HOLR is sitting down to chat with Jayden McGinlay about his role in Lionsgate’s “Children of the Corn.”
Jayden McGinlay is showing the world his incredible range of acting skills as Cecil Williams in the newly released Lionsgate reimagining of Stephen King’s, Children of the Corn.
The highly-anticipated film came out last month and Jayden is dropping all the details in regard to what to expect when tuning in Jayden is also known for his lead role as, “Teddy”, in the Disney movie, The Curious Case of Dolphin Bay, and for playing ‘Max’ in the Netflix release Sweet River. Jayden is taking the industry by storm so check out HOLR’s full conversation with the budding actor, below!
Talk to us about your newest project, where you play Cecil Williams in the upcoming Lionsgate reimagining of Stephen King’s, Children of the Corn.
Children of the Corn is written and directed by the super-talented Kurt Wimmer and is a new take on the original short story by Stephen King. In our film, the parents in the town are essentially screwing everything up and not listening to their children, and the children are tired of having to pay the price for their parent’s mistakes, and as Kurt himself accurately put it, ‘the kids vote not at the ballot box, but with chainsaws and earthmovers’. I play Cecil, who is the younger brother of Boleyn, played by Elena Kampouris.
How did you prepare for your latest role?
Well, this film was shot from March- May 2020, right in the middle of the worldwide lockdown. It was cast right before COVID hit and we weren’t even sure if the movie would go ahead as every production was being shut down, and then our amazing producer Lucas Foster video called literally every cast and crew member and explained that they were going ahead with the movie and that they had come up with safety protocols to keep everyone safe. He was so reassuring and explained the plan in detail, so we made the 9-hour drive down to Richmond the next day as the state borders were closing that night! It was a crazy time, and I was terrified and ecstatic at the same time. Cecil was a character I was really excited to delve into, and working with Kurt Wimmer to flesh him out was so much fun. Kurt’s openness to collaboration really allowed me to dig deeper into the character’s world. It was also sort of a luxury that he also wrote the script because he already had tons of insight into the character and was able to articulate clearly what his ideas were about the character, whilst also allowing me to develop him.
How does this specific role differ from others you’ve played? For instance, you were “Teddy”, in the Disney movie, The Curious Case of Dolphin Bay, and ‘Max’ in the Netflix release Sweet River.
Well obviously, the tone of this film is pretty dark and a huge contrast to my last film release, The Curious Case of Dolphin Bay, which is a Disney family movie! Teddy is a comedic character- an adventurer from England, in contrast to Cecil in Children of the Corn, who is from a small country town in Nebraska, USA, and gets himself into some pretty dark places. Then of course there’s Max in Sweet River who is Australian and an angry zombie seeking revenge. They were all very different experiences and I’m really grateful to have been given the opportunity to play such different roles and explore their journeys. Cecil is at a point in time in the film where he needs and is subconsciously searching for guidance. He’s in a really vulnerable place and as the events in the film occur, as an audience you get to see how desperate this character is and (without giving any spoilers) how much it takes for the character to take a wrong step.
Children of the Corn releases theatrically on March 3 and will hit digital/on-demand on March 21. Can you share some hints as to what people expect when watching?
Without giving too many spoilers, haha. This movie is a fresh take on the story and puts the focus squarely on the kids, not the adults. Audiences can expect an old-school horror movie that uses ‘turn of the screw’ type scares that are character based and emotional in nature. There’s a certain creature, ‘he who walks’, in this film that has always been referenced in other films, but everyone will get to see it in this film for the first time. The effects in this movie are done by Digital Domain, the legendary effects team behind many of the Marvel films, which I’m personally excited about. Also, the corn that you’ll see in the film is all real- the production grew all 30 acres of it 4 months before shooting the film!
What are some of your favorite projects you’ve worked on to date and why?
That’s a tough question because every project I’ve worked on so far has been really special but for sure Children of the Corn is the most incredible project I’ve worked on because of the fact it was filmed right in the middle of the pandemic, and the only film shot in the world during that time. This film pioneered the Covid 19 protocols that all other studios and guilds abided by after that, so it was truly a historical shoot. I have so much respect for our producer, Lucas Foster, who brought it all together and made it happen. He, Kurt, Mathieu Bonzon, Sean Harner, and Jon Heaney all worked tirelessly to ensure the health and safety of everyone on set and they took amazing care of everyone. They had to play it by ear and day to day and constantly evolve the shooting process and screenplay to comply with the evolving Safety Protocols and because of that, we finished the shoot successfully and no one got sick. It was such an amazing experience and a project that I’m so grateful to have been a part of.
What are the future goals you’re working towards as part of your career?
Really, I just want to keep doing what I love and working on projects that I’m passionate about. I’d love to explore all kinds of characters in all genres. I’ve been very fortunate with my roles all being really different to each other so far. I’d love to be in a drama, with serious content and heavy scenes so I can really push myself emotionally as an actor. I’ve always been really interested in behavior-based dramas and more intimate character studies, and I love watching those kinds of films. But then it would also be a dream to play a superhero for either Marvel or DC in the future and other huge blockbusters. I’ve always been a huge fan of those movies, and I heard James Gunn and the team he’s working with is going to be taking DC in a new direction and I’d be very interested in being a part of that if the opportunity presented itself.
Published by HOLR Magazine.