

The brand new horror flick, Companion, has hit theaters. Following the release of the film, Drew Hancock, writer and director of Companion, has gone in depth on his process to craft the story.
Companion follows Iris, a young woman played by Sophie Thatcher, who goes on a weekend getaway with a group of friends. But all goes awry when their trip takes an unexpected turn, leading Iris to find out more about herself than she ever knew before.
While talking to Variety about the film, Hancock detailed his own process for writing the screenplay. Rather than write the whole thing, he fleshes out the first act, and lets the story evolve as he goes through the writing process.
“I need to have a road map of half the journey. I’ve written enough to know that endings always change and you always figure out a third act as you write,” he said.
He told Variety as well that from the beginning, however, he had a rough idea of how the climax of the film would take shape. He stated that he knew it would end with a brutal fight between Iris and her boyfriend, and that Iris would come out victorious.
“I wanted the end to have intentionality to it and feel satisfying, so I spent a month cracking that. Then I said, ‘OK, you can open up that Final Draft file, pick up where you left off and finish it.’” Hancock then broke down his desires for a sequel, if one would be greenlit, and elaborated on the satisfying conclusion he desired for the main character.
Companion is now playing in theaters.