'Heretic' sequel plans revealed and how Hugh Grant came to play evil

SPOILER ALERT: This interview contains mild spoilers for “Heretic,” in theaters now.

In their new film “Heretic,” now in theaters via A24, writers and directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods tell the story of a mysterious man named Mr. Reed who traps two Mormon missionaries in his home after they try to kill him to educate about their mission faith.

Before they could begin filming, Beck and Woods faced the unique challenge of casting the complicated character of Mr. Reed. They needed a lead actor who could switch between villainous and charming at the drop of a hat and who could also deliver plenty of deep dialogue about religious ideas.

It wasn't a role for the faint of heart, but Beck and Woods thought of Hugh Grant after seeing one of his shape-shifting performances.

“Hugh blew us away – of course we grew up with all his incredible romantic comedies,” says Woods. “But when we saw 'Cloud Atlas' ten years ago, we saw him in the credits and realized he was playing all these different roles. It was so exciting to see an artist challenge themselves. He then spent the next ten years becoming, for our money, one of the greatest character actors in cinema.”

Woods says Grant's dynamic performance is the result of his outstanding work ethic.

“We got a glimpse into his mind – he’s someone who likes to take risks,” Woods says. “He is meticulous in his research. He went through every single line of the script. If there was something he didn't understand or didn't know much about, we would discuss it, debate it, and then get on the same page. We sent at least 200 pages of emails back and forth discussing the film's themes. He really wanted to understand where we came from, our history with religion and philosophy, and where Reed came from.”

The preparation allowed Grant to delve so deeply into the role that he was able to further develop his character while acting alongside Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East, who play the missionaries.

“We developed a narrative together about Reed’s backstory and eventually handed it off to Hugh,” says Woods. “He took ownership of the role and it really became his character. His process is extremely extensive and in-depth, and when he shows up on set, it's easy Is Mr. Reed. When he improvises or improvises, which is rare because he's in awe of the material, but when he nails those moments, it's in character. When actors improvise, you sometimes ask yourself, “Where does that line come from?” What does that have to do with it? How does that tell the story?' With Hugh it’s always magical.”

The enthusiasm that Grant brought to the set propelled the filmmakers forward on a project that was already close to their hearts. Although Beck and Woods became famous for writing massive action-fantasy scripts like 2018's “A Quiet Place” and 2023's “65,” they wanted to go in a completely different direction with “Heretic.”

“On the surface, there was an inspiration to go to a different place than before,” says Beck. “The last few films have been devoid of dialogue and this is the complete opposite of that. But I think the genesis of this film goes back to the 30-year relationship Bryan and I had as filmmakers and best friends – having conversations about existentialism and religion and the unknowns we find in life. How religion leads many people to find answers to the unknown and find comfort in what happens after death. That’s the biggest fear we have and the biggest question we’re exploring.”

Given their search for answers, the duo would be interested in making more films in the spirit of Heretic.

“There are a few things on deck that we specifically discussed that feel like spiritual sequels,” Beck says. “They deal with religion, cults or other hot topics that we want to see on screen and that go to uncomfortable places. The exciting thing about “Heretic” was that we saw a lot of films that might be religious in nature, but don't necessarily provide a basis for a conversation to start with. If you want to continue engaging with it by having conversations about the ideas with your friends, family, or loved ones, you can do that there. We find ourselves in such a divisive, polarizing world at times that there are so many discourses that still really captivate us. We want to incorporate that into some of the upcoming projects.”