Movies like the recent surprise hit Buddy, which features an orange Barney-like figure murdering children, show that nostalgia is ripe with potential, especially in the horror genre. Enter Play House, a film that just made its debut at Fantastic Fest 2026.
The story follows Will Harrison's Elliot, a broken-hearted man who decides to buy and renovate a dilapidated house in order to win back his ex. During the process, he unexpectedly finds some abandoned VHS tapes under the old water heater tank in the basement. On them is James Urbaniak's Mr. Morton and his kids show, Monster Alley, a series no one has ever heard of. Given that this is a horror movie, there's a reason no one knows about Monster Alley or its unsettling host, Mr. Morton.
The Direct spoke with director and co-writer Nicolas Curcio, along with actor James Urbaniak, to discuss the inspirations behind the children's television show's host, Mr. Morton, and how Urbaniak began figuring out how he'd embody this unsettling and disturbing man.
Fans of horror should check out The Direct's coverage of Victorian Psycho at Fantastic Fest, another genre film that gives Maika Monroe a vehicle for one of her craziest performances yet.
Mr. Morton Is Like a Demented Mr. Rogers
"It's Not Goofy, and It's Actually Really, Really Scary"
- The Direct: "Mr. Morton is awesome. Great performance, and also a great twisted little character. And so, I just want to talk to you guys about just the main inspiration there, how you found the character, and then also how you found the character in your performance and brought him to life in all of his many facets. "
Nicolas Curcio: Yeah, I mean, I think obviously, Mr. Rogers was a big sort of comp that we talked about early on when we were writing the script. But I still think, tonally, we were searching for how to approach it. We just knew it was going to depend on the actor. We initially thought of more like we should get a comedic actor, and maybe have them do like a Robin Williams in a one-hour photo type of situation. But I mean, we lucked out with James [Urbaniak] because he just approached it with such sincerity, and like that's exactly why the character works, and it's not goofy, and it's actually really, really scary.
James Urbaniak: When you're an actor, and you're playing a villain or a psychopath or whatever, not to label Mr. Morton—Mr. Morton doesn't realize he's creepy. Mr. Morton doesn't think he's creepy. Mr. Morton is just trying to make this show for personal reasons. So that's sort of the way in. You just think about it, not as I'm here to be creepy or scary or even funny.
According to the actor, he doesn't consider Mr. Morton to be a performer in the first place; he's simply a twisted individual trying to do something he deems important.
Urbaniak: Also, a key for me is realizing Mr. Morton is not a performer. He's not a professional actor. He's not a comedian. He's not a real performer. So he's just a guy, and in his twisted mind, he's doing something important. So you're not thinking about I'm a performer doing a thing. You're just a guy trying to do something, and so that just lets you keep it sort of natural. And then the context is what makes it scary and creepy.
Our entire interview with the cast and filmmakers of Play House is available below. During the conversation, we spoke with director/co-writer Nicolas Curcio, co-writer Kirby Gladstein, and actors Will Harrison (Elliot), Jordan Gonzalez (Alden), and James Urbaniak (Mr. Morton).
