Q&A: Producer Jason Blum talks ‘Dark Skies’

Jason Blum understands horror, and he’s worked to make what he thinks is his scariest film to date.

Blum, the producer of popular films such as “Paranormal Activity” and “Insidious,” recently produced “Dark Skies,” a new paranormal thriller set to be released on Feb. 22.

In a conference call with reporters, Blum discussed the horror genre, how he produces his films and the movie that scared him most as a child.

Question: “Dark Skies” appears to be in the vein of an alien body-snatcher type movie as opposed to the haunted house … What attracted you to “Dark Skies” and working within this kind of horror subgenre?

Jason Blum: I really love kind of ordinary situations where you throw a dark force of some kind in the mix and chaos ensues. And so in that way, I feel like “Dark Skies” is definitely one of the scariest movies we’ve made. They’re definitely a different kind of scares, but the emotional journeys of the characters … in all the movies are similar.

Q: Why have you decided to work with [director] Scott Stewart on “Dark Skies”?

JB: I saw “Legion” and I really liked it a lot, and I got in touch with his agent and had a meeting with him, and I explained our model. We work in a very specific model, and I asked him if he had any stories that would fit our model. What he pitched me and what the movie is are very close.

Q: Do you, yourself, have a personal belief in the paranormal?

JB: I think there’s something more out there in the world than all of us are aware of, but what it is, or what form it takes, I haven’t the faintest idea. But I think there’s more out there than is just explained by science, for sure.

Q: What about your method seems to click in the horror genre when it is kind of a weak genre nowadays?

JB: I think there’s a certain reverse engineering that we have with our movies, and I’ve really learned this from the directors. We really start with great stories and then the kind of scares come from that. I think a lot of horror movies start with the scares first and then build the stories second, and I always think those scares are less effective because you’re less emotionally involved with the characters.

Q: How do you feel about Marlon Wayans [co-writer of “A Haunted House”] spoofing “Paranormal Activity”?

JB: I couldn’t be happier to be part of a franchise that’s in the culture enough to be spoofed wherever it’s spoofed, so I’m very pleased about that, in fact. Although my opinion may change after I see the movie. I haven’t seen it yet.

Q: Is there anything new and different technically you’ve been able to do with this movie?

JB: Well, I think it has more similarities than differences, which is a family in jeopardy and a dark force comes into their lives and upsets the balance. In terms of what I respond to in horror movies, there is a lot of what is in those other movies in this film.

Q: What movie scared you growing up?

JB: “Friday the 13th” terrified me growing up. I saw it when I was too young, and I was alone at my cousin’s house and it scared me through and through.

Q: What do you want “Dark Skies” to accomplish for viewers?

JB: I want them to come out of the movie agreeing with me. I think it’s one of the scariest movies I’ve ever made and I want them to come out saying the same thing.