While post-apocalyptic stories often harrowingly emphasize the negative effects that a large deadly global crisis devastatingly leaves on society, the popular cinematic genre often disappointingly fails to explore how those disasters also impact relatable human relationships in smaller communities. Allowing viewers to imagine themselves in such a disastrous situation, where a terminal illness progressively transforms them into menacing, zombie-like beings that are no way reminiscent of their old personalities, is powerfully showcased in the upcoming horror thriller, ‘Maggie.’ The independent drama, which will be released in select theaters and on VOD on Friday, marks the feature film directorial debut of graphic designer and commercial helmer, Henry Hobson. The filmmaker showcased his natural ability to bring sympathetic characters to the screen by exploring end-of-life issues in an intimate and emotional way, which symbolize the complexities that people often contend with as they face their mortality.

‘Maggie’ follows a necrotic viral pandemic that has spread across the country to small town America and infected the 16-year-old titular character (Abigail Breslin). Authorities have established a protocol for patients infected with the deadly virus: they are removed from society and taken to special isolation wards to complete the agonizing and dangerous transformation into one of the walking dead. The authorities do not speak about what happens after that.

Wade Vogel (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is not ready to give up his daughter. After weeks of searching for Maggie when she runs away after receiving her diagnosis, Wade brings his daughter back to her home and family, including her stepmother, Caroline (Joely Richardson), and her two younger siblings-for whatever time may be left as the teenager begins an excruciatingly painful metamorphosis. Having lost Maggie’s mother years earlier, Wade is determined to hold on to his precious daughter as long as he can, refusing to surrender her to the local police who show up with orders to take her. As the disease progresses, Caroline decides to take their two younger children and move out, leaving Wade alone with Maggie to watch helplessly as she suffers.

Hobson generously took the time recently to sit down for an exclusive interview at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City, the morning after ‘Maggie’s world premiere during the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival, to talk about directing the horror thriller. Among other things, the filmmaker discussed how he was drawn to make his feature film directorial debut on the horror thriller, as he viewed screenwriter John Scott 3’s acclaimed script as the antithesis of the typical zombie film, as the family story he created infused a relatable human element into the sub-genre; how being a first-time filmmaker, especially on an independent movie, influenced him to approach the shoot with an intense level of need to prepare for every eventuality, including the way he approached developing the story and characters with the cast and the visual aspects with the crew; and how he’s grateful that the horror thriller premiered during the Tribeca Film Festival, as it helped spread awareness about the story’s emotional relatability to audiences.

ShockYa (SY): You made your feature film directorial debut with the new horror thriller, ‘Maggie.’ What was it about writer John Scott 3’s script that convinced you to sign on to helm the film? How did you become involved in directing the drama?

Henry Hobson (HH): Well, my commercial work features a lot of creatures and monsters. So people were sending me scripts with all types of creatures, monsters and zombies, and I saw ‘Maggie’ as the antithesis of that. It features a turn on the zombie genre, and you can really see a human story in the zombie framework. I thought the story had a nice indie feel, and would allow us to feature a human story, instead of a bombastic, large-scale one.

SY: What was the process of working on the film’s script and story with John, especially since the drama features an original story and was included on the 2011 Blacklist for the best unproduced screenplays?

HH: As with working with Arnold as an admired actor, it’s an intimidating process when you’re dealing with a script people love. Within the film community, there was a lot of love for John’s script. So I approached it with a respectful take, and didn’t want to make too many changes.

Plus, over the past five years, during which ‘The Walking Dead’ has become popular, a lot of zombie stories have been explored. There are also similiar zombie shows like ‘The Returned’ and ‘In the Flesh,’ as well as the movie ‘Life After Beth.’ So even though they have all come out and have told stories like ‘Maggie’ is telling, I wanted to stay close to the original script. It features a human take on the slow, dramatic side of the transformation.

SY: You helmed ‘Maggie’ after you garnered acclaim for your work as a graphic designer and a commercial and a title sequence director. How did being a first-time feature filmmaker influence the way you approached shooting the drama?

HH: With ‘Maggie’ being my first feature, I went into it with this intense level of need to prepare for every eventuality, and thinking about what could ultimately happen. I have worked on a lot of commercials, but they tended to have larger budgets, and allowed me to have more time to think. But this film had a very tight turnaround with a comparatively low budget, under $5 million. The art department only had $10,000, which was a crazy small budget.

