The Boogeyman Director Explains How They Created The Mythical Monster (Exclusive) (2024)

By Jamie Jirak

The Boogeyman hit theaters everywhere today, and it's an adaptation of Stephen King's short story of the same name. The new horror film was directed by Rob Savage, who previously helmed Dashcam. The original story was first published in a 1973 issue of Cavalier before being collected in King's Night Shift anthology in 1978. Of course, the mythical "Boogeyman" has been a part of folklore since the 16th century, but it's never had a specific look. Recently, ComicBook.com had the chance to chat with Savage about his new film, and we asked about the design behind the monster and how they brought it to life.

"Yeah, when I came on board, nobody had any ideas," Savage revealed. "It was just this kind of amorphous thing. And so I kind of came up with my conception of the creature, which was I think actually before I came on, and kind of reworked the movie into what it became. Everyone was thinking more in terms of the last Boogeyman movie from 2005 where it's a tall kind of Babadook-y looking thing. And I really wanted to make this more of a creature feature, and for this to feel like something more kind of ferocious, and feral and inhuman."

Savage continued, "And the idea was to basically take this idea of the boogeyman and say, 'Okay, well. The boogeyman is just the name that we give it as scared children. This thing is actually way more ancient. This is the kind of primordial beast that's been around as long as there's darkness, and we've got to kind of consider it,' it's like a Lovecraftian, old god. This thing has just existed in the darkness, since time began."

"And part of the look that we came up with came from the description in the short story, and part of it, there's a kind of bit that happens at the end, this kind of weird Lovecraftian and body horror moment that happens, when the creature finally pins Sadie down," Savage explained. "That again is an homage to the short story, but also trying to leave the audience with this unknown dimension to the creature. Obviously, this is a PG-13 studio horror movie, you're going to see the monster at the end. The family's going to fight it. And I wanted there to be a moment that was just so kind of, 'What the f*ck,' that opened up a whole new question about this creature, and how much you're really seeing and understanding of it. Which again, I can't believe we got away with, in PG-13. But somehow, miraculously, we did."

Savage added the creature's design, "Well, it's all done in the computer, ultimately. We actually 3D printed the Boogeyman head which, then we kind of slathered in jelly, and lit it to make it look... Just to have a reference, so I could then show the VFX team and say, 'Look, that's what a real Boogey head looks like, in that environment, with all the stuff glistening.' So we had that on a stick, like a pantomime horse, and I would just run at the actors making noises, with this Boogeyman head. And sometimes we had a guy in suits, with the little baubles on, whenever we needed him to wrestle with the actors, or knock stuff over. We had that kind of practical element."

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Who Stars inThe Boogeyman?

The Boogeymanstars Sophie Thatcher (Yellowjackets), Chris Messina (Air), Vivien Lyra Blair (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Marin Ireland (The Umbrella Academy), Madison Hu (Bizaardvark), LisaGay Hamilton (Vice), and David Dastmalchian (Boston Strangler). Savage, fresh off his Shudder hit Host, directs the film from a screenplay by Scott Beck & Bryan Woods (A Quiet Place) and Mark Heyman (Black Swan) and a screen story by Scott Beck & Bryan Woods based upon the short story by Stephen King.

The Boogeyman is now playing in theaters.

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The Boogeyman Director Explains How They Created The Mythical Monster (Exclusive) (2024)

FAQs

The Boogeyman Director Explains How They Created The Mythical Monster (Exclusive)? ›

We actually 3D printed the Boogeyman

the Boogeyman
Based on the 1973 short story of the same name by Stephen King, the film follows a family that becomes haunted by the Boogeyman after a troubled man visits and inadvertently brings the creature to them. The ensemble cast includes Sophie Thatcher, Chris Messina, Vivien Lyra Blair, and David Dastmalchian.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › The_Boogeyman_(2023_film)
head which, then we kind of slathered in jelly, and lit it to make it look... Just to have a reference, so I could then show the VFX team and say, 'Look, that's what a real Boogey head looks like, in that environment, with all the stuff glistening.

