Jacob Batalon Teases Tarot's Horror-Comedy Balance & Shares Future Spider-Man Story Hopes

Tarot follows a group of friends who break the cardinal rule of tarot reading, never using someone else’s deck. After finding a strange deck of creepy cards and using them in a reading each of them begins to be haunted by an evil unleashed by the cursed cards. Things begin to escalate as each of them is faced with the card they pulled and try to escape the fate that they brought upon themselves in order to survive.

In a similar vein to the acclaimed horror franchise Final Destination, Tarot leans into the idea of trying to escape a death that is hunting them. Tarot is the feature directorial debut of the writing team Spenser Cohen and Anna Halberg. Part of what makes Tarot stand out is the use of practical effects and shooting on location, which makes the scares feel more authentic both in the actors’ performances and the portrayal of the monsters.

Screen Rant interviewed Jacob Batalon about his new horror movie, Tarot. He discussed how his comedy and improv skills came into play with his character Tarot, as well as the physical toll the horror genre can take on an actor. Batalon also teased Reginald the Vampire season 2 and pitched an idea for a Ned and Wong-focused spin-off.

How Comedy Comes Into Play With Jacob Balaton’s Tarot Character

Jacob Batalon explained what drew him to Paxton’s story when he read the script for Tarot. While he is known for his comedic roles, especially in the MCU’s Spider-Man trilogy, he has begun moving into other genres while continuing to use his comedic chops. Tarot is the perfect example of merging his comedic experience with a new genre.

Jacob Batalon: What I really liked the most was just having the lightness to Paxton in all the drama and chaos in the movie. I think it also brings together their friend group, so you want to relate to them more, you like them more, and you hope that they don’t die. So I think that’s really my main thing. And also, I just thought it was really fun to just play a little in a horror movie, to really go against the sort of normal genres of horror and really infuse proper comedy into it.

Yeah, I love that element of it because horror and comedy, to me, have always kind of been two sides of the same coin, with the setup and either a punchline or scare. You’ve played a lot of very comedic characters in Spider-Man, but also in Tarot. Did that comedic experience inform your approach to the more horror aspects of this role?

Jacob Batalon: I think with Spider-Man, we were able to build that sort of comedic relationship with all our characters. But I think the comedy that we have in Tarot, it’s not a metaphorical pie in the face. It’s definitely like you’re laughing with us and not laughing at it, and I think there’s a big difference between those two. So it definitely was a different experience, but it was really fun. Our directors, gave me the space to really play and do certain things in certain moments that felt organic.

You touched on this a little bit, but can you talk about how the freedom to lean into your improv skills kind of enhanced your performance? And is there a particular moment that stands out to you?

Jacob Batalon: I think with this movie in particular, it really helped me feel more organically in the movie. I didn’t feel like any of our lines were like cookie cutter, we should do this. I’m the stoic one, I’m the funny one, I’m the sad one. It was all very much, our characters really were just a bunch of really close friends who had unfortunate things happen.

But I would say that the one moment in particular is where we’re all in Paige’s apartment and we’re sort of trying to deal and trying to figure out how to fix this stuff. I was going a mile a minute really fast, and everyone around me was just following that energy and it almost felt like a play. It felt artistically a little liberating in a way. I felt, I could just really let loose in this room and they’ll react to it accordingly. I feel like that’s what really made those scenes work really well.

Jacob Batalon Praises Tarot’s Monsters: “Really Good At Being Scary”

The monsters in Tarot are terrifying as they hunt down the person who pulled their card. Tarot leaned into practical effects, using contortionists to bring the creatures to life instead of adding them in digitally after filming. This and the on-location filming helped enhance the terror not only for audiences, but for the actors as well.

Jacob Batalon: They were all contortionists, gymnasts. TIn particular, my monster, he was just a really crazy, crazy guy. So he does all kinds of crazy stunts all the time. So he was able to do all kinds of crazy things like the Hangman, crazy, I think that was also him as well. They were just really good at their job, really good at being scary. We did a lot of on location areas, so we shot on very dark forests and all these things, scary underpasses. But meanwhile, Belgrade Serbia is the most beautiful town ever. So it was really ironic.

Paxton gets the Fool Card. Can you explain what that means to him, and how much research you did into tarot to prepare for this movie?

Jacob Batalon: So everything that I learned about Tarot was basically through this movie and I barely listened to it, so I might butcher this a little, but I know that the Fool card is basically like you are thinking too hardheaded. You aren’t really thinking things through, and you are very decisive in your decisions even though you don’t think clearly about them. So you basically make what you will with how you choose to live, and you are again just bullish.

So that’s a big thing because Paxton is definitely very ignorant and he starts out not really believing any of this stuff. And as soon as things start happening to our friends, he’s just like, Oh sh-t, maybe we should take this more seriously and really try to figure this stuff out. I think he definitely learned a lot after realizing his fate might be sealed. I just was trying to run away the whole time and no one was listening.

​​​​​How did the directors Spenser and Anna stand out from other directors you’ve worked with in the past?

