Whatever one thinks of the highly controversial TV seriesEuphoria, theres one thing no one can deny.

No show of this era has been a better launching point for the careers of young movie stars.

This isnt her first film role, of course.

ButCuckoomarks her first leading role, something she chose with a great deal of deliberation.

What convinced her to take on horror on the big screen?

WatchingLuz, the 2018 debut feature from German filmmaker Tilman Singer.

Its a compelling premise, one that gave both Schafer and Stevens plenty to work with.

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The Horror of Cuckoo

They are just the supreme assholes of birds.

It was a huge revelation for me and made doing the movie all the more exciting.

Assholes they may be, but are cuckoos scary?

In short, Singer doesnt care.

Instead, its the emotions that drive his process.

I start with feelings first, he explains.

Its also a fairy tale setting, he observes.

To her credit, Schafer knows that and expects some pushback.

After the performance, she explains, Schafer can then jump into the other headspace and contextualize.

Schafer didnt have to go too far to find inspiration for her character Gretchen.

However, not all of her new skills were so lethal.

I got to learn sign language, she observes.

It was like free school you know it was really fun.

He pitched the idea to Singer, who loved the concept immediately.

As strange as his character sounds, Stevens says he keeps him grounded in a key in of reality.

I dont think monsters ever think theyre monsters, he observes.

Im writing for myself and Im not really sure where its going, he says.

I always think of the audience, he explains.

To recreate that feeling for his audience, Singer embraces the free flowing nature of movie making.

Those changes, of course, involve the material that his actors bring.

But then again, thats why she choseCuckooas her first film lead.

Jules is also an angsty teenage girl, she allows, while insisting that Gretchen feels very different.

Stevens is much less philosophical about the relationship between a performer and their fans.

I think we owe audiences a good time, he declares.

I think its really cool when that happens.

That audience response is what drives Stevens to make a movie likeCuckoo.

Whether its a comedy or a horror… you get that reaction, you know if its working.

Cuckoo comes to theaters on Aug. 9.