The Boogeyman director reveals the scene edited to “allow for screaming time”

The Boogeyman director Rob Savage revealed to Dexerto that one scene had to be edited to “allow for screaming time.” And if that doesn’t pique a horror junkie’s interest, nothing will. 

There are many reasons to be excited about horror flick The Boogeyman: 1) It’s helmed by Host and Dashcam director Rob Savage; 2) it’s adapted from the Stephen King short story of the same name; and 3) Yellowjackets’ Sophie Thatcher and Bird Box’s Vivien Lyra Blair are among the cast. 

What’s more, the movie features some epic jump scares, so much so that Savage recently revealed that it had to be re-edited as it was simply too terrifying for test audiences. 

So, when Dexerto got the chance to speak with Savage ahead of The Boogeyman’s release, we took the opportunity to ask about which moment in particular had viewers screaming in their seats, and why it had to be edited.

The Boogeyman scene had to be edited to “allow for screaming time”

When asked about the scene in question, Savage said: “It was one bit specifically, it was the first moment that you see the creature, where Sawyer is looking under the bed as she pushes the ball to the creature and you see it for the first time. 

“The first audience that saw that, they screamed so loud and reacted for so long. They screamed, and then there was kind of a hubbub across the cinema. Everyone was turning to each other, they were reacting for about a minute after that scare took place, and they completely missed the whole next scene, which is quite an important scene.”

As for what the creators did to rectify the situation, Savage explained: “So we kept the scare the same, but we had to basically add a bunch of padding, just to allow for some screaming time so they didn’t miss the next bit of information. 

“It was really about making sure that those big scares had enough time to land because people were reacting so big to them – bigger than we thought.”

What is The Boogeyman about?

If you’re wondering what The Boogeyman is all about, here’s the synopsis: “High school student Sadie Harper and her younger sister Sawyer are reeling from the recent death of their mother and aren’t getting much support from their father, Will, a therapist who is dealing with his own pain. 

“When a desperate patient unexpectedly shows up at their home seeking help, he leaves behind a terrifying supernatural entity that preys on families and feeds on the suffering of its victims.”

If you think you can handle the jump scares, The Boogeyman creeps its way into cinemas on June 2, 2023. You can check out our review of the movie here, and our other horror coverage here.