Jacob Batalon: I think it was actually the first movie that they were directing, and they did a great job, and I think they were really relying a lot on our DP who was really great, but they also relied a lot on their writing, because they’re really great writers. I think that really helped them direct us and also them having a very clear vision helped them tell us what they think is funny, what they think is dramatic, and what they think will be scary. It really worked out. I think the difference really was that it was their first time, but they were really good at it.

Tator’s Horror “Took A Toll” On Jacob Batalon

Batalon also discussed Paxton’s evolution over the course of Tarot from being a non-believer to someone who is looking for a solution that will save himself and his friends. Batalon also reflected on the physical, mental, and emotional toll that working in the horror genre can take on an actor.

Jacob Batalon: I just think his sort of change. Him being completely not on board with thinking it’s real spirits and whatnot to really figuring out and really trying to help the group in any way he can, and then ultimately trying to do his own thing. I think was probably the craziest twist for me. It seemed like he was too afraid to leave the group, so I just feel like he was trying to do his own thing, you know what I mean? So it’s interesting. I hope he survives.

Is there anything from your experience with tarot that you’ve learned that you want to take into future projects?

Jacob Batalon: I’ve learned to really preserve my vocal chords. The whole screaming every other scene was actually crazy. I didn’t think I was going to be screaming so much. And so I’m kind of doing the whole coconut oil with honey, lemon, and tea and really resting my voice. It took a toll.

One of the things about horror that I find very interesting from an acting perspective is you have to take some of the physical stress of that with you because you are putting your body through that. Did you feel the impact of this movie was maybe different from your other acting experiences?

Jacob Batalon: I think it was just emotionally draining. Reginald was very emotionally draining. But I think, really putting your body through that imagined stress is hard on you. To do it take after cake and to keep up the same sort of intensity, and to also properly perform and have storytelling be a part of your performance. It was mentally taxing, for sure. I think everyone in the cast would agree that it definitely is hard to always be emotionally charged. You’re always just at a hundred all the time, and when you call cut, you can’t just easily get out of it. So it definitely was draining.

Jacob Batalon Teases “It’s Up To Reginald Again” In Reginald The Vampire Season 2

Batalon also discussed how his understanding of filmmaking has grown since starring in and co-executive producing Reginald the Vampire. It has also impacted how he approaches acting now that he understands how the other departments work. Batalon also teased what fans can expect from the upcoming second season.

Jacob Batalon: I think when you’re behind the camera, you think big picture. I think actors, we really focus on our scenes or work for the day. We’re not really thinking of the other things that come with a production. Like budget, and how to film certain things, scheduling things, just the practical side of making something. And so the way it affects my acting is that I try to be as efficient as possible. I don’t want to waste takes, I’m always trying to make the most out of every take. You start to pick up on little fittings, how you look at the camera, what’s a good size frame to really put your emotions into it. Just those type of things.

Is there anything you can tease about season two?

Jacob Batalon: With season two, we see Reginald, he wins at the end of season one, but we’re immediately faced with this eminent danger of the angels. So the angels are coming to basically try to wipe us all out. So it’s up to Reginald again for some reason, to save everyone, even though they don’t want him. So it’s definitely crazier, a lot deeper, and a lot more emotional, but it still has the same comedic charm that the first season had.

Jacob Batalon Pitches “Wong Teaches Ned To Be A Magic User” MCU Spin-Off

Ned has always supported Peter Parker in his heroics, but in Spider-Man: No Way Home Ned had the chance to be front and center as a hero in his own right as a magic user. Batalon shared a pitch for a Ned and Wong team-up in which Ned would learn to be a better magic user. However, he explained that with the MCU it can be hard to know when they’ll want to include you in a new project.

Jacob Batalon: Yeah, I would definitely love to be a part of something special again, for sure. I think a specific avenue. I haven’t really spoken on this in a while, but me and Benny Wong wanted to do a whole, Wong teaches Ned to be a magic user. But I think other than that, just whatever happens, happens. I feel like from everyone that you’ve spoken to, I’m sure from superhero movies knows you just randomly get a call one day, you know what I mean? You don’t really plan for it.

About Tarot

When a group of friends recklessly violates the sacred rule of Tarot readings – never use someone else’s deck – they unknowingly unleash an unspeakable evil trapped within the cursed cards. One by one, they come face to face with fate and end up in a race against death to escape the future foretold in their readings.

Source: Screen Rant Plus

Tarot (2024)

The plot centers on a group of college friends who start dying in ways that are related to their fortunes after having their tarot cards read. Before their time runs out, they have to work together to uncover the mystery.

Director

Spenser Cohen and Anna Halberg

Release Date

May 3, 2024

Studio(s)

Screen Gems , Alloy Entertainment , Ground Control

Distributor(s)

Sony Pictures Releasing

Writers

Spenser Cohen and Anna Halberg

Cast

Harriet Slater , Jacob Batalon , Avantika Vandanapu , Adain Bradley , Humberly González , Olwen Fouéré , Wolfgang Novogratz , Larsen Thompson

Runtime

92 minutes