ComingSoon Senior Editor Brandon Schreur spoke to India Fowler and Fina Strazza about the new Netflix horror movie Fear Street: Prom Queen. Fowler and Strazza discussed their affection for the original Fear Street trilogy, working with practical effects during some of the film’s bloody moments, and more.

“Welcome back to Shadyside. In this next installment of the blood-soaked Fear Street franchise, prom season at Shadyside High is underway and the school’s wolfpack of It Girls is busy with its usual sweet and vicious campaigns for the crown,” the logline reads. “But when a gutsy outsider puts herself in the running, and the other girls start mysteriously disappearing, the class of ’88 is suddenly in for one hell of a prom night.”

Fear Street: Prom Queen is now streaming on Netflix.

Brandon Schreur: My first question is for both of you. I, personally, was such a huge fan of that original Fear Street trilogy. The second that I finished that third movie, I was like, ‘Please give me all of these.’ This franchise should continue forever. It took four years, but now we’re finally getting another movie. What’s it like to be part of this world? Were you fans of those first three Fear Street movies when they came out? Did you think you’d ever have the chance to be part of something like this?

Fina Strazza: I’m really excited. I’ve been a huge horror fan for a while. I’ve always wanted to do a slasher like this. I love how it’s a classic take on horror, bringing back the scares of the 80s. I really liked the original Fear Street trilogy. Sadie Sink — her brother and I were on Broadway together when we were younger, so I’ve always kind of followed Sadie’s career and have been so excited to see what she’s been doing. I watched the trilogy for her.

And, yeah, I was really into it — I watched them as they came out, and I think it was really unique how they kind of kept the same cast for the final iteration of it. It’s the American Horror Story thing where they have the same versions of people. Yeah, I’m really excited to be a part of this, now.

India Fowler: Yeah, same here. I think, like what Fina said, having the cast playing these different roles, it was so interesting to see. It gave that whole 2021 summer a real feeling and a vibe. I know a lot of the fanbase felt that way, too. So it’s really exciting to be part of something fresh in a universe. Something that doesn’t follow the storyline — you don’t have to have seen the trilogy, but it’s still paying homage to the trilogy. There’s a little Easter egg from 1978. But I was just really excited to have the opportunity to be a part of it.

Definitely. Building off of that, this question is also for both of you, the characters that you guys are playing, Lori and Tiffany, they have such a cynical relationship with one another. The whole movie, they’re just kind of at each other’s throats, it seems like. Even whenever there’s a moment where it’s like, ‘Maybe they can find some common ground, here, maybe they can bond in some sort of way,’ it seems like something goes wrong, and it just gets more antagonistic. Was it hard to get into character for those moments and act opposite each other like that, when you’re always at each other’s throats?

Strazza: India and I, we really love each other quite a bit. We get along pretty well. So we would break a lot.

Fowler: Oh my god, yeah.

Strazza: I remember our first time having to face off, we just could not make it through the scene. People got a little bit frustrated that we couldn’t keep our cool. But, you know, it’s hilarious that I had to pretend to hate her, because I don’t.

Totally, that makes sense. Fina, one of my favorite things in the world is an unexpected dance number in a movie. There’s not one, but two different ones in here, and I thought that was the coolest thing. The dance-off was great, but there’s also the scene earlier on when you’re in the costume with the flag. I’m wondering what it was like filming that moment. Did that take a whole to rehearse? That scene started, and then it kept going and going, and I was like, ‘Oh, wow, that probably took some work.’

Strazza: All of our dances, we started rehearsals — like, that was our first day of the production. The first day I ever met India, and then I met [Rebecca Ablack], [Ilan O’Driscoll], and [Ella Rubin], was on our dance rehearsal day. So we had to get very close very quickly and be willing to kind of make a fool of ourselves.

But when we learned the dance — in the same way that TikTok dances become this thing that people do everywhere — in our little version of the world, at the time, in our little filming bubble, that was like a dance that we were all doing. We all learned the dance that the four of us do on stage. It was really funny to kind of see it get done everywhere.

But, yeah, I love a dance number, that was really exciting. I think our dance number for the four of us in the leotards was the first day of filming the prom. So they got us right in there.

Fowler: They were putting you through it, yeah. First day.

Strazza: That was an interesting start.

That’s awesome, but it’s so much fun to watch, and you guys nail it. India, it’s so much fun to watch you in this movie, too, just because it really gives your character her time to shine. You’re leading a horror movie that’s part of this major franchise, and you absolutely crush it. Were you nervous at all, taking on this role? When you got the call and they said you’re going to be the lead star of Fear Street: Prom Queen, what was going on in your mind at that point?

Fowler: I was actually working in a pub at the time. I was on shift with my friend Harriet. I got the call, and I was just, I don’t even know. It was a quiet Monday night. At the pub, there aren’t many people going to the pub on a Monday night. So we were just jumping around, so excited and screaming. When the dust settled a little bit, that’s when the nerves came in. I was like, ‘Oh, I’m leading a movie that already has an amazing fanbase. I kind of just want to do it justice.’ Hopefully, we did. It was nice having such wonderful, strong, genuine friendship on that set. I’m not even just saying that, it felt — Fina, in particular — nice to have strong people that kept me strong. In the moments where I was like, ‘What am I doing?’ I was made to feel okay, and I was made to feel like I was deserving of it. And that I was capable.

Sure, and again, I think you totally nail it. Another question for both of you. Something I’m always surprised by a little when I watch a Fear Street movie is the level of gore. I know I should expect it because it’s a horror movie and everything, but part of my brain just goes, ‘It’s from the guy who made Goosebumps, how bad could it be?’ But then there are some really bloody deaths in all these movies, including this one. Was that something that surprised you when you working on this? Do you have any memories of working with all this make-up, prop work, and fake blood that jump to mind?

Strazza: Most of our scares and kills were done with practical effects. So, every time that someone was murdered — well, not every time, but a lot of the time — people had molds of themselves made out of silicone. So we had dummies made of a lot of our cast members. I’m not going to tell you who. But there were these silicone molds made. So, you could be walking through the set and be like, ‘Oh, hey you!’ and then realize that’s just them made out of silicone.

Fowler: Hey, what are you doing here?

Strazza: I didn’t know you were here today! [Laughs]. That I had never seen before. The people who worked on this movie, the artists, were so, so talented. It was a little weird to watch the people we know so well get murdered, because it looked so real. But, yeah, just kind of an awe in the artistry involved in putting something like this together.

Thanks to India Fowler and Fina Strazza for discussing Fear Street: Prom Queen.

Brandon Schreur

Brandon Schreur has been writing about comics, movies, television shows, and all things pop culture for roughly five years. He's a lifelong cinephile who spends way, way too much money buying Blu-rays and trade paperbacks. You can find him on twitter at @brandonschreur.