, at 7pm. SXSW ORLD / FEBRUAR Y 2012 29 DIYAH PERA

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