Shiloh Fernandez, from 'Red Riding Hood' to 'Evil Dead'

MANILA, Philippines - He made a splash as Amanda Seyfried's strong-willed love interest in Catherine Hardwicke’s thriller “Red Riding Hood.” Now, Shiloh Fernandez is back in another teen-oriented horror film – Columbia Pictures' “Evil Dead.”

In the film, a remote cabin in the woods becomes a blood-soaked chamber of horrors when a group of 20-something friends unwittingly awakens an ancient demon.

Mia (Jane Levy), a young woman whose life has been marred by loss and addiction, asks her brother David (Shiloh Fernandez), his girlfriend Natalie (Elizabeth Blackmore) and their childhood friends Olivia (Jessica Lucas) and Eric (Lou Taylor Pucci) to join her at the family’s rustic cabin to help her overcome her demons. Once there, she ceremoniously destroys the last of her stash and swears off drugs for good in front of her friends. Inside, Eric becomes fascinated with an ancient book he discovers there. In thrall to its mysterious contents, he reads aloud from it, never suspecting the terrifying consequences he is about to unleash.

Shiloh Fernandez plays David, a role he almost declined to audition for—but not because he didn’t want it. “I was scheduled to audition when my agent forwarded me these emails between our director, Fede Alvarez, and his agent,” says the actor. “They said we want to hire Shiloh Fernandez, but I hadn’t yet auditioned. And I said, I’m not going to go to this audition. There’s nothing I could do except blow my chances.”

But Fernandez’ agent convinced him to keep his appointment and he was quickly cast as David, the survivor of a difficult childhood. “Their mom was mentally ill,” says Fernandez. “He protected his little sister as best he could until he turned 18 and then he left. He couldn’t be part of it any longer.”

The relationship between David and his sister and their friends is part of what drew Fernandez into the script. “There was a lot to explore,” he says. “I’d never done a film like this before, but I enjoyed finding the truth within the horror.”

While still in Los Angeles, the actor spent time with Alvarez ironing out some of the finer points of his character. “Because he is the writer as well, Fede was able to explain exactly what he wanted,” says Fernandez. “He is a filmmaker with a real cinematic eye. It was really neat to watch his vision unfold. On the set, he paid complete attention to what each of us was doing and came back with direction for us all.”

Rated R-18 Without Cuts by the MTRCB, “Evil Dead” will be shown exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas on May 8, with special sneak previews on April 22 & 23.

Moviegoers can catch the film at Glorietta 4, Greenbelt 3, Trinoma, Alabang Town Center, Market! Market!, Ayala Center Cebu, Marquee (Central Luzon), Abreeza (Davao), Harbor Point (Subic) and Centrio (Cagayan de Oro).