So I went into the project thinking, I have to prepare for everything. So I made books for all the actors, which feature the photographic styling I was looking for, as well as the history of zombies and their physical attributes, and notes on each scene and what Maggie’s doing. I created a specialized book for each actor, so that we could all develop a shorthand, and work more quickly on set. The books really helped, because we didn’t have much time, since it was a short shooting process.

SY: Speaking of creating the books for the actors, what kind of research did you also do for yourself before you began filming?

HH: Well, I also made a book for myself. Coming from the commercial world, I can understand within two minutes what a story needs in order to happen. One of the bigger challenges was bringing to life a longer story, and knowing you don’t have to edit quite so quickly. So it was a challenge to adapt to a slower pace that’s more emotional.

SY: The thriller features a diverse cast, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, who you mentioned, as well as Abigail Breslin and Joely Richardson. What was the casting process like for the cast, especially since the film focuses on family dynamics during a time of a worldwide fatal medical epidemic?

HH: The casting process was amazing. We spoke to a few actors, but I wanted to find someone for Wade who had inherent power and presence. I also wanted someone who you could see is a pillar of the community immediately, without showing scenes like him walking into a bar and everyone showing him respect. Arnold has the ability to show that in one frame. He’s someone you can look at in one image and think, he has power and success. So that means you don’t have to fully show that with the character of Wade. It was exciting to also show the vulnerable side of a performer we only know as being the successful hero.

SY: ‘Maggie’ takes a distinct approach to the story and character relationships in the zombie sub-genre. The film focuses on Wade’s willingness to do anything to protect his child, the title Maggie. Why was it important for you to emphasize the humanity in that relationship, as opposed to showing the worldwide panic about the virus?

HH: It was essential because we’ve seen every type of zombie story where people are bitten and are immediately turned. But with ‘Maggie,’ we wanted to show a more realistic version of what would happen if there actually was such a thing as a zombie virus. If we were bitten, it would probably take quite a bit of time for us to actually change-we would slowly transition. That was important to me, as we tried to make the film as real as possible.

SY: As Wade determinedly sets out to care for Maggie during her last few weeks alive, his relationship with his second wife, Caroline, who’s played by Joely Richardson, deteriorates when she moves out with their two younger children. Why did you feel it was also important to emphasize how Maggie’s transition was affecting Caroline, especially since she’s religious, and was morally conflicted over how to best care for her daughter?

HH: Yes, that relationship between Caroline and Maggie really showcases how many people deal with a trauma. With Caroline, she’s turning to religion, but it’s failing her, as it’s not coming to save her family or herself.

Then Wade doesn’t know what to turn to, and he’s the only person who doesn’t know what he’s doing. Caroline has a plan to move the younger kids out. Maggie has a plan to drive to the other side of the country, in order to get away from her family.

But Wade just brings her home, and tries to work it out as he goes along. I think there’s something so human about the fact that it’s almost uncinematic not to have a plan. You don’t see many films where people go, “I don’t know what I’m doing.” So to see Arnold have that problem as Wade is sort of new.

SY: Do you think Wade’s struggling with, and not fully accepting of the fact, that Maggie’s health is deteriorating, which is why he hasn’t developed a plan to help her during her last few weeks of life?

HH: Yes, he is truly struggling with her transformation. If you’re used to being the hero amongst your family and community, when failure comes in such a horrible way, like your daughter developing a terminal illness, it’s truly heartbreaking. I think Arnold was able to realistically bring that struggle to life, since he has daughters of his own in real life.

SY: The town and state in which Wade and his family live in the film isn’t specifically mentioned, which makes the story relatable to more audiences overall. Do you feel it was beneficial not to mention the exact area where the family lives, in an effort to show that the devastating effects of an outbreak could happen to communities across the country?

HH: Yes. I hope one of the strengths of the film is that it plays out to as many people as possible, in terms of them being able to relate to it. I think if you were to put the story in the middle of a city like New York, then there’s a large part of the country who won’t relate to it.

I hope the film works in part because viewers can see bits of themselves and their own family in the story. I hope people will ask questions like, “What would I do in this type of situation? How would I deal with this?”

SY: Besides the emotional connections between the characters, one of the most interesting aspects of ‘Maggie’ is its visuals. How did your experience as a graphic designer, as well as a commercial director, influence the way you approached creating the visual aspects of the film?

HH: With all of the commercials I’ve done, I tried to give the film a strong visual look. With ‘Maggie’ I wanted to play up to the question of if there was an actual event like this, what would we do with the people who are infected? So I started looking at Depression-era America, including the 1930s Dust Bowl, and how their clothes became simpler and more muted.

