JJ Abrams and David Robert Mitchell Discuss the Mysteries at ‘The End of Oak Street’

Whenever fans think of JJ Abrams and Bad Robot, the first thing that comes to mind is the mystery box. Abrams famously did a TED Talk about the allure of creating intrigue by not revealing everything about his projects, and creating audience curiosity through mystery. So it’s no surprise that he’s teamed up with It Follows director, David Robert Mitchell, to bring us another puzzle at the center of their latest film, The End of Oak Street.

The latest mystery box to come from Bad Robot tells an original tale of a family thrust into completely impossible circumstances when their entire neighborhood is seemingly transported into a prehistoric nightmare! The film stars A-listers Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor, as well as a lot of insane dinosaurs. It’s the perfect blend of Amblin emotion and nostalgia, combined with crazy ’80s B-movie chaos.

It’s a remarkable departure for Mitchell, whose experience prior to this showcased his skills in coming-of-age drama, neo-noir mystery, and of course horror, in a much more grounded, independent sort of way. The End of Oak Street presents his biggest-budget studio release to date. But impressed with his skills on films like It Follows and Under the Silver Lake, Abrams immediately wanted to team up with Mitchell to help bring his original vision to the screen.

We were able to discuss the origins of the film with Mitchell and Abrams, as well as their approach to telling this story, creating the characters, and ultimately, how their dinosaurs differ from ones we’ve seen in other big-budget dino-blockbusters. Take a look at what they had to say here:

The End of Oak Street hits theaters this Friday, August 14!