At last month’s Sitges film festival, where his film SLEEP TIGHT had its European premiere and he himself was awarded the “Time Machine” prize, Spanish director Jaume Balagueró (pictured) spoke to Fango about [REC] 4: APOCALYPSE, the latest installment of the franchise he created with Paco Plaza (whose [REC] 3: GENESIS opens in Spain next March).

FANGORIA: What can we anticipate from [REC] 4?

JAUME BALAGUERÓ: We are writing the script right now. Part four is going to follow [REC] 2; it’s a continuation of that film and picks up immediately after it ends, while [REC] 3: GENESIS takes place a little bit earlier, just a few hours before the first [REC]. It’s not what everybody thinks it is. To make a sequel of a successful movie is difficult, and comes with a lot of pressure. All of the movies in the [REC] series have the same budget, so you’re not really going to see big scenes of Barcelona full of zombies; they’re just not intended that way. There has to be a story that’s controlled and strong, and I think we have the right idea. I can’t tell you where [REC] 4 takes place because we’re still writing the script, but I can say that it is set in a very different environment. It’s not Barcelona, but a weird, apocalyptic setting. It’s somewhere different, and very new.

Anyway, part four will be the last chapter of the saga. It will be in Spanish, but my next projects will be in English, like DARKNESS and FRAGILE, as it will be easier to sell them abroad. Obviously, for me it’s easier to shoot in Spanish, but making a movie in English is something I can deal with.

FANG: Why did you and Plaza decide to direct the two new [REC] movies separately?

BALAGUERÓ: It was an amicable decision. We both decided to make [REC] 3 and 4 and then end it, as there are no more things to say and we risked being repetitive. We wanted to make them separately because we spent four years of our lives making these films, and now we want to move on and make other things and we also wanted to direct alone. Working together was one of the best experiences in my life, but now I want to begin working on something different. No more cameras on my shoulder, but a more ordinary way of shooting pictures. To co-direct with Paco is great, and we always have a good laugh, but sometimes he doesn’t see the same way as me creatively, and we have to reject ideas that either he really likes or I really like. When you direct a movie with someone else, you have a sort of self-censorship because you have to respect your partner’s ideas; when you are alone, you have more freedom.

FANG: What are your next projects after [REC] 4: APOCALYPSE?

BALAGUERÓ: I have two ideas. One of them is an adaptation of a Japanese novel and one is a horror movie, a remake of a French film.

FANG: Did you like the American [REC] remake QUARANTINE?

BALAGUERÓ: It’s impossible for me to like, because it’s a copy. It’s exactly the same, except for the finale. It’s impossible to enjoy QUARANTINE after [REC]. I don’t understand why they avoided the religious themes; they lost a very important part of the end of the movie.

See our review of Balagueró’s SLEEP TIGHT here.

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