Horror has always been a fantastic starting-off point for up and coming filmmakers and artists who then go big and unfortunately never return to the genre. Have you ever seen Leonardo DiCaprio talk about “Critters 3” after going big? Or Steven Spielberg saying no to a prestige Oscar-film to direct another tense horror film? No. More often than not, filmmakers who start in horror and then expand their careers don’t go back. But what about filmmakers who make a name of their own, and after a while decide to go into horror? Well, we may have one in “Ammonite” director, Francis Lee.
During an interview with The Film Stage to discuss “Ammonite,” Lee teases the two projects he’s currently working on. “My favorite genre is horror. I’ve always wanted the opportunity to make a really, really fucking scary horror film. So I’m working on that,” Lee said. “And I’m working on another personal project. I guess that’s all I can say at the moment.”
Then, in a separate interview with Metro Weekly, Lee expanded a bit on the setting for the film. “What can I tell you? It’s about deep intimate human relationships, again. It’s a period piece. But it’s set in the 20th century. And it is a horror film.” When asked if the film will have any queer elements in it, Lee answered: “Totally, yeah. Totally. I’ll be fascinated to talk to you about it [after] it gets made, because it is dealing with some fundamentals about being queer. And often not in a very positive way. So it will be really fascinating to talk about it when it’s done.”
Even if “Ammonite” has got a bit of a mixed reception, “God’s Own Country” is an excellent film and to see Francis Lee dive into the horror genre should be a very interesting experiment.