Acclaimed British actor William Moseley chatted about starring in the new horror film “Raven’s Hollow,” which will be released via Shudder.
The Shudder original “Raven’s Hollow” will be available on the platform on Thursday, September 22. This feature is written and directed by Christopher Hatton. “‘Raven’s Hollow’ was wonderful,” he admitted. “Christopher Hatton is utterly brilliant, he obviously wrote the script and he had a very clear vision of what he wanted Edgar Allan Poe to look like.”
On portraying his iconic character, Moseley said, “Getting to play Edgar Allan Poe was an incredible opportunity that I couldn’t turn down. I learned as much as I could about him, and I played him to the best of my ability. I really gave it 100 percent.”
The movie is a gothic horror retelling of the life of Edgar Allan Poe and features a cast of breakout British talent comprised of William Moseley (“The Chronicles of Narnia”), Melanie Zanetti (“Love and Monsters”), and multi-award-winning actress Kate Dickie (“Game of Thrones”). “I loved that it was a gothic horror,” he exclaimed.
“Working with Melanie and Kate was amazing. I loved Melanie, she is extremely successful and Kate is a national treasure,” he added.
“When I was a kid, I used to listen to Linkin Park, Blink-182, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Papa Roach, and Staind, so it got me back to my teenage semi-goth phase. Edgar Allan Poe was the father of gothic horror, and this was fun. The film came out very artistic, it was quite beautiful. I was very proud of it actually,” Moseley elaborated.
“Raven’s Hollow” is set in the autumn of 1830. The synopsis is as follows: West Point Military Cadet Edgar Allan Poe and four other cadets on a training exercise in upstate New York come upon a man eviscerated on a bizarre wooden rack.
His dying words direct them to a forgotten community, which they believe is guarding sinister secrets. Enthralled by the Innkeeper’s beautiful and mysterious daughter Charlotte and fuelled by the town resident’s refusal to speak to the murderer, Poe determines to uncover the truth.
Risking his life and more, Poe ultimately comes face to face with the terror that will haunt him forever.
The trailer for “Raven’s Hollow” may be seen below.
It’s a rare film that explores the early days of Poe’s life while serving in the military as a backdrop. Hatton’s film brings together history and fiction to create a truly unique British supernatural period horror rich with dark gothic imagery.
Hatton co-wrote alongside Chuck Reeves and the film is produced by Caroline Stern for Canoe Film, as well as Andrejs Ekis for Cinevilla Studios, and Todd Lundbohm and Mark Andrews for 828 Media Capital. “I want the fans to get a side of Edgar Allan Poe that they haven’t seen before. People may think he was a mad lunatic but he wasn’t. The beginning of his life was extremely switched on, he was extremely together. He was a Cadet at West Point, and he was rebellious but very good,” he said.
“I want people to feel the origin story of a great mind, he was an incredible human being. I hope it gives them a good scare,” Moseley added.
On being an actor in the digital age, Moseley said, “There are more opportunities, I think it’s great. This new film is premiering on the streaming service Shudder, and I think it will appeal to the Shudder audience. Across Russia, it is opening to 800 screens, which is amazing. More interesting things get made in the digital age, and that’s a wonderful thing.”
Moseley had great words about working with Ben Barnes in “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.” “Ben has done amazingly well from ‘Narnia.’ I am so proud and happy for him. He’s a friend and a fellow actor, and he has a beautiful life,” he said.
He also opened up about playing Prince Liam in the E! series “The Royals.” “I loved playing Prince Liam,” he said. “I did kind of get a little bit of a feel of what it’s like to be a royal. I loved it since it depicts their difficult lives. It’s like being a mega-celebrity, but it was really an honor to play Prince Liam and to have Elizabeth Hurley to play your mom.”
“My advice for them is to have courage, that’s the most important thing you can have. You need the courage of a lion, and love, belief, integrity, and faith. Your integrity and reputation are paramount to your success. Learn, and always be open to learning. Read about acting, go to class, and watch acting on TV. Study, study, study.”
On the title of the current chapter of his life, he revealed, “35 and finally getting it together.”
Moseley listed Anthony Hopkins, Daniel Day-Lewis, Brad Pitt, Natalie Portman, and Leonardo DiCaprio as his dream collaboration choices in acting.
If he were to have any superpower, he noted that it would be “invisibility to watch the world.” “That would be interesting, especially to experience things invisibly,” he said.
Moseley defined the word success simply as “completeness” and “being complete”
To learn more about actor William Moseley, follow him on Instagram.
