Exclusive: Edgar Ramirez, Eric Bana, Joel McHale and Lulu Wilson on the 'Deliver Us from Evil' Red Carpet
This summer the horror genre returns to cinemas with "Deliver Us from Evil." The new film, starring Eric Bana and Edgar Ramirez, tells the story of NY police officer Ralph Sarchie, who investigates a series of crimes which forces him to join an unconventional priest, schooled in the rituals of exorcism.
The film had its New York premiere on Wednesday, June 24 where the producer, Jerry Bruckheimer, director Scott Derrickson and the film's stars were present.
Bruckheimer, who is known for his work on big blockbusters such as "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "National Treasure," told Latin Post that the reason he picked this project was because of the story.
"It's a true story and it's about a detective experiencing all these things that happened to various people and I'm a big fan of horror movies," Bruckheimer said.
When the film entered pre-production, the producer was tasked with finding a director who could handle the genre and as a result he picked Derrickson.
"He's a terrific director and he understands horror films better than anyone in the industry. He's the perfect choice."
Meanwhile Derrickson praised Bruckheimer for the opportunity of working on the film. Derrickson, who has worked on a number of horror films such as "Sinister," said that this film was very different from his previous forays into the genre because it combined action and horror elements.
"I think this movie is more a supernatural thriller rather than a straight horror. It's definitely a hybrid movie, it's both a police procedural and a scary movie," he noted. "It's also got action in it and some comedy. It's a little bit more mainstream."
While Derrickson was thrilled about working with Bruckheimer, he said that it was even more of a thrill to meet the real Ralph Sarchie, who wrote the original novel.
"Meeting Ralph was the reason I wanted to make the movie. There is no one in the world like Ralph," he stated. "He's a good cop and takes what he does investigating the Paranormal very seriously. He was actually on our set every day as the police advisor making sure that Eric Bana and Joel McHale wore their badges and carried their guns right and acted like cops."
Derrickson was also thrilled to work with a cast that included Eric Bana, Edgar Ramirez, Olivia Munn and Joel McHale among others.
"They're amazing [people] and an extraordinary group of actors to work with. All of them are good in the movie."
Ramirez, Joel McHale and newcomer Lulu Wilson also made appearances at the premiere and all were equally enthusiastic about their director's work.
"Scott is a living genius and he is incredibly cool and good on set. He knows what he wants and has already edited the film in his head," said McHale. "He sees the movie and he's not one of those guys who wanders. It gives me and the other cast members great confidence. It was a fabulous set."
McHale also noted that he was able to experience new things. "I got to fight with knives and I got to play a cop. It was a dream come true."
Meanwhile, Ramirez expressed excitement about having been invited to the project. "I was invited by director/writer Scott Derrickson and he presented a very complex story with great characters and a lot of contradictions and interesting twists. So I was delighted to be part of it."
He added, "He's a brilliant director. He has a very deep understanding of the human condition and he is very sensitive and respectful to the genre and phenomena. I think he is bringing elegance and complexity to the horror genre and that is great news. I have a lot of respect for horror films and I think good horror films are nothing but metaphors for greater subjects of humanity. In the case of this movie, it is all about compassion and forgiveness and the importance of forgiveness in our daily lives."
Ramirez also enjoyed working with the cast.
"Eric is one of my favorite actors and I always wanted to work with him," enthused Ramirez. "Joel is great and he is the revelation of the movie. He is doing some different because he comes from the comedy world. I think it was a great cast."
Newcomer Wilson had great things to say about the cast as well. "It was so fun, and they were absolutely so nice," she said.
Ralph Sarchie also attended the premiere and shared his excitement for the project.
"It was a great experience to see my story come to life. I was thrilled to see Eric [Bana] play me in the film," he stated. "I knew Eric from his past movies and I just thought he was a fantastic actor and I knew he was good with accents. He has an ear for that kind of stuff and I knew he was going to nail it and he did."