Last week it was revealed that the terrifying monster from Nicolas Cage’s upcoming new horror thriller Arcadian was inspired by the classic Disney animated character Goofy.
Now, we’ve got some concept art to share with you that has surfaced featuring the initial designs for the creature and it’s not hard to see the influence of Goofy in them.
Director Ben Brewer previously explained: “From the beginning, I had this idea of big nocturnal eyes, and massive spaced-out teeth, teeth way too big for the creature’s mouth.”
He continued: “Goofy, the Disney character, was a big inspiration,” and then said that the incentive particularly came from a childhood fear, which was the scene in A Goofy Movie where Goofy’s son Max has a nightmare about turning into his father.
Brewer said: “That’s where the Goofy thing comes in because in that film, that dream sequence… it’s terrifying. It’s too much personality. We gave our creatures too much personality because it would be freaky for people.”
Brewer went on to talk about the film, saying: “The combination of organisms becomes a symbol for what can survive on Earth. If this horror show with all these weird attributes is the most competitive species now, then what does that say about our role as the species taking care of the planet?”
In Arcadian, “After a catastrophic event depopulates the world, a father and his two sons must survive their dystopian environment while being threatened by mysterious creatures that emerge at night.”
The story is set in a near future, where “normal life on Earth has been decimated. Paul and his two sons, Thomas and Joseph, have been living a half-life – tranquility by day and torment by night.
“Every night, after the sun sets, they face the unrelenting attacks of a mysterious and violent evil. One day, when Thomas doesn’t return home before sundown, Paul must leave the safety of their fortified farm to find him. A nightmarish battle ensues that forces the family to execute a desperate plan to survive.”
The movie also stars Jaeden Martell (IT), Maxwell Jenkins (Lost in Space) and Sadie Soverall (Fate: The Winx Saga).
Arcadian is currently in theaters.
