Oscar-nominated actor Demian Bichir may be fronting a major Hollywood horror film "The Nun", but the actor says he does not like being scared in real life and has predictably stayed away from other films in the "Conjuring" universe.
Bichir plays a priest, Father Burke, in the '50s-set film. He and Taissa Farmiga's novitiate Sister Irene are tasked by the Vatican to investigate a mysterious death at an abbey in Romania and encounter something that puts them on a path of extreme danger.
"I have not seen any of the films. I am not a big fan of horror films. I don't like to be scared so that's the only reason I have not watched it," Bichir told PTI in a telephonic interview from the US.
"I wanted to make this one because making a film is way more different than watching it. I guess it was a way of exploring my inner demons and fears," he added.
"The Nun", set to be released in India on September 7 by Warner Bros, explores the beginning of the inhuman spirit, also known as Valak, that appeared in "The Conjuring 2", the second film in the horror franchise made popular by James Wan.
Corin Hardy is directing the new film, while Wan and Peter Safran are attached as producers.
Bichir, who will also be seen in "The Grudge" reboot, said it is not that he is particularly averse to the horror genre. He said, both "The Nun" and "The Grudge", are well-written stories and that was the main reason for him to come on board.
"It is all about the script. I don't have anything against any genre. They both had powerful scripts and while there is always a distance between what is written and what appears on screen, I am hopeful that it will match in the case of these two films. 'The Nun' looks like a fantastic film."
The priest in a scary movie is a trope that has been done to death but Bichir is confident that in Father Burke, fans will not be reminded of other such characters.
He also believes that shooting in real locations in Romania helped set the sense of dread.
"Every character presents new challenges. Father Burke is far away from me, from who I am and what I believe in. That's what attracted me to this. I felt it was a powerful character to explore and to be able to play this in real locations like Romania was a big deal. We do a lot of things with the make-up and special effects but if you set up something in Romania, it should appeal to the fans."
The film may be part of the "Conjuring" universe but it is very different from the previous films in the series, Bichir said.
The horror franchise enjoys a massive following across the globe and Bichir said he would be able to gauge his popularity with the increase in followers on his social media pages.
"Let's see how many new followers I have on Twitter and Instagram after this film releases. If my account crosses over a million or more, then that would mean I became very well known in the world. If I stay with the same followers that would mean that no one really cared," he joked.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)