Thanks to films such as The Guest and You're Next before it, director Adam Wingard has won over fans with his uniquely intense horror thrillers. Though the quality of the movies isn't the only thing that has caught audiences' attention, there's also fun connective tissue between them all.
The key connecting plot point in Adam Wingard's films is the evil corporation of KPG. In 2011's You're Next, the father of the main family had retired from working at KPG. In Wingard's segment in 2013's V/H/S/2, KPG is connected to cybernetic eye experiments. Then, in 2014's The Guest, a movie many are still waiting for a direct sequel to, Dan Stevens' David Collins is an uncontrollable super soldier who is the product of illegal medical experiments from KPG.
That KPG connection continues in A24's Onslaught, a film that follows Adria Arjona's Celeste, a vet who is trying to settle down alone in the desert. However, it's not long before she finds herself fighting for both her and her daughter's survival against three super soldiers who break loose after a botched experiment at a KPG facility.
In Onslaught, Dan Stevens returns, but not as David Collins. Instead, he plays Hans Kammler, a mad scientist leading an experiment on creating three of the deadliest super soldiers to ever exist.
The Direct caught up with Onslaught director Adam Wingard on the red carpet for the movie's Los Angeles premiere, who revealed that despite Dan Steves' two characters seeming to be two completely different people, there might actually be a connection there for those who really look.
On the red carpet, we were also able to speak with Onslaught star, and upcoming DCU mainstay, Adria Arjona (Celeste), alongside Blake Kennedy (Daisy), Eric Wareheim (Kovacks), and Michael Biehn (Baylor).
There Is a Connection Between Dan Stevens' Characters
David Collins and Hans Kammler Have a Connection.
- The Direct: "When it comes to when you first thought of this film, what was the mission statement? What was just the goal that you wanted to achieve when it was all said and done?"
Adam Wingard: Well, from the get go, for me, I saw this as the capper on a trilogy with 'Your Next' and 'The Guest' being the first two. And it's both a thematic trilogy, but also like this film takes place in the same town, and there are elements of this story that, if you kind of read between the lines, you can tie them in, especially to 'The Guest.' And thematically, there's this military sort of theme. And not to say that this would be the end of this kind of thematic thing we're doing, but this is definitely the cap on a trilogy. And so, from the beginning, that was my number one goal was to really get back to my roots and do something that continues it.
- The Direct: "You previously confirmed, like you were talking about, The Guest is set in the same universe, but you did bring Dan Stevens back for this movie as a different character, not David Collins. Can you talk about why you made that decision?"
Wingard: Well, I think that, and I don't want to say too much, but I think that people can kind of read between the lines and see that there maybe is a correlation between the two. But I'll kind of just leave that up to the fans to sort of, you know, pick apart because in my mind they are related in like certain ways.
Adria Ajorna on Her Intense Training for Onslaught
"... It Was Rigorous."
- The Direct: "Your character does some insane stuff in this film, and you kick so much ass. So I'm curious, leading up to it, what kind of like prep work did you have to do, and how did that prepare you for not only this movie, but also maybe even future projects like your role in Man of Tomorrow, next year."
Adria Ajorna: I did a lot of training. I did a lot of training. I did a lot of stunt work to make sure you know I'm working with a little girl, so to make sure that I learned how to fall and always in protection of Blake [Kennedy]. So there was a lot of training for that. There was a lot of gun training. How to clear a room. Celeste is a sniper. I never dealt with a sniper... It was a lot of training, and it was rigorous. It was very cold outside when we filmed, and I barely had, you know, I just had my pajamas. That's my costume. So, I learned a lot of discipline through this role. And it did help me for 'Man of Tomorrow' and for the training of 'Man of Tomorrow' for sure.
Blake Kennedy, who plays Celeste's daughter Daisy in the movie, had nothing but praise for her onscreen mother, adding that Adria Ajorna would even teach her Spanish everyday.
Blake Kennedy: She would teach me Spanish for it every day. So that was really nice, and she's a great actor, and I learned a lot from her. I can't wait for you to see the movie.
Eric Wareheim on Playing the Pathetic, Yet Lovable, Loser In Onslaught
"He's Like the Classic Trope of This Loser, Deadbeat Cop."
- The Direct: "Your character is awesome, but he's obviously kind of the pathetic one in the town. What is it like, not only do you get to play the pathetic character, [but he also] has his moments, and then he ends up kind of becoming one of the most likable people in the film?"
Eric Wareheim: It was just a totally different experience for me. I've never done that. I've never—I'm a director, so it was like I let go and let Adam just do it, and I love it. I love that character. Adam let me wear a bonsai shirt. .. I try to, I try to help, but I, I don't. Maybe I make it out, maybe I don't. I don't know.
- The Direct: "When it comes to your character, what would you say is the core of him? What is his key trait or defining feature that keeps him going?
Wareheim: I think he's like the classic trope of this loser, deadbeat cop. But he loves his people. I mean, I'm from the East Coast, and the way I show love is I kind of like razz people and like make fun of them. But that, by paying attention to you, it means I love you. So this guy, he loves his people, and you can tell at the end. I think he really cares.
- The Direct: "What was the most surprising challenge you faced while working on this production?"
Wareheim: Being an actor, honestly. I mean, like, not trying to control every shot, [and] everything, and I just let go, and that was very hard. But like, that's the way you got to do it. It's fun.
The full red carpet interviews can be viewed below.
