“This idea that something as simple as opening your eyes can bring about your death is terrifying”: Mario Casas, Diego Calva, Georgina Campbell, Alex Pastor and David Pastor on Bird Box Barcelona
When the Sandra Bullock-starring Bird Box landed on Netflix back in 2018, the world was hooked. The concept (first given life in Josh Malerman’s novel) of mysterious creatures that, if you see them, will trigger you to kill yourself, struck a chord with audiences. Now, the apocalyptic phenomenon is being revisited in a new spin-off film from writer-director duo David and Álex Pastor, taking the action to a new continent and imagining how things might have played out in Spain.
Leading the tense Barcelona-set horror is Mario Casas as Sebastian, whose true nature viewers are kept guessing at through various time jumps between the present, where he and a group of survivors try to reunite a young girl with her mother, and flashbacks to his past with his own daughter. It all plays out in a convincingly gritty, grounded reality, despite the supernatural undercurrents, and the action set pieces and creatively gruesome deaths are not for the fainthearted. It’s refreshing to see how a US production can effectively be translated to a different cultural context, while also opening up space for new textures, characters and themes – such as moral ambiguity – within the same universe.
The Upcoming had the chance to chat with the stars of the film, including Mario Casas, who told us the appeal of the original and continuing its story in a new setting, what it was like returning to work with the directors, and some of the memorable moments on set.
His costars Diego Calva and Georgina Campbell also shared why they wanted to jump on board with the project, the elements of working on set they found most difficult, and some of the highlights of their respective careers so far, from Babylon to Black Mirror to Barbarian.
We further had the chance to hear from the filmmakers themselves about the genesis of the project, their approach to combining physical and digital effects to create the gritty atmosphere, and how they chose and worked with their incredible cast.
Sarah Bradbury
Bird Box Barcelona is released on Netflix on 14th July 2023.
Watch the trailer for Bird Box Barcelona here:
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