Interview: Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, and More Talk Abigail

Last Updated on April 22, 2024

Vampire films in the past decade or so have been hit or miss. With every Renfield, you have something
subpar sent straight to VOD. Lately, Universal Pictures has been killing it by dipping their toes back into their vampire lore with the above-mentioned Renfield and last summer’s The Last Voyage of the
Demeter.

As fun as those films were, Universal’s latest release, Abigail, is something on another level. Recently, I had the absolute pleasure of speaking with Matt Betinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett about their latest film. I also had the joy of speaking with the cast, including a paired-up Melissa Barrera and Alisha Weir (who were a power force together in both film and on-screen), Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, William Catlett, and Kevin Durand. Frankly, I’m expecting to see major things for young Ms. Weir. Her performance here is incredible.

We discussed the film, which our own Michael Conway raved about, and we also got a little more insight into their roles. Having seen the film, I tend to agree with our review in saying it’s a damn good time at the movies and one that demands to be seen with a crowd. If you are fans of the directing duo’s previous work like Ready or Not or their Scream sequels, you are in for quite the bloody treat. It’s a well-set-up heist film that just so happens to involve a vampire. While it is indeed tense at times, there is a perfect balance of comedy to counteract the horror. If you are in the mood for a fun thrill ride of a picture, I highly recommend checking out Abigail, which opens today.

Here’s the official synopsis: Children can be such monsters. After a group of would-be criminals kidnap the 12-year-old ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure, all they have to do to collect a $50 million ransom is watch the girl overnight. In an isolated mansion, the captors start to dwindle, one by one, and they discover, to their mounting horror, that they’re locked inside with no normal little girl.