WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Babysitter: Killer Queen, available now on Netflix.
One of Netflix's quirkiest original horror comedies, The Babysitter, gets a sequel this month with The Babysitter: Killer Queen. Joining returning filmmaker McG is much of the original film's main cast, led by star Judah Lewis as high school protagonist Cole Johnson. The first film had Cole barely survive a night being targeted by a satanic cult led by his babysitter while its sequel has the teenager's account of his harrowing night dismissed by virtually everyone, including his own parents, before being targeted by the same cult after they rise from the grave two years later.
In an exclusive interview with CBR, Lewis discusses jumping back into the character of Cole for Killer Queen, having his character step up as both a more action-oriented figure and romantic lead and how near and dear the character is to him as an actor.
How was it getting back into this character after a couple years away?
Judah Lewis: It was so exciting, really! Cole is just a character that I personally relate to so much and that stays so strongly with me. And, as an actor, to be able to revisit that and revisit the story and where he is now and how his life has developed what he's going through, it was amazing. It was such a cool exercise to be able to jump back into this world.
What was something you were especially keen on bringing to the character this time around?
Lewis: I loved this time around, and in the first one, Cole's arc throughout the film. I think that he goes through, in the beginning, being this completely ostracized character where he's struggling to make it through high school and, on top of that, he has to deal with the fact that everyone around him thinks he lost his mind which, in turn, makes him doubt his own sanity. And over the course of this incredibly short period of time, over the course of this one night, he has all these absolutely absurd and insane life-changing experiences that kind of give him the ability to really step into his own skin and find his confidence, which I think was a really fun arc to be able to play, from the beginning of the film to the end of the film.
I have to ask: How many takes did you guys film with you getting hit in the face with a utility ball?
Lewis: Too many takes! [Laughs] No, that was really fun for me because that was actually our first day of filming and that was also the first day of filming on our first film, like, our first day of the first film was that shot of me getting hit in the face with that basketball. And it's funny because Jimmy Warden, who actually did some of the writing on this script but was McG's assistant on the first film, yells at me in the background of the first film and McG's personal assistant now yells at me on this film in the back. So there's a lot of fun through lines there, but it was fun because it was our first day of filming on this one as well, and, in this film, I got to get hit in the face twice so, you know, it's double as good.
You really get to step it up, this film, both as an action lead and romantic lead. How was it playing up those leading man qualities while maintaining sight of Cole?
Lewis: It was really fun! This film just expands and goes further in every direction that the first film already was, in all the horror, in all the comedy, in all the drama, in all the romance. If the first film was on steroids, I don't even know what this one was on! And it's just so fun to be able to go down all those avenues and explore the different realms that this characters steps into.
This movie has a lot of familiar faces from the first film come back, a lot of whom are trying to kill you again. How is it playing off of them again?
Lewis: It's really funny because what I like about it is these characters are out to kill Cole but he has these kinds of funny, oddball relationships with each of them that are specific and unique. And so it was so fun to be able to play off the groundwork that we laid in the first film and just further expand those relationships and playing to those tropes. And one of my favorite things filming, probably, was this houseboat scene where the whole cast is reunited and you could not believe the energy in this one room. It was so electric just to have everybody there and bouncing off each other and playing around. It was just magical really.
I think this is the first time you've gotten to play the same character on more than one project.
Lewis: Yeah, it was and that was just such a valuable experience for me and especially because Cole, this character, is so dear to my heart and that I do relate to so much. And it was a world that, even before I read the script for this film, that I wondered about and was curious about, about Cole and what he was up to now. So as much as I think this movie is going to be fun for viewers to be able to see where he is, it was equally fun for me to be able to read the script for the first time and find out for myself.
I was talking to McG and he did say there was a story for a third installment and I was wondering where would you personally like to see Cole go next?
Lewis: Well, firstly, he has to get through the rest of high school! [Laughs] But I also would really love to see the development of him and Phoebe's relationship, I think that progression in the film is so sweet and such a beautiful connection that they form and I'd be kind of excited to see what unfolds there as well as the fact that there's always demons right around every corner for Cole. [Laughs] So I'm sure there's some of that as well.
As a fun question, these movies wear their '80s slasher influences right there on their sleeves. Which '80s slasher would you like to see Cole go up against if given the choice?
Lewis: Oh, man, that's a really tough question! [Laughs] I don't know specifically...what I love so much about this film is how self-aware it is and some of my favorite genre films are horror films that completely play into the trope, such as Scream or The Final Girls or The Cabin in the Woods, to play into those tropes and be self-aware about it and be smart about it. I think the interesting thing about McG is he is, by far, the biggest movie buff I've ever encountered and he really does, before each and every scene that we film, is pulling out his phone to show you some reference from some film that has the same tone or some piece that he wants in the particular scene. And that's kind of what's fun about this movie as a viewer, it works on so many different levels and there's just all these homages and nods and little Easter eggs hidden throughout pretty much every scene that attentive viewers can pick up on.
To take us out, what are you most proud about being able to do as Cole this time around for Killer Queen?
Lewis: I think what I'm most proud about is, frankly, is my own contribution to the film. McG is such an unbelievably collaborative director and he really gave me the space to bounce ideas off him and work on different things and improv stuff so I think there are parts of this film that are imbued with little pieces of me. And that's a really fun thing because I don't think that's the case on a lot of films that you work on, it's very structured and set. And that's just not the case on these films, it's a very open, free, creatively fulfilling environment.
Directed, produced and co-written by McG, The Babysitter: Killer Queen stars Judah Lewis, Hana Mae Lee, Robbie Amell, Bella Thorne, Emily Alyn Lind, Andrew Bachelor, Leslie Bibb, Ken Marino and Jenna Ortega. The film is available to stream now on Netflix.