Michael Peña, Lucy Hale and Jeff Wadlow welcome us to Fantasy Island!

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Let’s be honest, most of you have probably never watched a single episode of the classic television series “Fantasy Island” correct? Perhaps you’ve heard of the iconic Mr. Roarke played with charm by Ricardo Montalban? Or maybe you’ve heard the famous line, “De plane! De Plane!” This particular bit of dialogue is beyond iconic, and helped introduce audiences to Hervé Villechaize as Tattoo. Well, Blumhouse and filmmaker Jeff Wadlow had a few ideas to put focus on the genre aspect – there were a few episodes with horror elements – and give us a full blown scary feature about this mysterious vacation spot. Their latest stars Lucy Hale, Maggie Q, Jimmy O. Yang, Portia Doubleday, Michael Rooker, Kim Coates and Michael Pena.

We recently had the opportunity to make our way to the FANTASY ISLAND junket for a bit of fun in the sun, where guests were even treated to Mimosas and other tasty island delights. While there, we sat down with some of the film’s stars including the incredibly lovely and talented Lucy Hale. Considering the actress has appeared in a few horror flicks including SCREAM 4 and the Wadlow directed TRUTH OR DARE, she opened up about her experience doing horror and what the appeal is. She also chatted about what made her want to be a part of this modern take on the series.

Next up we sat down with one of the nicest guys around. Jeff Wadlow is a ridiculously cool fellow. We talked about the old series, and he explained how the inception for his latest came out of wanting to do a movie sort of like the Ricardo Montalban series. Needless to say, his idea became an actual remake of the hit show.  As well, I ask him about bringing this to the big screen, and if he ever thought about using some of the original storylines that helped make the television show popular. Jeff is a genuinely kind man, and it’s always great when a director is as genuine as he is.

And speaking of genuine, it’s damn near impossible to find somebody as cool as Michael Peña. The ridiculously talented actor chatted about his own memories of “Fantasy Island” and what his approach was to playing a slightly darker version of Mr. Roarke. It’s always terrific to speak with Mr. Peña. The actor is incredibly down-to-earth, yet he always gives such scene-stealing performances in his work. And yes, he certainly owns the role of Roarke, and it’s always fun to see him take on something a little different. Are you ready for an adventure? Well FANTASY ISLAND is taking reservations this weekend at a theatre near you!