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Horror speaks to me in ways other genres dont, Cooper says.
So, he took that story and set it as a Western with a Mexican kid at the center.
Its not typical for B-movies to elicit emotion.
Akela Cooper at the LA premiere of ‘M3GAN.‘Leon Bennett
The low-budget films were initially conceptualized for quick, consumable entertainment and scares, not longevity.
However, Cooper managed to infuse and maintain the essence while also pushing the boundaries of the genre.
2021sMalignantis a gonzo Giallo-inspired slasher that is equal parts campy and violent.
Annabella Wallis inMalignant.Ron Batzdorff/Warner Bros./Everett Collection
However, the following year marked a huge success for Cooper with the release ofM3GAN.
M3GANsurprised and dominated at the box office pulling in $180 million against its $12 million budget.
From there, it was clear that the pair had tapped into something audiences were responding to.
Elevated horror is still the acceptable horror right now.
You got stuff likeBarbarianandSmile, which was half elevated, half B-movie, monster movie, which was cool.
Right now, the market seems like a 60/40 split for elevated versus traditional B-horror movie tendencies.
The great thing about horror is that its a community.
And I think audiences are responding to the B-movie fun of what I hope I am bringing to horror.
Thats not the only thing that also makes Cooper special.
Being a Black woman in a space where few women exist has made her a standout.
And Im like, It doesnt necessarily have to.
Its a radical act in and of itself just to have a horror movie with Black characters, period.
We dont have to make it about racism or slavery or anything else.
So, sometimes I feel this pressure, but I am still making the movies I want to make.
She continues, hoping to have opened the door for more people to get the opportunity.
Cooper also says, I shouldnt be a trailblazer at this point in the industry of Hollywood.
Then they would approach me afterward and say, I didnt know I could write horror.
It always blows my mind when I have those encounters.
Im always encouraging people.
Its like, Yes, Black people, Black women, we can write whatever we want.
Just write what you love.
