I'm not a big scary movie person, but I'm going to have to make an exception because my nephew Jeff directed a horror/thriller called The Devil's Mouth, out July 28 at 11 p.m. on Prime Video. It's about a group of friends who take a trip to Thailand for one last hurrah before they graduate college and real life begins. Their big excursion is exploring an underwater cave system called The Devil's Mouth, where an angry shark who's out for blood lurks. Couldn't be me.
I'm so proud of Jeff, and I had to get the scoop from him about how The Devil's Mouth came to be, the biggest challenges of shooting the movie, and whether it's really as scary as it looks. Take a look below, and I hope you'll watch the movie!
Katie Couric: Tell us about this movie. Where did the idea come from?
Jeff Wadlow: It was actually a script that was sent to me by a different studio back in 2022. That studio was bought by Lionsgate, who asked if I was still interested after my last movie with them, Imaginary — and we were off to the races!
Have you always wanted to do something with sharks?
All filmmakers secretly want to make a shark movie, whether they'll admit it or not. Jaws was just so transformative, and since then, a whole subgenre of shark movies has evolved. The question you have to answer is, what am I going to offer this subgenre that hasn't been seen before? I think we have a pretty terrifying answer with Devil's Mouth.
Not to mix metaphors, but I understand this was a real bear to direct. Tell us about some of the conditions you were working under.
Well, for starters, about 85 percent of the movie takes place in water…in caves. Historically, water and movie cameras do not get along. So all the kinds of shots I normally do, like dolly shots and Steadicam shots, were not possible. I couldn't even do handheld shots, because it's impossible to hold a movie camera while treading water.
What was it about this genre that appealed to you?
I love shark movies, and I'm a huge fan of claustrophobic horror, like Alien. Intense, high-stakes situations like the one our characters find themselves in in Devil's Mouth force them to change and reveal who they really are. There's also something really primal about a shark movie — these aren't made-up monsters. These creatures are very real, so the suspension of disbelief is a lot easier than, say, with zombies, dinosaurs, and aliens — assuming you don't believe aliens are real.
Tell us about some of the actors in the film and why you cast them.
Kathryn Newton is a scream queen whose career is proving to be as iconic as Jamie Lee Curtis's. Then you add in the undeniably lovable Lana Condor from To All the Boys I've Loved Before, playing against type; the incredibly charismatic Nico Hiraga from Booksmart; Gavin Casalegno from The Summer I Turned Pretty (Team Jeremiah!), showing us why he's such a sensation; the unforgettable Tayme Thapthimthong from White Lotus season 3; and our breakout, Tommi Rose, from Outer Banks — and it's pretty obvious that I think we have one of the most exciting casts in Hollywood.
You know I don't like scary movies — is this going to be too scary for your Aunt Katie?
You might have to cover your eyes a few times, but when you see how these badass ladies dig deep to try and survive The Devil's Mouth, I think you're gonna be cheering. I love making movies about strong female characters, because I've got more than a few in my family.
The Devil's Mouth is out July 28 at 11:00 p.m. on Prime Video.
