Why Brandon Cronenberg Didn’t Make A Horror Movie For 8 Years After Antiviral

Eight years after the release of Antiviral, Brandon Cronenberg finally premiered his second feature-length movie titled Possessor, but what was the reason behind such a large gap in the young director’s rising career path?

Son of horror icon David Cronenberg, Brandon followed in his father’s footsteps by creating the bizarre body horror movie Antiviral in 2012. The Cronenberg name is somewhat synonymous with the sub-genre, as David’s bibliography consists of some of its most well-known outings, such as Scanners, The Fly, and Videodrome. In his feature film debut, Brandon Cronenberg showcased his own talents with an unsettling story about the future of celebrity culture and fan infatuation. Antiviral tells the story of Syd March (Caleb Landry Jones), a Lucas Clinic employee who sells celebrity illnesses and pathogens on the black market. Antiviral’s ending is fairly complex, but displays the true horrors that await a dystopian world where the best product at the meat market is celebrity flesh and the only way to ethically, and disturbingly, farm it.

While Antiviral received mixed reviews, it was a rather captivating movie that made longtime Cronenberg fans anticipate what was next for the budding filmmaker. Eight years later, Possessor arrived and blew his 2012 feature out of the water with a far more thought out storyline, well-developed characters, and a new form of being possessed as well as possessing others that steps outside well-tread supernatural horror territory. Body horror movies are not traditionally made on a small budget, especially when they are as technology-dense as Brandon Cronenberg’s. This caused his second feature-length project to remain in the ether until it could garner enough financial support to start production.

The biggest struggle that Cronenberg faced when setting out to create Possessor was related to finances. Despite the fact that he is related to one of the genre’s most iconic directors, it does not mean he immediately receives the green light on every proposed project he brings to the table. In fact, during an interview with The Guardian, Cronenberg stated that it actually puts him at odds with financers, as they know what to expect from his family name: gore and disgust.

It isn’t entirely common for directors to have such a lengthy gap between their movies, which only adds to the validity of Cronenberg’s statement in the interview. There’s no fund set up under their family name where they keep money to support their next feature, they have to seek out financers just like anyone else. In the case of Possessor, it took longer than normal to receive enough to start development. This may have ultimately worked in his favor, as his 2020 movie is often cited as one of the best of the year, especially in the realm of sci-fi horror. With the recent spike in body horror’s popularity, it premiered at the perfect moment.

Regardless of the eight year gap, Cronenberg ultimately benefitted in the aftermath. By sheer chance, Possessor released at an all new height for the sub-genre as well as in the midst of dystopian technology-based media such as Black Mirror, which has seen a rise in popularity in 2020 as well. This is likely due to the uncertainty of the times, which has drawn many audiences to seek solace in dystopian societies that seem too crazy to be real. Brandon Cronenberg’s eight year gap between Antiviral and Possessor also highlights that name recognition doesn’t really do many favors in the movie industry, especially if that name is tied to some of body horror’s most disturbing features. As of this writing, he has not announced his next project, but it could be impacted in the same way with a similar lengthy hiatus, though hopefully not as long.

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