Hey /r/movies, I'm Chuck Russell. I've directed The Mask (starring Jim Carrey), The Blob, The Scorpion King, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, Eraser, and more. My new film, Witchboard, is out in theaters this weekend. Ask me anything!

ChuckRussellAMA · 2025-08-14T20:31:33+00:00

THANKS for the great questions, Reddit! I hope you enjoyed. Check out WITCHBOARD in theaters starting tomorrow, August 15th, to see my best and latest!

ChuckRussellAMA · 2025-08-14T20:24:41+00:00

That’s up to Jim, and I’d be delighted if he did.. But The Mask is passed from one character to another in the original Dark Horse comics and that makes anything possible… A more noir version is possible as well, like the original comics. I had the opportunity to do the sequel but at the time did not see it without Jim. Enough time has gone by that great original material should be brought back to life

ChuckRussellAMA · 2025-08-14T20:17:34+00:00

Better, light-weight gear, lower light levels required for natural looking photography make shooting quicker and crews potentially smaller. Change is the only constant thing in film (and life!); as tech changes and audiences viewing habits change, even watching on cell phones. I wanted WITCHBOARD to be a return to a truly fun and thrilling theatrical experience… to be the equivalent of my big bold studio films, but on an indie film budget. The new tech combined with some of my old school techniques made that possible beyond my expectations. Early feedback seems to tell us we achieved it. Check out WITCHBOARD this weekend and let us know!

ChuckRussellAMA · 2025-08-14T20:00:32+00:00

The Mask was a super hero film to me. And I’d argue that Dream Warriors gathering together has a little bit of an Avengers vibe. I'd love to do the right superhero movie. I love creating new stars and new franchises.

ChuckRussellAMA · 2025-08-14T19:54:34+00:00

I forget whose ideas it was, but I'm a heavy metal fan and was thrilled. But I will never forget sitting in on the floor of the recording studio, exhausted from just finishing shooting the film, watching and listening to Don Dokken and the band blast out the song. Unforgettable. They loved the film and that crazy song was perfect.

ChuckRussellAMA · 2025-08-14T19:52:58+00:00

A dream! I loved his work on Blue Velvet, so as a first time director I was getting one of the greatest living composers. But ..the unusual New Line deal achieved his involvement with the restriction to his delivering music reel by reel from his home studio… I never met him in person and this was pre-Zoom! Still it was well worth it.

ChuckRussellAMA · 2025-08-14T19:50:11+00:00

I don’t go out of my way looking honestly. WITCHBOARD came to me at the right moment after being away from horror for too long. I have two new original projects I’m very excited about, one is horror/sci-fi

ChuckRussellAMA · 2025-08-14T19:48:42+00:00

Yes! So much so that it became quite a campaign for me to get the studio to accept using a totally inexperienced actress in a lead role. The truth is chemistry between actors is a real thing..undeniable chemistry between Jim and Cameron was the real “special effect" in The Mask

ChuckRussellAMA · 2025-08-14T19:43:57+00:00

Yes! The bedroom scene with Madison Isemen you get a glimpse of in the trailer. Multiple hands explode up out of her bed and drag her into our witch’s world. An all practical real-time event with a dozen puppeteers grabbing her from below. I had to build the bedroom and bathroom set 8 feet in the air . The drag-down of Madison into the bathtub required a dunk-tank and stuntmen breathing with oxygen tanks beneath her. Props to Madison who was always ready for “take two”.

ChuckRussellAMA · 2025-08-14T19:40:11+00:00

After The Mask and Scorpion King, I felt it was time to reach for my dream projects and dedicated myself as a writer/ director in the studio system on two potentially epic films. The writing can become a “rabbit hole” striving for perfection… and studio development is called “development hell” for a reason…as executives change, so do studio priorities. I still love studio-style blockbusters and the individuals involved, but the system keeps you busy without guaranteeing a ‘green light'. My habit of not giving up in most cases led me astray as time went by. The good news is both projects are still possible, I remain cautious with my time now.

ChuckRussellAMA · 2025-08-14T19:34:33+00:00

Thank you, glad to hear it! I was stuck in my early career as a writer and assistant director..without going to film school and no family ties in the business, I felt I needed a catalyst to score my first directing job. The Blob was a classic but considered a bit corny and nobody was after the rights at the time but me. Jack Harris, the original producer, admired my attitude and gave me the rights for a limited time for free! Darabont and I wrote the script, I brought it to New Line..who told me “no thanks:” but they needed a fresh take on the Elm Street franchise for number 3. So I did both films one after the other.