I thought in an apocalyptic environment, the excess, flashiness and gadgets are all gone. There isn’t much electricity in the film’s world, so people aren’t actively surfing the internet all day, every day. The cars in are film are also older, because the more modern cars with the electric motors have been abandoned.

SY: What was the process of working on the characters’ overall looks, particularly Maggie and the other people who have contracted the virus, with the film’s makeup department?

HH: Again, with all of these events going on, I wanted to look at what the reality of how the infected would look like. If I got bitten on my arm, the infection would take eight weeks to take over my entire body. It would spread up my arm before hitting my brain, and then spreading down my body.

Maggie was bitten on her arm, so slowly over the film, we see the infection spread over her arm, up onto her neck and then across her face. That look was very important to me, because in one shot, she could have half her head be a zombie, and the other side be human. So she could be human for a whole scene, and then as she turns, we get that flash of zombie.

SY: What was your collaboration process like with ‘Maggie’s cinematographer, Lukas Ettlin, to capture the harrowing emotional and physical effects the virus has had on the world?

HH: With all of my work, I love cinematography and looking into its little details. I made the decision with Lukas to be as close to the family as possible, and we put ourselves in their space. So the camera was hand-held throughout, which was a decision we also made because we couldn’t afford any equipment to put dollies down. So I wanted to use that problem and turn it into a benefit of making the story feel visceral and real. The lighting was always dim, which helped keep the mood dark and moody. It also reminded audiences that we’re in this dour world.

SY: With the world being overcome with the virus, what was the process of working with the thriller’s production designer, Gabor Norman, to also showcase the devastating effects the epidemic has had on places where the working class like Wade and his family lived?

HH: The production design was probably one of our biggest challenges, because our initial budget for the whole film was only $8,000. I spoke to Gabor about that, and he said, “I usually have that amount for the corner of one room.”

So we had to find a suitable farmhouse, and there aren’t any in New Orleans, where we shot the film. There are plantation houses, suburbs and water there. The producers wouldn’t let us shoot outside the filming zone, so we ended up using four houses for the one family house.

So we had to find places that felt like how I had envisioned them. We had to search for the right bedrooms and downstairs space. The room that we spent the most time on was the kitchen. Gabor had built this kitchen that included the references I gave him. He did an amazing job with no money, and it was astonishing that he was able to make the palette I wanted work.

SY: Speaking of filming on location in New Orleans, what was that overall process like for you? Did shooting on location help with the film’s overall production?

HH: Filming in New Orleans was crazy. There’s so much filmmaking going on down there, and so many talented crews. The best thing about New Orleans is the crews, which are incredibly accomplished and working all the time. They really supported me and the project, as well as Lukas, the DP (Director of Photography).

But in terms of the location, like I mentioned, getting the farmhouse was a nightmare. We needed it to be in this rural, isolated area, but you’re only allowed to shoot up to 30 miles outside of New Orleans. But within those 30 miles is a lot of water, and everything else is flooded. The houses are modern and new, because they’ve recently been remodeled.

The other homes were plantation houses, and no where else was working. We got a couple nice upstairs rooms, and found a downstairs area in another place. So we were shuffling around different houses, which made it difficult. The temperatures in New Orleans are also insane, which also made it difficult.

SY: The drama had its world premiere here in New York at the Tribeca Film Festival. What did it mean to you that the thriller played at the festival?

HH: It means everything, and I’m so grateful for Tribeca selecting it. In my eyes, I’ve always seen ‘Maggie’ as an independent, artistically-driven film, and I wanted it to be seen in that light by audiences.

SY: What was the process of making the horror thriller independently-did that process help or hinder how you approached shooting the drama, especially the visual components?

HH: Well, I think shooting independently made it harder. We had 21 producers, which meant I had to answer a lot of questions. You’re also dealing with a small amount of money and a lot of challenges. But on the flip side of that, there’s also a lot of respect for the script and performers. So you can use some of those benefits to fight the downsides, including not having resources, money and time.

SY: ‘Maggie’ is set to be released in theaters and On Demand (this Friday). Are you personally a fan of watching films on VOD, and why do you think it’s beneficial for indies like this one?

HH: Well, filmmakers always want to see their films being played in theaters, and there was always a stigma to distributing movies on VOD. But now we’re living in a world where the platform helps more people see films. People also now have better home entertainment systems, and are more comfortable seeing films on their TVs.

Written by: Karen Benardello