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Behind the Scenes at Fear Street: The Director Explains Why Adaptation Demanded a New Murderer from the Original Novel

Netflix is producing another movie from the Fear Street series, titled Prom Queen. This comes five years after the hugely popular and well-received trilogy that Netflix released four years ago. Unlike its predecessors, this standalone film is set in 1988 and revolves around a group of high school girls vying for the title of prom queen. However, their dream night turns into a nightmare as they are mercilessly murdered, one by one, during their big dance.

In a recent conversation, Russ Milheim of TopMob had an engaging talk with filmmaker Matt Palmer about the newly released installment within their popular franchise, its link to the initial Netflix trilogy, the adaptations required from the source novel, and creating the latest menacing character.

How Connected Is Fear Street: Prom Queen to the First Netflix Trilogy?

“It’s Definitely a Standalone Film,” But One That Has Small Connections

• TopMob: “Speaking of those previous three films, can you kind of tease to audiences how connected this new one is, you know, if at all, or just how much it weaves into the DNA of it?”

In my perspective: I find myself venturing into uncharted territories. There’s much more to discuss about the intricacies of this town, considering its contrasting neighborhoods like Shadyside and Sunnyvale. We delve further into the reality of residing in a town that mirrors many blue-collar American towns today, grappling with challenges and complexities. It’s a place that resonates with the vibes of numerous towns across America today, yet it interacts uniquely with its surroundings.

Let’s delve further into the experience of residing in a town that carries an air of poverty and disorder, one might call it a typical blue-collar community. There are many American towns today that seem to fit this description, yet it’s not just about the environment, there’s a certain dynamic at play.

If we stretch our imagination, perhaps there could be something towards the end of the movie, possibly even during or after the credits, connecting back to the original trilogy and providing continuity. However, this film can certainly be enjoyed as a standalone production on its own merits.

In the original trilogy, they skillfully established a rich narrative. Essentially, most plot points were wrapped up, except for a few minor questions, like “who has the book?” which remained unanswered. This leaves little room for expansion without audiences feeling they already know the answers. However, I’m confident that eager fans will explore those lingering mysteries, but we’ve intentionally left those threads open for future filmmakers to develop.

• TopMob: “There have been three hugely popular ‘Fear Street‘ movies so far on Netflix. How did you want this one to differ and feel unique from those ones?”

Matt Palmer: It seems the producers were quite receptive from the get-go. My co-writer and I proposed an idea, thinking that if given a chance, it would be the most thrilling thing to write and the most enjoyable experience. We expected them to decline our pitch, but surprisingly, they showed great enthusiasm instead.

Well, we’re almost there, but I’m not so sure Netflix would be interested.” Surprisingly, Netflix took the bait. In essence, we had a concept for the movie’s tone and style that was distinct from the first three. We wondered, “Will they go for it?”

They wanted to submit our idea to Netflix, but we thought Netflix might not be interested. To our surprise, they did! Our idea was about the tone and type of film we wanted to make, which was different from the first three. We questioned if they would approve it.

They accomplished it, and it seems to me that this marks a significant milestone. This could pave the way for various types of films, diverse in style and emotion, yet still interconnected in unique ways, while also maintaining a sense of independence.

Making Changes to the Original Prom Queen Fear Street Book

Changes Had to Be Made for the Adaptation.

• TopMob: “This film is based on The Prom Queen [Fear Street] book. Can you talk about just the changes you had to make to [the story], as one does when one’s adapting from a book to a different medium, and just why certain things needed to be adjusted?”

Matt Palmer: One interesting aspect was that we were crafting a murder mystery story, as I have a fondness for slasher films because they offer an additional element of intrigue – a built-in whodunit. It’s like enjoying a detective series, but also witnessing gruesome scenes where characters’ heads are severed, which makes for quite an exciting mix.

Many individuals believe those books are extremely well-known. Consequently, a large number of people are aware of who committed the murder in ‘Prom Queen.’ This led us to explore new paths. Additionally, the deaths in the book aren’t particularly gruesome, and we wanted to revisit the ’80s slasher genre where the deaths are quite graphic and shocking.

Additionally, the book is rich with conversations. Consequently, it seemed that exploring fresh avenues was inevitable.

In simpler terms, RL Stein excels in creating stories because they offer a wide range of possibilities. If you prefer to explore different paths, feel free to do so… Upon reading the book’s summary, it instantly captivated me. It was as if it had grabbed my attention tightly. I thought to myself, this could make an exceptional movie. So, we’ll base our story on the book’s premise, but we’ll also incorporate other aspects from the book while exploring additional possibilities.

• TopMob: “I’m always curious [about] some of the smaller changes that are made in some of these adaptations. So, for example, even the names of the characters were all changed. What is the thought process there?”

Matt Palmer: For me, giving characters their names is a crucial aspect of the creative journey. It involves selecting names with a certain feel and texture that should be embedded within the very essence of the writing.

With Tiffany Falconer, the surname seems to encapsulate the core of who our family is for me, so I find it necessary to alter it during character creation. This naming aspect feels like a crucial component in defining their personality, making such a change seemingly inevitable.

Designing a New and Terrifying Killer in Prom Queen

This Fear Street Killer Could Have Looked Very Different

• TopMob: We have a really cool new killer in this new entry. Can you talk about just designing the killer and why that look was what you guys went with?

In my perspective, I found the process quite challenging. Reflecting on it, I’m quite fond of the 80s Giallo films. However, I pondered over what specific Giallo aspect we should incorporate. The traditional black coat, a common trope in Giallos, wouldn’t be suitable here because our film is quite dark, and the black raincoat might blend into the shadows.

Initially, I considered using yellow for our character inspired by the iconic visual appearance of the killer in ‘Alice, Sweet Alice’ from 1976. However, when our concept artist presented a red coat, it wasn’t something I had considered due to concerns about contrasting against the red lockers. But then he surprised us with a bold choice: red on red. Upon seeing this design, both me and the producers were instantly captivated, exclaiming that it was cool, so we decided to go with a red raincoat for our character from that moment on.

In my quest for the perfect horror slasher mask, I found myself in a creative dilemma. It seemed as if every design I encountered had already been explored, leaving me feeling somewhat dejected. However, when I chanced upon a mask that initially appeared to be cartoonish, paired with a raincoat, it sparked an intriguing idea. Yet, when we assembled the ensemble, it fell short of my expectations, appearing rather foolish. But in time, as fate would have it, we stumbled upon this exceptional mask.

The set decorator discovered a modified version of another mask, which gave off an eerie vibe. We immediately thought, “That’s incredibly spooky.” Gradually, all the pieces fell into place. I had envisioned someone in a raincoat initially, and the remaining elements came together through a challenging process. However, I am satisfied with the final outcome…

The full spoiler-free interview can be viewed here:

Fear Street: Prom Queen starts streaming on Netflix on May 23.

Horror movie enthusiasts shouldn’t miss TopMob’s exclusive interviews with the cast of the new “Final Destination” movie as well!

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2025-05-21 04:15