What is the story behind The Boogeyman? ›

Creation of the bogeyman

It is generally thought that the bogeyman was invented to serve as a caution or deterrent to children. By warning children that a bogeyman will capture them if they stray into the dark woods, for instance, parents might better ensure that children are cautious about where they go and when.

What is the monster in Boogeyman? ›

The Boogeyman is the titular main antagonist of the 2023 horror film The Boogeyman, based off the Stephen King short story of the same name. It is a monster of unknown origin that targets and murders entire families, usually ones that have experienced a loss of a family member. For its literary counterpart, see here.

What is the myth of The Boogeyman? ›

Oftentimes, the Boogeyman is a story told by adults to children to discourage them from misbehaving. In order to achieve this, the Boogeyman is usually described as being horrific in appearance and having grotesque tendencies such as kidnapping, attacking or killing those it views as being punishable.

What is The Boogeyman afraid of? ›

Quotes. "The Boogeyman isn't just some ordinary Boggart that can be expelled through a simple Riddikulus. That thing is a Tulpa, a creature born from the dreams of mankind, or in his case, nightmare. He isn't just some embodiment of fear of the dark, he IS the fear of the dark, of the strange, of the unknown.

What demon is The Boogeyman? ›

In some cases the bogeyman is a nickname for the Devil. The Bogeyman is related to many similar beings, who, together, form an entire villain type in themselves. However, he is definitely the most infamous of them all and is especially prominent in Western cultures.

Who was the real boogeyman in real life? ›

Albert Fish also known as the “real life boogeyman” or the Brooklyn “vampire”. He was born in 1870 in the Washington D.C area. He married and raised six children. He was a farmer who mostly worked as a handyman and a painter.

What is the real meaning of boogeyman? ›

noun. , plural bo·gey·men. an imaginary evil character of supernatural powers, especially a mythical hobgoblin supposed to carry off naughty children.

What is The Boogeyman's weakness? ›

Fire is the Boogeyman's weakness, as it stays in the shadows and fears light. Humans can wield fire to combat the creature. The Boogeyman preys on emotionally vulnerable victims, primarily targeting children.

Who killed boogeyman? ›

Actually, in the movie it is mentioned that there was another mafia who was called Baba Yaga/The Boogeyman. John Wick was hired to kill him which he obviously did after which he was know as the Boogeyman.

Is The Boogeyman good or bad? ›

The Boogeyman might fall short of its terrifying source material, but a spooky atmosphere and some solid performances help keep the chills coming. If you don't mind spending a lot of time waiting for things to happen, The Boogeyman is worth watching for some solid jump scares.

What are the powers of The Boogeyman? ›

  • Haunting.
  • Invisibility.
  • Non-Physical Interaction.
  • Psionics. Dream Walking. Extrasensory Perception. Hallucination Solidification. Illusion Manipulation. Telekinesis. Teleportation.

How do you protect yourself from The Boogeyman? ›

Facing the Boogeyman
  1. Strengthen Your Resolve. ...
  2. Connect with Others. ...
  3. Maintain Perspective. ...
  4. Stay Informed. ...
  5. Amp Up Self-Care. ...
  6. Try Helpful Self-Talk. ...
  7. Consider Supplements and Meds.
Mar 21, 2020

What does The Boogeyman symbolize? ›

Bogeymen may target a specific act or general misbehaviour, depending on the purpose of invoking the figure, often on the basis of a warning from an authority figure to a child. The term is sometimes used as a non-specific personification of, or metonym for, terror, and sometimes the Devil.

What Stephen King story is The Boogeyman based on? ›

Taken directly from the pages of King's exquisite 1978 debut short story collection, Night Shift, "The Boogeyman" tells the story of one of the most loathsome characters (I don't say that lightly,) I've ever come across, as he and his wife, Rita, are afflicted with any parent's worst nightmare.

What is the meaning of The Boogeyman in Halloween? ›

The Boogeyman is a shadowy, amorphous ghost who hides in dark places in order to frighten unsuspecting victims. He's more of a nuisance than a danger, and his power is easily neutralized by bright light. His name probably originates from Middle English bugge, meaning “something frightening.”

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