The movie is terrifying on multiple levels, adroitly drawing on elements plucked from the darkest nightmares.
Jennifer Kent:I certainly encountered that with my second film.
Thats the sort of tagline for that film,The Nightingale.
Essie Davis as Amelia in The Babadook. © IFC Films
Some people werent scared, but a lot of people were.
Is that a question you get a lot?
And I have to say… yes.
© IFC Films
io9: Yes to both?
Why do you see those themes as such a compelling lens into horror?
Kent:Yeah, I probably wasnt finished with that sort of subject matter, I guess.
© IFC Films
In The Murmuring, I was really fascinated by ghosts.
And I [still] am, I find them very sad.
To me, it was incredibly tragic and heartbreaking.
© IFC Films
Originally that that episode came from a story by Guillermo.
Thats all I needed to know.
And he wanted to focus on sort of a ghost, an evil child.
And I wasnt so into that.
So the other stuff came from me.
Even though they have similar themes, I feel that the focus is different.
io9: What is it about Essie Davis that makes her such a favorite to work with?
Kent:I went through acting school with Ess.
She was in the year below me, her and Cate Blanchett.
So she was in good company.
When we were casting The Murmuring, I put her forward and thats the way we went.
Its just a joy to work with her.
So I think Im lucky to have done it twice.
She knows Ill push herbut, you know, hopefully in a compassionate way.
You know, theres trust there.
He even popped up onWhat We Do in the Shadows.
What did you make of that unexpected pop cultural presence?
No one will remember it.
I was sitting there and in shock, feeling like, Ive made it!
And yeah, Ive loved it.
Ive loved watching it happen.
io9: And even with that new identity for the Babadook, hes stillscaryin the context of the movie.
I thought the book was the most powerful.
So it just felt right.
And then the next step was to get the maker of the book.
Whos going to make this book?
It felt like if it was a pop-up and its three-dimensional, it has a life of its own.
To me, it was very important because the book is the central design piece.
The world of the film springs up and around from that book.
So he needed to be with us so we could work together.
Its very, very hard to do something like that on Zoom or on the phone.
io9: Do you still have the original props?
Ive got most of it.
io9: Have you ever given any thought to a sequel, or continuing the story somehow?
Kent:Never thought about it, and intentionally not thought about it.
I think theres just no need for it.
Theres absolutely no need to explore beyond what I already did.
The only reason would be to make money.
So, yeah, not saying yes to that.
io9: I bet you have.
And I was kind of open to it, am kind of open to it.
But thats not really a sequel.
Thats more a reprisal of sorts.
io9:I think theres a potential there!
Can you say anything about what youre working on now, or what might be coming up for you?
Kent:Were about to announce something thats going ahead, a film based on a book.
A very well-known horror book.
But I cant really say more than that at this point.
Want more io9 news?
News from the future, delivered to your present.
