Interview with Giant Meteor Films Producer Ruben Estremera

Giant Meteor Films is a film production company that produces high-quality and unconventional movies. Led by award-winning writer and producer, Gregory Wolk, and producer, Ruben Estremera, the shingle’s mission is to bring “new life and creative ideas to brilliant and powerful films.” We spoke to Estremera about some of the films Giant Meteor Films are developing.

-PH: Tell us about Giant Meteor Films – and how did you come up with the name?

-Ruben: Neither of us is happy about the state of humanity, the awful things we read in the news every day. Time for a new extinction on Earth, e.g., a giant meteor. That’s the only hope for saving the planet.

-PH: And what types of film are you primarily making?

-Ruben: Let’s see… we’ve made a sci-fi/horror film, horror-comedy, dark comedy, and family adventure. We like all genres, but horror films are the most fun to make. Cast and crew really enjoy unleashing their inner beasts!

-PH: And who does what? Do you produce and your partner writes, or do you take turns on wearing different hats?

-Ruben: We both produce. My partner does the writing, although I’ve been getting more involved with the story components, and he doesn’t hesitate to bounce ideas off of me. During production, I tend to be a calming influence on my partner. I’m more of a people person, or so he says, and that helps to deal with a large group of cast and crew.

-PH: Apocalypse Rising is a science-fiction-horror throwback. The movie looks like a major studio movie, and yet it was shot rather cheap believe? Tell us about some of the great behind-the-scenes talent that helped the film achieve its dazzling look?

-Ruben: Inexpensive compared to Hollywood films, for sure. Budget is even more important in low budget films. I know every person who invested money and none of them have money to burn. Therefore, I feel that I have a duty to give them the best value for their buck. With a cast and crew of about 50, plus about 50 extras, there are so many people who gave this film the look of a major studio film. Glen Grefe in Shreveport, our 2nd AD, rounded up the extras through his local connections. The extras and day players added such a great visual element, because let’s face it, one zombie isn’t scary… LOTS of zombies are!

-PH: One can imagine that substance was always more important to you than style though? How important is it to ground even movies like this?

-Ruben: Some genre films with great filmmakers fail because they seem to take themselves too seriously. We kept the film grounded throughout. Yes, one can find messages and lofty themes in the film if they care to look, but our focus was on making a piece of entertainment.

-PH: How much of the script, do you believe, is a love letter to classic science-fiction films and how much of it is its own beast?

-Ruben: It’s a mix of both. Some people compare it to The Walking Dead. Others to Star Trek. Others to Game of Thrones. We didn’t set out trying to mimic other films. God no. We want our films to be unique and stand on their own. We’re human though and are a culmination of everything we’ve experienced and seen, and my partner and I have seen almost every horror/sci-fi film on all the VOD platforms. So, to get back to your question, the “love letter” is somewhat unconscious on our parts. We love horror and sci-fi!

-PH: And of the same genre, I believe, is the upcoming President Evil. The name alone intrigues us…

-Ruben: The title is a play on the Resident Evil film titles, and more like John Carpenter’s Halloween. In President Evil, the antagonist is dressed like the POTUS.

-PH: Most of your releases are available on Digital. Do you believe VOD is the way of the future?

-Ruben: Yes, except for mega-budget films.

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