Calling all Potter fans! Entertainment Weekly has released the first official image from Daniel Radcliffe’s newest venture “Horns,” a fantasy/horror/drama from “The Hills Have Eyes” and “Piranha” remake director Alexandre Aja. And it the pic he’s looking quite…well…horny.
Although he looks like a creature straight out of the Potter-verse, Radcliffe assures that this role will be quite different than the heroic alter ego that made him famous. “It’s a very, very different type of part than anything I’ve done before,” Radcliffe says, divulging that it will be “deeply emotional and also incredibly outrageous in some ways.”
That seems to be an understatement, seeing as the plot of the film revolves around his character Ig Perrish sprouting those devilish protuberances after the rape and murder of his girlfriend leaves him as the prime suspect. Based on Joe Hill’s New York Times bestseller, the film has Perrish waking up with a bad hangover and the horns – which cause people to confess their sins – and sets out to find the real killer. The film is just now beginning principal photography.
It might all seem a bit shocking to fans of the boy wizard, but this isn’t Radcliffe’s first foray into darker fare.
Last year’s “The Woman in Black” had Radcliffe attempting to display the acting chops to handle more difficult genres and roles. The film received mixed reviews and was a modest box office hit, but it’s debatable whether Radcliffe was the primary attraction or if young viewers would have flocked to see anyone on screen to get their scares. At this point, time will tell whether audiences will continue to accept Radcliffe’s post-Potter endeavors, but he appears to be on the right track if the goal is stretching boundaries.
Director Aja boasts a strong resume of horror-laden hits, including the terrifying 2003 French flick “Haute Tension” that put him on the map and the remakes of “Eyes” and “Piranha.” The film will also star current indie it-girls Juno Temple and Kelli Garner.
Just as we watched Radcliffe age on screen, it will be fun to continue to follow his evolution as a mature and intelligent actor. One thing’s for sure: We’re not in Hogwarts anymore.