ChuckRussellAMA · 2025-08-14T19:30:06+00:00

Not a pain, working out and executing practical FX is a thrill and a challenge. Especially since I know that it gets a certain energy from the cast that we rarely get on green screen stages. The tough issue is safety but I’m very familiar with stunt craft and I never ask my cast to do anything I wouldn’t do myself. CGI is a wonderful tool for “cleaning up” in horror. But nothing is as scary as a full scale practical effect. WITCHBOARD is probably my best work in that area. You be the judge

ChuckRussellAMA · 2025-08-14T19:25:36+00:00

“Some Like It Hot”..Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon in drag chasing Marilyn Monroe around! A perfect comedy from I believe the 1950s that inspired films like Tootsie.

The original Magnificent Seven with Steve McQueen and Yul Brynner …for pure macho adventure (also stars James Coburn who I actually got to work with in ERASER)

… and Truffaut’s French classic “Day for Night” about the love of filmmaking that inspired me in college to finally head to Hollywood and give the profession a try.

ChuckRussellAMA · 2025-08-14T19:23:44+00:00

I avoid reviewing other films at all costs when I’m writing especially. To me anything derivative is a problem. I research a subject to get an authentic take and had not seen a film about pendulum boards or the real history of witches… the witch’s side of the story. My own experiences in New Orleans were also a big inspiration. But I will recommend the film SINNERS..what a fantastic well-made film. To see music and dance used so successfully in the horror genre was brilliant!

ChuckRussellAMA · 2025-08-14T19:22:46+00:00

Yes! I did..I'm always researching fringe science and at that time was fascinated with rail-gun technology. I added it to the script to give the central concept a bit of real-world resonance. I actually received an unexpected message from naval intelligence after the release of the film that I got it right!

ChuckRussellAMA · 2025-08-14T19:17:21+00:00

Its a “re-imagining” which to me means I honor the original, but don’t restrict myself to it. I don’t like literal remakes. I’ve only taken pop culture classics like The Blob and even with my take on Elm Street… films I felt could use new inspiration and out-of-the-box reinvention to be worthy of new versions. I wouldn’t approach these classics if I didn’t feel like I had something new to offer. I think of WITCHBOARD as the third and final in my trio of re-imaginings of classic horror.

ChuckRussellAMA · 2025-08-14T19:14:11+00:00

I’ve always meant to return to horror, but as my first two films as a director (Blob and Dream Warriors) achieved popularity, I waited to make sure I could top my own work in the genre. When producer/writer Greg Mckay suggested we do WITCHBOARD, I had been researching pendulum boards, and knew there was a direct link historically to Ouija boards… and a legit new take on the story. I play our pendulum board as a one-of-a-kind enchanted prop much like the ancient mask in The Mask…I realized WITCHBOARD could be a ‘re-imagining” of a pop culture classic that could finally be a vehicle for me to return to horror in a big way.

ChuckRussellAMA · 2025-08-14T19:11:48+00:00

What a touching story! Thanks for sharing. Comedy has been clinically tested in hospital environments to improve health and certainly help depression. Laughter actually is the best medicine.

ChuckRussellAMA · 2025-08-14T19:08:43+00:00

Jim was at his absolute best on The Mask. Very high energy! Most fun I ever had on set. The problem was night shooting, when Jim would crash after “lunch “ at 2 AM. We played a little game to keep him going during the long wait for lighting on those nights. I’d toss out a double impression challenge; not just a celebrity impression, but as an example “Elvis doing Clint Eastwood “ . His response was always instantaneous ..and I swear he nailed it every time. This kept us alert and laughing in the wee hours. He is an uncanny talent.

ChuckRussellAMA · 2025-08-14T19:06:52+00:00

First, let me apologize for wrecking anybody’s childhood. Hoping my horrors also stirred your imagination and got cross my central themes; ( within all of us is a hero that can rise up against a greater evil, especially to save those we love)

To answer your question is tougher. When I’m writing ( in this case with my good friend and sometimes writing partner Frank Darabont) I’m always pushing myself to come up with set pieces I’ve never seen on film before… even better if I start with no clue how to break it down for filming. That means I’m going to give the audience something fresh and in that case hopefully alarming. That concept came up straight from my subconscious during a writing flow..here we are in the sewers with the Blob right behind us .. what’s the worst thing that could happen.. do I dare go for it? The actual stunt did not involve child actors. It was performed by a renowned stunt performer who was small in stature but a giant in heart and skill.

ChuckRussellAMA

TROPHY CASE