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James Pratt plays Dr. Raimi, the power-hungry scientist running genetic experiments on pigs out of a hidden lab, in The 3 Killer Pigs, the retro creature feature that Quiver Distribution released on VOD on October 23 after a limited theatrical run that opened in New York on September 25. Pratt answered our questions over email about the role, the cast, and what it is like to act opposite real pigs that do not always hit their marks.
Written and directed by Thomas J. Churchill (The Salem Chronicles, the Amityville trilogy) and produced by Aleksandra Zorich Hunt through AZ Pure and Church Hill Productions, the film follows a desperate farmer who resorts to a blood pact to reclaim his livestock, which brings three killer pigs back to the farmhouse where their nightmare began.
Churchill has described it as an homage to Dario Argento, with a score by Argento collaborator Marco Werba and creature effects by Emmy winner Marcel Banks and Anaglyph Studios. The cast includes Brian Austin Green as Sheriff Karloff, Anson Williams as Farmer Mac, the late Robert Carradine as Deputy King, William McNamara, Sadie Katz, Robert LaSardo, Rachel Pizzolato and Sharna Burgess.
iHorror: For readers who have not seen it yet, who do you play in The 3 Killer Pigs, and how does your character get tangled up with the farmer’s blood pact?
James Pratt: I play the role of Dr. Raimi. He’s essentially power-hungry and starts experimenting on pigs with bizarre genetic experiments in a hidden lab.
iHorror: You are working with actors such as Brian Austin Green, Anson Williams and Robert Carradine, as well as director Thomas Churchill. Any moments on set that stuck with you?
Pratt: Everyone was very professional and the set had a fun vibe about it. The film was shot in and around Los Angeles. I had known Thomas and his producing partner Aleksandra Zorich Hunt for some time, so it was a real pleasure to get to work with them on this.
iHorror: Without spoiling anything, what was it like acting against the pigs themselves?
Pratt: That was interesting and unique. I didn’t realize when pigs communicate with each other, it’s loud. We would have takes where the pigs would be perfect and not make any sounds, and then other takes when, right on cue, they would be communicating with each other and the sounds were crazy loud, too loud to keep doing dialogue. Billy McNamara did an awesome job of reassuring and patting some of the pigs between takes.
iHorror: Between Waxman, Texas Nightmare and now this, you keep coming back to horror. What draws you to the genre?
Pratt: I feel very lucky to work on horror films anytime I can. I admire filmmakers in this genre because they don’t get all Hollywood and expect a $20 million budget to make a film. They just get out there and make really cool stuff with whatever budget and resources they have.
iHorror: If you could turn any other childhood story or fairy tale into a horror movie, which one would you pick, and what is your pitch?
Pratt: I did a lot of surfing growing up back in Australia, and I had an experience once when I was a teenager. Right at dark, murky storm water, no one in the water except myself and two friends, and suddenly this giant tuna appeared, clean bitten in half. It was almost dark, stuck out the back of the surf, and you could feel something huge under the water around our legs. We made it back to shore by paddling, not waiting on waves, for about five minutes in the dark. It was a very eerie moment and you felt it stalking us.
iHorror: What is the one thing you want iHorror readers to know before they press play on The 3 Killer Pigs?
Pratt: They are going to see something fun and very unique, and will recognize some familiar faces.
The 3 Killer Pigs is available to rent or buy on digital platforms including Prime Video and Apple TV, and Churchill has said the team is planning to build a franchise around the pigs.
Fan verdict and scores by iHorror