“It was very enjoyable and ambitious to do this film since the schedule was short,” he said. “Once we got our cast together, I thought it was going to be really good. With Lesley-Anne Down doing the rewrites, I had a really good idea about where the character arcs were going to be.”
“This movie is a psychological thriller seen through the eyes of a 15-year-old molested young boy,” he said where Randy Shelly played the troubled teen Stephen Tade. “I thought Randy did a really good job, he really put his heart and soul in it, which was fantastic,” he said.
“I hope people watch it for the story and what these people go through and I hope viewers enjoy the ride,” he added.
On working with veteran actor Tobin Bell, he said, “It was great to work with Tobin Bell, I’ve worked with him a lot. After he read the script, Tobin ended up taking the part of the monsignor and I was very pleased.”
“I am glad that Brandon Beemer took the role of Father Dumal since otherwise, he would only be known for his work in soap operas,” he said. “Brandon did really well in this film and this role.”
Emmy winner Max Gail (General Hospital) makes a brief appearance as the doctor in the film. “Max and I have done three or four films together,” he said.
On being a filmmaker in the digital age, he said, “It’s the same as being a director when shooting on film. For the producers, it’s more difficult because there are so many platforms and that makes it easier for your material to get plagiarized, but for me, I think it’s fantastic.”
Regarding the title of the current chapter of his life, FauntLeRoy said, “Remodeling.”
For young and aspiring directors and filmmakers, he said, “The best thing that you can do as a filmmaker is to become a problem solver, and the only way to do that is having spent time climbing up the ranks so that you’ve seen every issue that can have possibly arisen on a set. That’s the most important thing and the best advice that I can give to any young filmmaker.”
Gates of Darkness earned a favorable review from Digital Journal, where it was described as “compelling and edgy,” and it is available on Amazon Prime Video.
