Amber Doig-Thorne of the smash-hit film Winnie the Pooh: Blood & Honey joins us for a chat.
Amber’s talent has landed her leading roles in over 100 productions, including 23 British feature films (The Seven, Demons at Dawn, Heropanti 2, Vikings: Battle of Heirs) and numerous award-winning short films, and comedy productions.
Interviewer: What is your favorite horror film?
Amber Doig-Thorne: I can't just choose one favorite horror film – I love Halloween, I love the Scream franchise, The Conjuring, The Purge, and Paranormal Activity.
Interviewer: If they were to remake some of the classic horror films, which ones would you like to be involved in?
Amber Doig-Thorne: If they were to remake Friday the 13th, Halloween, Scream, and The Conjuring – I would be delighted to be involved because I think they are so iconic; I feel like each of them has paved the way in some way in the horror genre.
Interviewer: What scenes from horror films have traumatised you?
Amber Doig-Thorne: So many scenes from horror films have traumatised me – I remember watching the original Japanese version of The Grudge when I was far too young; I didn't sleep for weeks! In the American version, the scene where a character is in the wardrobe, and they stick their head up in the loft, and the Grudge is there. There is another scene in the hallway where there's a CCTV camera, and the Grudge crawls towards the camera; the way it crawls and the body moves really freaks me out.
Interviewer: Can you tell us about your experience filming Winnie the Pooh: Blood & Honey?
Amber Doig-Thorne: When we were filming Winnie the Pooh: Blood & Honey, I called my Mum every day after filming to let her know how it was going. At the end, I remember telling her: 'This feels like something really special'. I had so much fun filming it, and I had a feeling people would have fun watching it. But never in a million years did I think the film would be as well-received as it has been. It's been incredible to be interviewed by publications I grew up with, like Variety, Rolling Stone, the New York Times, Hollywood Reporter – all commenting on our little independent low-budget film that's now gone on to take over $6 Million at the box office - I've been blown away by it.
Interviewer: What's the next film you're working on?
Amber Doig-Thorne: The next film I am working on is The Baby In The Basket, a gothic horror set in the 1940s, it takes inspiration from old gothic horrors and psychological thrillers. I play the lead role of Sister Agnes - a baby is left in a basket on the stars of a monastery. There is drama between the Nuns anyway, so the baby is brought into that situation, and very quickly, things go haywire, which leads my character to believe the baby is the son of the devil. Without giving anything away – madness ensues, and there are lots of twists and turns. It's definitely one of my most challenging roles so far.
Interviewer: Where will you be filming The Baby In The Basket?
Amber Doig-Thorne: We will be filming in Scotland, which feels like returning to my roots, as I have Scottish heritage. We will be filming as a church or abbey, so we will be immersed, and we are crowdfunding at the moment – so there's the opportunity to visit us on set or go to the premiere. This offers people an exciting chance to be involved in a horror film. It will be a lot of fun, and people can expect to be on the edge of their seats!
Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey is out now at https://amzn.to/3URQ0dq