Lights Out grew from director David F. Sandberg's short film of the same name, a piece that essentially shows off one very clever and well executed scare. The feature film puts that same scare to good use, but one of the main reasons Lights Out goes the distance and can be classified as a standout horror film is because Sandberg and screenwriter Eric Heisserer also made a point to populate the movie with engaging, well drawn characters.

If you couldn't already tell (or haven't read my review), I'm a big fan of Lights Out so it was quite the treat to get the chance to chat with the film's stars, Maria Bello, Gabriel Bateman, Teresa Palmer and Alexander DiPersia, when they came by the Collider press room at Comic-Con last weekend. We discussed how much their characters changed from script to screen, working with the unsung hero of the film - Alicia Vela-Bailey, the actress who plays Diana - what happens when their calm, cool director gets stressed out and loads more. You can catch it all in the video interview at the top of this article.

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Image via Warner Bros.
  • 0:30 - Did the cast see the short only, or did they see a full script before they signed on?
  • 1:25 - How much their roles changed from script to screen, because they have such great chemistry.
  • 2:25 - The time when their cool, calm, and collected director David Sandberg actually got stressed out.
  • 3:12 - What it was like working with Sandberg, what he has coming up next, and what makes him a special director.
  • 4:28 - Working with the actress who plays Diana, and how the bodysuit was practical and not CG.
  • 5:11 - What it’s like working with such distinct lighting, especially when having to light yourself on screen with candles, flashlights, and more.
  • 6:56 - David F. Sandberg as an actor’s director, and what it was like for Maria Bello, and how he is careful in casting his actors and then trusts them.
  • 8:14 - Facebook Live Questions begin - Gabriel in Outcast.
  • 9:05 - Favorite horror movie of all time?
  • 9:27 - What scared them the most as a kid, and what scares them the most today.
  • 10:36 - Was anything scary while they were shooting their scenes?
  • 12:11 - Easter eggs to look for.
teresa-palmer-lights-out
Image via Warner Bros.
lights-out-movie-image
Image via Warner Bros.