For Akela Cooper, the screenwriter behind Universal’s hit horror-comedy M3GAN, horror has always been a family affair. “I was steeped in science fiction because my parents were really into sci-fi, especially my dad,” she tells Vanity Fair over Zoom. “Horror was my older siblings’ thing. I would end up, probably inappropriately, watching a lot of horror because of them. I just came to love the thrill of being scared, and just grew an appreciation for monsters and monster design. So it’s always been with me.”
Her love of the genre is clear as she Zooms in from her home office in Los Angeles, which is covered in horror movie posters and paraphernalia. While M3GAN has earned raves for its seamless mix of horror and humor, comedy has never been a particular passion for Cooper. “I don’t ever really write to tone. I’m not like, This is campy now, and Now this has to transition into seriousness,” Cooper says. “I just write the scenes as I see them in my head. It all just starts with the characters. What are the characters doing in the scenes? What are they feeling? What is M3GAN doing? What is she feeling? How is she responding to all of this?”
Cooper chats with Vanity Fair about accidentally inventing a queer icon, the collaborative nature of filmmaking, and her favorite horror villain of all time.
Vanity Fair: What horror media were you obsessed with when you were a kid?
Akela Cooper: I came to Stephen King fairly early on. I saw Christine as a midday movie a bunch. It would just air and I would catch it at various times. Then one time, I caught it at the beginning. I saw the credits, and that it was based on a novel by Stephen King. I’m like, “This is a book? I love reading books. Let me seek out this book.” Christine was the first Stephen King novel I ever read, and then just went from there, because I think he’s an awesome author.
One of my all-time favorite horror movies is Pumpkinhead, directed by Stan Winston. I also love John Carpenter’s The Thing. The original Alien, which is more sci-fi horror than the sequel, even though the sequel was my favorite movie of all time. Predator, Carrie, Child’s Play. Nightmare On Elm Street is my favorite of the big four. I’m a Freddy [Kreuger] girl.
You’re a Freddy girl, okay.
Yeah, then it’s Jason [Voorhees], and then it’s Michael [Myers]. Then probably it’s a toss up between Leatherface and Chucky. Probably more so Chucky. If I had to put one [movie] on, I’d put Child’s Play on before I put on Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Why is Freddy your favorite?
Well, Freddy was the first monster with a personality. Robert Englund is so great in that role, and as the movies went on, he became funnier. It became one of those things where it’s like, “Yes. I want to see him kill people.” But yeah, it is the style that he brings and that iconic look.
Speaking of great performances, Allison Williams is perfectly cast as Gemma in M3GAN. How did you conceive of the tightly wound, type A protagonist?
Because I’m a type-A personality [laughs]. It all came from, “Oh my God. What would I have to do if I had to take care of a small child?” Then just working those aspects, getting notes from the guys at Atomic Monster and Blumhouse who do have kids. I do not have kids. They’re bringing their parental experience into it. It’s like, “Well, what if it was this?” and just weaving all of those together. I was never picturing Allison Williams.
Wow, that’s crazy because it feels as if the part was written for her. Were you picturing any actress specifically?
Not necessarily. It really was about personality on the page. Luckily, Allison was the right fit for all of that. It was very fortuitous that we found each other and she was cast.
You’ve mentioned the potential for an unrated, “gorier” director’s cut of M3GAN. Can you tell me a little more about that?
Well, to clarify, [drafts of] my script were darker to the point where James Wan had to give me the notice, “Hey. You’ve killed off too many characters.” I remember one of the employees at Funky was, I think, brutally murdered in a stairwell. The script was way more gruesome. Even what we filmed, there was more blood and a little bit more gore. So yes, if there ever is an unrated version, which I hope there is—as I’ve said, I know they’re in talks to do it—Hopefully they will do it. But yeah, like Ronny Chieng‘s character’s death, that was way bloodier in the R-rated version. Hopefully, people will get to see that, because I kind of miss that.