Interview: Director/Producer Alexandre Aja Discusses THE 9TH LIFE OF LOUIS DRAX

Director/producer Alexandre Aja has enjoyed a rather eclectic path throughout his career, and I’ve always appreciated how he unapologetically makes the films he wants to make. In 2014, he brought Joe Hill’s Horns to the big screen, and in The 9th Life of Louis Drax, he delivers another darkly fantastical examination of the complex human condition, making for one of his most ambitious and challenging films to date.

Daily Dead recently chatted with Aja about how The 9th Life of Louis Drax came about due to his work on Horns, his experience collaborating with writer Max Minghella, his thoughts on directing versus producing, and more.

Check out our interview below and look for The 9th Life of Louis Drax in theaters everywhere on September 2nd.

Great to speak with you today, Alex. I'd love to start off talking about the novel The 9th Life of Louis Drax and hear what it was that you saw in it that made you want to adapt it for the big screen?

Alexandre Aja: It's interesting, because everything started with the script, not with the novel, in fact. We were shooting Horns and Max Minghella, who was co-starring in the movie with Daniel Radcliffe, first told me about it. He asked me first about what I was looking for in a story, and we were talking about theme and topics, and he said, "You should read this novel that my father, Anthony Minghella, was going to direct before he passed away, because it seems to be something that you might really like."

He told me about the story and I thought it sounded interesting. He said, "You know, I have been writing a script based on the novel and maybe you should read the script directly.” He gave me the script and it was one of the most honest, original, strong, and emotional stories that I've ever read. It echoes in me in many, many ways, and everything about it was really screaming to me, saying, "I have to make this movie.”

Then I read the book, and it was amazing. Again, it was more just the story and the voice of that kid that spoke to me; when I was reading the script, I was feeling exactly the same way that Louis Drax felt when he was falling from that cliff, falling in the emptiness, falling into the coma, and I had to figure out what happened to me.

It was a very interesting and intriguing mystery. The script had that Hitchcockian vibe to it, where it reminded me of Vertigo. You are caught up in the mystery, but there’s also this feeling of romance you get lost in, too. That’s how I wanted this to feel.

It's interesting that you mentioned Max and Horns, because in both of these movies, you explore human relationships with this dark fantasy slant, and I think they’d make an interesting double feature. Was that something in the back of your mind, that these are the types of stories you feel are more interesting to tell at this phase in your career?

Alexandre Aja: It might be the case, but it’s not necessarily in a willing way. I remember reading Joe Hill's book when I was finishing Piranha [3D], and I knew two chapters in that I had to make this movie. If I could write a novel, I would be writing Horns, because it was exactly everything that was in my mind, everything that I wanted to say and talk about. It was exactly the kind of movie that I wanted to make.

I had the exact same feeling when I read The 9th Life of Louis Drax. There was an instinct that told me I had to make this movie, because I could see it in my head as I read it. Looking back, it's true that both movies explore the dark side of humanity, but there’s also something pure in both stories about these relationships. Both are also rich in a visual way.

But when I look back at them, there is some kind of pattern in these two stories that makes me want to do them. Like now, I'm looking into what I'm going to direct next, and developing different projects, and I can see the pattern repeating. I can see that I'm attracted by the same type of exploring of the psychological relationship in some kind of extreme way. I do still want to find a story that gives me the opportunity of doing something that's different from everything I've done before, though, because repeating yourself is not an option to me.

Because you had worked with Max before in a director/actor capacity, was there any difference between working with him on this in a director/writer capacity? Did you work closely with him on the script after you came on board, or was everything you wanted already there when you were first presented with it?

Alexandre Aja: When he gave me his script, I have to be honest, to me, he was an actor first, so I was not expecting to read something that was as amazing as it was. From every movie I have worked on, this is the one I can say that what made everyone so devoted and excited and inspired to work on this project was the love of the script. The script was so strong and my involvement with it was very minor. My goal, throughout the whole process, was to make a movie that was as good as his writing.

Going back to something you said earlier, you keep so busy on the producing side of things these days, but you're also directing. Is there one that you have a preference of over the other?

Alexandre Aja: I'm a director before I’m a producer. The reason why I like to produce is because I'm frustrated to not be out there directing more. When you direct a movie, it can take one year, two years, three years, five years—whatever. It can be a very long process and I’m someone who needs to be on set. I need to be in the editing room, and writing, and with the crew and everything.

Producing, as well as directing, is giving me the opportunity of being on a set much more often. I can direct and I can develop my movie, but at the same time, by producing others, I can still be on set and be a part of the process as a collaboration. And I love the collaboration. I love when a group of people form and are tied together on a story, and they’re all there to find the best way to bring it to the screen.