For the upcoming sequel, The Woman in Black 2 Angel of Death, director Tom Harper is taking audiences back to the ill-fated Eel Marsh House after things go horribly wrong for a group of children who are evacuated there to escape the horrors of war. Unbeknownst to them and their caretakers, Eel Marsh House is anything but a safe haven and soon, an evil force is reawakened, forcing them to deal with a supernatural entity that will stop at nothing to destroy them.

Daily Dead recently chatted with The Woman in Black 2 star Phoebe Fox in anticipation of the film’s release on January 2nd, 2015. Read about her experiences working on the film and get some insight into her character, Eve Parkins:

Thanks so much for speaking with me today, Phoebe. I really enjoyed your work in the film and thought it does an excellent job of expanding on the mythology from the first film. Had you seen the first Woman in Black before you came on board for the sequel?

Phoebe Fox: Initially, I hadn’t watched the first but I knew of it because it did exceptionally well here. So when I was up for this role, I decided to watch it just so I knew what I was getting myself into (laughs). See, I scare unbelievably easy so I don’t watch too many horror films just because they really get under my skin and the first Woman in Black was exceptionally scary and just a really great movie overall. So I was very excited to be a part of this one.

Using World War II as a backdrop for this story really heightens the experience of The Woman in Black 2- was that something conscientious to you as well when you initially read the script?

Phoebe Fox: It was. I thought it added a really interesting aspect to the story because most times in horror movies, audiences always react by saying, “Why not just leave?” But because we’re in the situation where we’ve been evacuated from London, the possibility of leaving doesn’t really exist. We’re stuck in this terrible situation which means we have no choice but to face it head on. Plus, that was an incredibly scary and tumultuous time here so that added this other kind of terrible mystique to the story too.

Eve is such a lovely character and a very different kind of ‘final girl’ than we’ve seen in some time. Was that all in the script or did you work with Tom before filming to add some of your own touches on the character?

Phoebe Fox: Thank you for saying that because that’s something I picked up on and I don’t think I would have taken on this film if she hadn’t been so well-conceived. Eve definitely has this light to her and that stood out to me, especially since the story has such darkness to it. She’s also driven by the events of her past so something that I did with Tom before we started filming was to write out a detailed biography for her. I thought that was the only way to play Eve authentically was to know where she was coming from.

I’d definitely agree that she has a light to her and I thought that was definitely reflected in Eve’s wardrobe; was that something you collaborated on with the costume designer?

Phoebe Fox: I wish I could take credit but that was all due to Annie Symons and her amazing eye. I loved how she made Eve a contrasting factor against everything going on in the world around her. She did a really great job on all the costumes.

I know we’re almost out of time but I wanted to ask about your experiences working with Helen (McCrory) since your characters spend a lot of time together and balance each other out rather nicely in the film.

Phoebe Fox: Helen is just brilliant. Her role was very much like your typical British woman- strong and stoic- but also had a lot more going on to her than what you initially see. I loved that. Helen’s performance just defies all those stereotypes too and she made Jean into so much more with very little dialogue to convey what her character was about and that demonstrates just how talented she is. I had a wonderful time working with her and learned so much- she’s a true legend.

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  • Heather Wixson
    About the Author - Heather Wixson

    Heather A. Wixson was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, until she followed her dreams and moved to Los Angeles in 2009. A 14-year veteran in the world of horror entertainment journalism, Wixson fell in love with genre films at a very early age, and has spent more than a decade as a writer and supporter of preserving the history of horror and science fiction cinema. Throughout her career, Wixson has contributed to several notable websites, including Fangoria, Dread Central, Terror Tube, and FEARnet, and she currently serves as the Managing Editor for Daily Dead, which has been her home since 2013. She's also written for both Fangoria Magazine & ReMind Magazine, and her latest book project, Monsters, Makeup & Effects: Volume One will be released on October 20, 2021.