Quick LinksWhat's Heretic About? Did Cameron Crowe Help Get Heretic Made? Why Is Eddie Redmayne Thanked? David Lowery and Steven Soderbergh Also Receive Thanks
Propelled by popular Marvel-movie post-credit scenes, filmmakers often include blooper sequences, sneak-peeks, and cameos as a reward for audiences who sit through the end credits. Sticking around not only honors everyone who contributed to the film, but also gives fans insight about upcoming sequels or the behind-the-scenes work it took to finish it. Although A24's latest horror-thriller Heretic opts out of footage-based extras, a special end-credit thank you caught viewers' attention.
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Directed by A Quiet Place co-creators Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, Heretic is a frightening look at the nature of belief. It stars Hugh Grant, previously known for cheeky leads in rom-coms like Love Actually and Notting Hill, as Mr. Reed, a recluse who sets out to test the faith of two Mormon missionaries who turn up at his doorstep. Despite their absence on-screen or in the credits, Fast Times at Ridgemont High writer Cameron Crowe and Academy-Award winning actor Eddie Redmayne were thanked in the film's end credits. Viewers are left wondering: how were they involved in making the movie?
What's Heretic About? Close ✕ Remove Ads
A24's Heretic follows the story of two door-to-door Mormon missionaries, Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East), who arrive at the home of Mr. Reed following his request for more information about their beliefs. Initially, they refuse to enter the house without a female presence. However, the young women go inside after Mr. Reed tells them his wife is in the kitchen baking -- the scent of fresh blueberry pie convincing enough evidence of his sincerity and their safety.
Immediately, Mr. Reed begins interviewing the religious women about their faith and forcing them to endure horrific tests to prove themselves. As the film continues, Mr. Reed's nefarious intentions, motivated by a distrust of every religion (except for one he refers to as "the one true religion"), are unveiled. It quickly becomes clear to the two women that he has no intention of converting to Mormonism, and they have fallen into an increasingly threatening trap. Now realizing the danger they're in, Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton must figure out a way to escape -- with their faith and with their lives.
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Did Cameron Crowe Help Get Heretic Made? Close
Yes and no. During an interview with Forbes, Scott Beck and Bryan Woods confessed that Cameron Crowe was an inspirational figure for Heretic, but he wasn't involved in the filmmaking process beyond reading the script. The director-duo praise Crowe as his "super fans" who've "always admired how he writes from the heart and creates material that's embarrassingly personal." Wanting to make a film that establishes a similar intimacy between them and their audience, Beck and Woods wrote Heretic with Crowe's sincerity in mind.
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However, they did try to get Crowe to work on the film directly. After reading their script, he relayed nothing but heartfelt encouragement that brought Beck and Woods to tears. Woods gushed that Crowe's kind words "inspired us to do our best to make a terrific film". Although when offered a cameo, Crowe turned them down gently. His reasoning? He feared his terrible acting would dissuade Hugh Grant from ever working with him in the future. Considering Crowe had similarly offered a role to his hero Billy Wilder for Jerry Maguire and was turned down, the gesture was a sweet homage to his past that made Beck and Woods love him all the more.
Why Is Eddie Redmayne Thanked? ✕ Remove Ads
Similar to Crowe's minute collaboration with Beck and Woods, Eddie Redmayne received a special thank you despite not being in the film itself. After reading Heretic's script, Redmayne showered Beck and Woods with his own encouragement and hoped to work with them on it. Beck reciprocated with his own hopes that Redmayne could join the cast, and they could "all work together." Unfortunately, though not surprisingly, Redmayne's schedule was too full to take on the project in the end. Regardless, touched and invigorated by his endorsement of the film, Beck and Woods decided to include a grateful shout-out in its credits.
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✕ Remove Ads David Lowery and Steven Soderbergh Also Receive Thanks Close
Along with Crowe and Redmayne, the filmmakers behind Heretic gave thanks to David Lowery, director of A24's A Ghost Story, and Steven Soderbergh, who won countless Academy Awards for Erin Brockovich. Both directors not only watched unfinished cuts of the film, but "offered great words of wisdom, feedback, and encouragement" as well. Beck and Woods also specifically sought out Lowery early-on because of his proven mastery of film editing. Lowery kindly offered them some advice about working remotely post-production and his technical processes using Adobe Premiere software.
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In the end, Beck and Woods found themselves working with a "camaraderie of filmmakers" trying to bring their vision for Heretic to life. Oftentimes, directors are thrown into their projects to figure things out for themselves. It's incredibly rare to see creators offer up their time and effort to help others succeed in the entertainment industry. However, Beck and Woods made essential connections with their peers, whose advice made their horror film the shockingly realistic thrill-ride audiences can see in theaters today. To include a special thank-you in Heretic's end credits was a small way to reflect their gratitude to them all. Heretic is currently playing in theaters.
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