Osric Chau's had quite a diverse career in both movies and on television shows, including in films like 2012 and shows like Supernatural and The 100. His new film Superhost arrived on Shudder in September 2021, and can also now be seen on home media. With Superhost, Chau makes his first real foray into the horror genre.
In the film, Teddy (Chau) and Claire (Sara Canning) host a travel vlog series called "Superhost". However, the subscribers have begun slipping, but they seem to have found a great boost for their shows' popularity with their new host Rebecca (Gracie Gallam). Unfortunately, they come to realize that Rebecca has much more sinister intentions on her mind that making it big on YouTube.
We speak to Osric Chau on the making of Superhost, working with a minimal cast and crew during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the horror movie potency that the film brings to its story.
Screen Rant: How did you come aboard Superhost?
Osric Chau: My roommate at the time, Andrea Walter, had worked with Brandon [Christensen] quite a few times, and I met him through her. She brought the script to me and said 'My friend Brandon is doing this thing and he wants you to read for it.' I took a look at the script and it was a pretty fun script, so I inquired further and we just kind of went from there. I worked with him on a couple of drafts and before you know it, he just had it all lined up. It's like, 'Oh, I guess we're doing this. We're in the middle of a pandemic and we're ready to jump into production.' We just kind of went for it and it was kind of daunting at the time. It was my first COVID production and I wasn't sure how that was going to go. But the team handled it so well and I have no complaints, it was fun.
How did the pandemic impact the experience of making the film?
Osric Chau: It was a much smaller team than there would be normally, so that was a big one. We were very isolated, we filmed in a very remote area on a mountain, so that itself was isolating. Beyond that, we really didn't see or talk to anyone. It was the first experience of that for me, so that was a little strange to adjust to, but in the end, it was fun. It was a small group of people, but everyone was great, so that certainly helped.
What really drew you to Superhost as far as the story and your character Teddy?
Osric Chau: I bumped up the script in a couple of places and I actually wasn't sure if I was going to do it or not. But, at the end of the day, for me, it always comes down to the filmmaker. I think just putting my faith in Brandon, I trusted him as a director and that he would be able to direct the story in a way that made sense, and he did.
What were the most memorable moments or experiences for you from the making of Superhost?
Osric Chau: Those beetles! There was this weird infestation of beetles. I don't know why, but every summer apparently, there's just a lot of beetles that show up there and it looks like it's raining beetles. It's pretty gross, they'll get in your food and anywhere that's wet or warm. I think that was probably the least pleasant aspect of the film, and also it was really cold. Some of the wind was blowing pretty fierce! If I had any complaints, those were the two complaints, but it was a very fun process.
So, what was it like working with your co-stars Sara Canning and Gracie Gillam and director Brandon Christensen?
Osric Chau: Well, anytime you have a group of people that work so well together, it's fun. Even the trials and tribulations become more fun and easier to deal with. We were very fortunate to have such a good group, and it's COVID so we're dealing with a situation that has all of these limitations. So, it wasn't as smooth or as easy as it should've been, but because you have such a good team together, it just made it fun to work through those problems together.
So, compared to roles you've had in the past such as in movies like 2012 and as Ryan Choi in the Arrowverse, how did Superhost stand out from other projects you've done?
Osric Chau: Any time you do an independent production, the people behind it are the people who need it to work and care about it. It's such a different thing than when you're spending the studio's money or someone else's money, the stakes are just different. I think having worked with Brandon and Kurtis [Harder] and knowing just how much blood, sweat, and tears they're putting into this project, it makes you want to go the extra mile. It's just a very different feeling working with that kind of team that just really loves and cares about this project. It just changes everything. Some projects you do for the paycheck, some projects there is no paycheck to do it for, you just do it for the love of it, and this was one of those. It was a great group of people to work with, and I'm very happy to have worked with them.
What were some of your favorite scenes in Superhost?
Osric Chau: I just love watching Gracie do her thing! She just got to play such a wonderful psycho that you're just curious to see what she's going to do next. I got to be a spectator for a lot of it just watching performances and I think that was really fun.
Is the horror genre something you'd want to explore more in the future?
Osric Chau: I love watching horror movies, and they just never happened to come across my way. I'd always been curious about writing horror and producing my own horror at some point. This was a very indie step for me to jump into and I certainly see myself probably exploring that space a little bit. This was a nice first step.
What other projects do you have coming up after Superhost?
Osric Chau: I'm on two shows right now that I can't talk about. It's always the case where you want to talk about something but you can't! So, I'm working on things I can't talk about, and also I'm building out a couple of restaurants. I'm in the restauranting world right now, and that's a weird endeavor that I got into during the pandemic, so I'm learning more of that, and I'm writing, as well. Hopefully, I'll be able to do more of my own films. I've really, really enjoyed the independent film space, I know it's a dying beast, so I appreciate anyone and everyone who supports independent filmmakers. Anything we can do to keep that going, thank you for being part of that and encouraging the next generation of storytellers do their thing.
Superhost is now streaming on Shudder and is also available on home media.