‘Get Out’ Star Bradley Whitford Has a ‘Sweet’ New Horror …

Bradley Whitford has spent most of his career balancing intense drama with unexpected moments of horror. Many fans still remember him as Dean Armitage, Jordan Peele’s unnervingly friendly patriarch Get out.

Now, the Emmy Award-winning actor is returning to the genre, this time with a project that mixes nostalgia, candy commercials, and creepy sophistication.

short film, FruitHeadreviving a piece of ’90s TV history: the original Gushers ads, in which kids’ heads turn into fruit after eating candy.

The project, directed by Mike Deva, reimagines what could happen if one of these transformations never went away. Creator Chester Collins stars as a former child actor who was cursed during an infamous commercial shoot and forced to live his entire life as “FruitHead.”

Whitford plays the director responsible for the curse, whose ambition and poor judgment set the terrifying events in motion.

For the veteran actor, this was an opportunity to lean into a darker, more exaggerated role while poking fun at the disturbing undertones of the original ads. “It was so much fun to play this character and reimagine the original FruitHead ads to give them this painful backstory,” Whitford said.

The short film premiered online on October 9 and has already sparked discussion due to its eerie visuals and surreal premise.

This isn’t the first time Whitford has been intimidated, as fans will also remember his role in it Cabin in the woods– but this marks a more playful return to the genre. At the same time, he builds on his reputation as characters who are equally charismatic and menacing.

For those who want to see FruitHead On the big screen, the film will premiere at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival later this fall.

Looking back on the original commercials, Whitford joked the people“We’re just trying to shock a whole new generation. I think it’s a new kind of advertising strategy.”