Getting to Know "Priest:" Director Scott Stewart

During the April 2nd Saturday of WonderCon 2011 in San Francisco, director Scott Stewart and several people from this latest film "Priest" were on hand to discuss the film. After the interviews, they held a panel inside the Esplanade Ballroom of the Moscone Center that was packed with WonderCon attendees curious about the film and/or fans of "Priest."

Actor Paul Bettany and director Scott Stewart have previously worked together. "Legion" in 2010 pitted the Archangel Gabriel (Bettany) fighting fellow angels who were dispatched to destroy the human race. Prepare to see Paul show off his fighting skills one more time against hordes of vampire baddies set to Scott's visually impressive scenes with religious undertones set to manhwa artist Min-Woo Hyung's 16 volume comic book series "Priest."

" Legion" had a budget of about $26 million and grossed $67 million, making it a box office sleeper hit. The limited budget limited shooting locations so "Legion" pretty much took place in a diner in the middle of the desert. The film felt like spending $1 on a lottery ticket. It was no big loss if it lost, but a mild surprise if it won. With little to lose compared to most big budget films, Scott was able to do so much with so little that time. He took risks in "Legion" such as the controversial Man vs God material, which upset the religious people. Tight shots, visceral action, and being able to cram enough extras to make it look like they spent more millions than they had gave Scott the credibility that he could make a film.

Now only on Scott's second film, "Priest" has triple the budget. Now this is like spending $1,000 on lottery tickets. The studio is expecting something great from the money it invested. Scott admits that the pressure to create box office gold to recoup the budget means that he probably cannot take the same risks as in "Legion." Nevertheless, Scott talked about how despite how easy it would be to cast a familiar A-list star that people would flock to see as a vampire or vampire leader, he instead opted to take a risk and go with CG designed vampires. It's a risky choice since not everyone will find the vampire designs appealing-they do NOT sparkle-or the idea of fighting CG creatures over flesh & blood actors may feel quaint in today's CG fight scenes. But Scott as a director wants a chance to create a new world for the audience to experience instead of using his film as a marketing tool to get theater seats filled. In a way, that is a noble quest as a film maker. Though that does not explain the inclusion of acting vet Christopher Plummer and buzzworthy Maggie Q in the cast...

"Priest" is scheduled to hit theaters May 13th, 2011 in 3D and old glorious 2D.