Two stars fromThe BearandAmerican Horror Storyare teaming up for a new horror film that just got an exciting first look. A new report fromPeople Magazineunveiled the first images fromHold Your Breath, the upcoming thriller which starsSarah PaulsonandEbon Moss-Bachrach. The article also features an extensive interview with Paulson where she talks about the film’s foundations, her admiration for the screenplay, and her love for her fellow co-stars. When asked about the nature of the film, and if it plays as more of a traditional horror film or a slasher horror film, Paulson had this to say:
“Mother-daughter connection is at the core of the story. It’s not a slasher movie. It is really, at it’s core, an emotional story about a woman who is desperate to keep her children safe.”
Hold Your Breathis set during the Dust Bowl-era in Oklahoma, and follows Margaret (Paulson), a grieving mother whose only goal is to keep her daughters safe. However, her drive to protect leads her down a path to something much more evil that she never saw coming. Paulson also told People Magazine that to get into the mindset to play such a complex character from a complicated period of history, she spent time studying Depression-era photographs and even watchedKen Burns' Dust Bowl documentary. However, what first drew her to the project wasn’t just the prospect of acting in this specific era, it was writer/directorKarrie Couse’s script, which Paulson describes as “wildly potent.”
Sarah Paulson Praises ‘Hold Your Breath’ Script and Co-Stars
Paulson was hooked on the premise that something like attachment to your loved ones could translate to terror. Inmany horror films, the fear-factor comes from a killer swinging knives around, or a ghost prodding in the dark, butHold Your Breathtaps into the element of human connection that lurks deep inside all of us; the element that people will go to desperate lengths to keep. When asked about theHold Your Breathscript, she had this to say:
“I thought the script was so beautiful, and on the face of it, something that I could tap into from a human perspective. I don’t have children, but I am an aunt to my sister’s children — and I have three dogs I’m absolutely obsessed with!”
Paulson went on to praise her co-stars, particularly Moss-Bachrach, who she felt wasn’t getting enough shine from the success ofThe Bear. She was also instrumental in the casting ofAmiah Miller, who plays Paulson’s daughter in the film, comparing her talent toMeryl Streepand saying she deserved as many takes as was required to get the scene as she wanted. Diving into a fear many older Americans know well,Hold Your Breathhas the potential to stand out as one of the most terrifying and visceral horror movies of the year.
Hold Your Breathpremieres onHuluOctober 3. Check out the first-look images from the film above and watch Paulson’s Emmy-nominated performance inAmerican Horror Story, now streaming on Hulu.
American Horror Story
An anthology series centering on different characters and locations, showcasing different aspects of horror.
