Strange Darling Director Reveals Serial Killer Movie Was Almost Canceled

JT Mollner, the writer-director of Strange Darling, recently disclosed that the film was almost canceled shortly after the production began. This revelation comes as the film gears up to release in US theaters on Friday, August 23. The film originally had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, on September 22, 2023.

JT Mollner says Strange Darling was nearly canceled during production

Mollner revealed in a recent interview that the production for Strange Darling almost abruptly ended for “a number of reasons.” The film was reportedly in production in Portland, Oregon, in 2022. Actor Giovanni Ribisi, known for his roles in films such as Saving Private Ryan and the drama series Sneaky Pete, served as the director of photography, shooting the movie exclusively on 35mm film.

At the red carpet premiere of Strange Darling, Mollner spoke to The Direct about the issues he encountered with the film’s production. “The movie got shut down for about five days early on in production for a number of reasons, and it was terrifying,” he said. “We had a lot of challenges in the beginning, and we had to take a pause for a minute because of external forces, and we almost thought we weren’t going to get back into production. And so that was a big challenge.”

Mollner added that he now considered what happened to be a learning experience. “It was a major learning experience, keeping a positive attitude, keeping everybody interested, getting back into production, and going even harder,” he elaborated. “So, it was a really tough shoot for various reasons. The crew and cast were amazing. Everybody we’re working with is amazing, but there were external forces that were hard to deal with, and we learned a lot of lessons. We came out better for it on the other side.”

The cast of Strange Darling includes Willa Fitzgerald, Kyle Gallner, Ed Begley Jr., and Barbara Hershey. Aside from shouldering the duties of director of photography, Ribisi portrays a supporting character in the film. The plot primarily follows two characters, whose unusual one-night stand takes a deadly turn.